Celeste - What's in a Name?
Sister Celeste Howard ran St. Agatha's Conservatory of Art and Music and Convent that opened in 1910 and operated through the early 1960’s. She was a cousin of Mother Seraphine, head of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province. The name is derived from the French “celeste” which comes from the Latin “caelestis,” meaning celestial, heavenly.
When Rebound Hospitality stumbled upon the somewhat run-down office building at the corner of Exchange and Cedar streets in downtown St. Paul in early 2017, we were struck by its heavenly qualities. The building was already listed on the National Register of Historic Places but was in clear need of substantial renovations to return to its former glory. We worked closely with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and our branding partner SuperVox to reimagine the building as a 71-room boutique hotel and bar that opened on November 1, 2019, to rave reviews from guests and the press. Sadly, the momentum was short lived as we were quickly shutdown by the pandemic. Thankfully, we have been able to continue to invest in this special property, our staff and keep the doors open as the downtown market recovers. However, we still need lovers of historic preservation, art, architecture and small independent hotels to help spread the word about this special place.
Special features of the grand Beau-Arts style building include the original Chapel, our Grand Hall with original works of art painted by the sisters, a one-of-a-kind Chapel Suite, 14’ ceilings with exposed brick and iron work on the 6th floor, beautiful parlors that now serve as our Lobby and Bar, our marble staircases and exceptional plaster and iron work throughout the property.
We worked hard to preserve the character and spirit of the building while making the space comfortable and modern - “As a building, I was just amazed. They were able to keep the essence of the building and have it so profoundly modern and good looking,” said Sister McDonald – Following our Sister Sleepover on 10/31/19.
For those who appreciate something different in a world that is dominated by corporate franchised properties, we ask that you not only support the Celeste and our dedicated staff but also to help spread the word as we continue to invest in our people, the property and the revitalization of downtown St. Paul!
