There’s just something about an old-fashioned sleepover with friends. And for a group of St. Paul nuns, it’s where they are spending time together that has a special meaning.

Downtown St Paul has a new boutique hotel. For the first group of guests to stay here, it’s a place like “nun” other. For Sister Brigid McDonald, walking into the Celeste St. Paul Hotel is like taking a step back in time.

“It was a very important building at one point and it’s going to be an important again isn’t it,” said Sister Brigid McDonald, a retired nun. “Actually, when I first walked in the door, it was like I was waiting for a whole bunch of nuns to be walking around.”

She’s one of about a dozen retired nuns having a sister sleepover at the place they used to call home.

“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.