On Monday, May 5, 2025, La Place Rendez-Vous unveiled the long-anticipated results of its restaurant and lounge renovation.
The space was officially opened Monday morning with a ribbon cutting and performance by the St. Mary School Choir, along with a sampling of some of what the restaurant has to offer.
The Rendez-Vous has been undergoing a variety of renovations over the last number of years and owner Sarah Noonan says the completion of the restaurant project is a significant step in the renewal journey for the hotel.
“It was a giant project,” she said.
“We haven’t done a major dining restaurant reno since probably the late 90s or early 2000s, so it was due, we needed it. We’ve been aggressive on updating the whole facility. So we’ve now updated all three sections, every hotel room in the facility. The restaurant was kind of the next big one and then we’re also doing the lobby… This one’s extra exciting because it’s something that impacts our guests that stay with us and the local community and our local customers. We’ve been around for a long time so it’s kind of exciting to reinvent our look and modernise it and welcome people back. We’re super proud of it.”
The renovation has transformed the space; the former lounge with its neon signs and sportsbar vibe is gone, replaced by a private dining area and less connection to the bar.
“We switched the bar to face the larger space, which is the dining room and we’re going to be using the former lounge as a private dining space,” Noonan said.
“We were noticing there’s bigger groups that come that want to book private space. We incorporated some really good technology. So we’ll have integrated sound and video. We’ve got a projection screen, powered blinds so you can darken the room if you’re doing a presentation.”
Depending on the circumstances, there is a large hydraulic window that can be open or closed, separating the space from the main dining room and bar.
Perhaps less noticeable, but just as important, the renovation included new HVAC, plumbing and electrical, as well as new windows which were installed last summer and allow a brilliant view of Rainy Lake.
Over the last few years coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic the restaurant has also worked to add new offerings to its menu as well.
“Coming out of COVID was hard,” Noonan said.
“COVID was hard, coming out of COVID was hard, being short staffed. Every single business kind of felt the struggle of that. I just feel lucky right now that we’re fully staffed. We’ve welcomed some new team members and we have an excellent culinary team. Executive Chef Shane Bell is the lead in the kitchen and we’ve attracted other qualified people, and I think it’s really elevated our food product, our ability to get a bit more of a multicultural offering which reflects the cultures of our staff.”
While many of the old classics are still available the restaurant is creating seasonal feature menus to keep things fresh.
“I think our food is the best we’ve ever had,” Noonan said. “It’s really exciting.”
The restaurant is open for lunch seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner 4-10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 4-9 p.m. on Sundays. For beverage and munchies hours or to see take out menus, check out rendezvoushotel.com.
