It’s incredibly rare for a full-service Marriott hotel to be located in a metro community our size. Yet, Fargo Moorhead West Fargo is lucky enough to have one right in our backyard.

You probably know the Delta by Marriott as the former Ramada. The transition to this exciting new brand was completed about two years ago. As visitors and community members have had time to stay in and visit this gorgeous facility, there’s no doubt that it’s become a high-value amenity for our region.

Construction of the very first hotel started in 1994 and the facility opened in 1996 (in a blizzard, nonetheless!) as the Ramada Plaza & Conference Center. A few years later, the Crystal Ballroom was added, and still to this day represents one of the largest hotel conference facilities between Minneapolis and Spokane.

The hotel achieved multiple awards from Ramada Worldwide and its master franchisor, Wyndham Worldwide, over a subsequent 18 years. The hotel has had the honor of serving the community and multiple hundreds of weddings and conferences, not to mention has hosted multiple dignitaries and celebrities from around the world.

So why switch something that was already successful? “When we looked at making the transition from Ramada to Delta, we started by listening to our guests and taking to heart all of their feedback about what they wanted to see in a hotel,” said Norman Leslie, president of National Hospitality Services, which acts as the hotel’s management company, and provides support in accounting, operations, human resources, procurement, sales and marketing. “We were also really excited about bringing a completely new hotel concept to our market, and becoming part of the Marriott portfolio of hotels. The Delta really is like nothing else Fargo-Moorhead has to offer, and as we were under the Ramada brand, we wanted to continue to be an iconic part of the community and be top-of-mind when thinking about Fargo hotels.”

New features for the property through the upgrade include a streamlined, contemporary design for guest rooms, lobby and event spaces. Guest rooms now include new, ultra-comfortable beds with premium linens, focused workspaces and USB outlets. Guests can stay connected with complimentary high-speed wifi and ample plug-ins throughout the property. An expanded, state-of-the-art fitness center with cardio, strength training and CrossFit equipment, was added. Urban 42 Kitchen + Bar is the new restaurant concept, offering fresh American cuisine and a full bar and lounge area. And, catch your caffeine on site with the new Starbucks kiosk in the lobby.



Of course you can’t forget their event spaces, which got a whole new look and feel, with upgraded technology features throughout. Catch the classy new look at a variety of Chamber and community events!

One face that you might recognize when visiting the hotel is Carol Johnson, who currently serves as director of sales. “This property is beautiful, and I love seeing it full of happy guests from all walks of life,” she said. “We think of it like a little city because it has everything you would want traveling for business or leisure. We also have the pleasure of working with so many great companies in this community…, and it means so much to our employees to be a part of keeping this a great community to live in.”

Through all her years at the property, Johnson has many great memories to recall. Her favorites, though, are when the team has been able to step in, step up and save the day, which includes everything from handling medical emergencies to loaning shoes to someone when their luggage doesn’t arrive. Or when they got a last-minute wedding cake when a bakery neglected to make a couples’ order.

The team at the Delta and NHS wants you to know that if you have stayed with them in the past, you can expect a totally different experience now when you walk in the door. They invite the community to re-experience the hotel and enjoy the new features.

What could be next? A new concept for event, meeting and wedding services, is coming soon. The hotel staff is looking at new ways to help clients customize and bring their events to the next level, as well as breathe new life into the traditional hotel event or wedding setup. “We’ve got a great team of event specialists who will be leading the way on this initiative and working to create some really show-stopping events at our hotel,” they shared.

We also thank and recognize the Delta by Marriott for its commitment to our community through its Community Builder status with The Chamber.