06/08/2026
New AmericInn Owner Looks to Build Community Connections | Paul Sjurseth recently purchased the hotel from Greg and Stacey Raisanen, who retired after running the business for 20 years.
Sjurseth took over the hotel on March 31 and is no stranger to the hospitality industry. He brings with him 31 years of experience in the hotel business and ownership of five hotels. “North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas—we used to have some in Minnesota, but we sold those. We’re based in the Midwest, we’re based out of Fargo,” he explained.
He said he is excited to be in Belle Fourche and is familiar with the area. “I used to have a hotel in Spearfish and I knew Greg and Stacey for years, and knew they were retiring, and I just wanted to continue their legacy, and they wanted to sell it to the right person—we’re both award-winning hotels, and so we want to keep that going.”
The hotels Sjurseth owns operate under the AmericInn and Baymont brands of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Just over a month after taking over ownership, the hotelier is making plans. “It’s early yet, but as expected… there hasn’t been any drastic change in the numbers, we’re just focused on getting to know my new staff, and we’re not changing the rules or policies that much just the new owner getting to know the staff,” said Sjurseth. “And then we’re going to be doing a renovation and refresh as our major focus for the first time.”
The hotel currently employs just over 20 staff members. “We brought in two new people, and the majority of that was because Stacey and Greg are no longer in the hotel, so we’re gonna get two people to try and replace them—butwe’ve only brought on two new people. Otherwise, we have the same staff,” said Sjurseth.
The innkeeper doesn’t see the need to make many changes going forward. He shared, “They (Greg and Stacey) did an amazing job, so I just want to maintain that, really. And you know, there’s a few things we can change here and there, but for the most part, they did a great job, so I probably don’t have to change a lot.”
In addition to being a hotel owner, Sjurseth is a husband and father of five children. They make their home in Fargo. “So, we’re seven hours away, it’s not that bad. And I certainly plan to come and visit, and I definitely want to be a part of the community as much as possible, and that’s really what we’ll do—our goal is to first be a part of the community,” he said.
One priority that is close to Sjurseth’s heart is taking care of veterans. He was in the Army for eight years. “I started at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, active duty, and then I was in the National Guard for five years,” he explained. “Great experience—leadership is probably what I learned the most in the military.”
Taking care of veterans is important to Sjurseth. “The veterans in town, I definitely want to take care of them, and I do at all my other hotels—I have the National Guard and the Reserve staying at all my other hotels, and as a disabled veteran, I want to just make sure we’re taking care of those folks. It’s just a special priority for me.”
Denver Wilson is the new general manager. She has been with the AmericInn for 18 years. The hotel offers a full hot breakfast, with Breakfast Attendant Diane Wolf making eggs to order. There is an indoor pool and hot tub that is open to the public for $6 per person. A conference room is also available to rent for events.
Sjurseth looks forward to being part of the Belle Fourche community. “I’ve been in the hotel industry for a long time, bringing experience and knowledge to this turnover. We’ll do our best to make this hotel even a little bit better than it has been—it’s hard to improve on number one, but all of my hotels are in smaller communities, and we just don’t want to be a part of the community, we want to be part of the sports, the part of the ongoing events in town, and we want to participate and donate,” he said.
Robbi Longbrake | [email protected]
