The hotel was built by its namesake, Alex Carlton Johnson, Vice President of the Chicago & North Western Railroad.

In 2016, a restoration project was announced to update the building's infrastructure and refurbish the interior for an estimated total of $7 million.

[8] The Hotel Alex Johnson is an eight-story brick structure[9] that combines Tudor Revival architecture with vernacular elements.

[4] Several original features are still present, including a teepee-shaped chandelier, hand-drawn motifs on the ceilings, and wooden sculptures of Native American chiefs.

[12] The hotel offers a Ghost Adventure Package, inviting guests to stay in the most haunted rooms with a provided EMF reader.

Hitchcock, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint stayed at the hotel while filming at nearby Mount Rushmore.