Nine decades of excellence – Ariens Company still thriving today
How powerful is paper in NE Wisconsin?
June 30, 2025
TWO RIVERS – In a city home to a pair of rivers, a pair of sisters are working to completely renovate a historic, downtown building and reopen it as a modern lounge, inn and spa.
Melissa Nyssen and Amanda Hanley said though neither of them are from the Two Rivers area, it didn’t take long before they both fell in love with the coastal town.
“Chicago is my permanent residence, but recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in Two Rivers,” Hanley said. “I’m up there about every other week.”
Nyssen – who was living in Downers Grove, Illinois, prior to purchasing her and her partner John’s first property in Two Rivers – said for a long time she wanted to build a business around her years of hospitality experience.
“I had been working for a while in hospitality – literally for years – and just could never find the right property (to start my own business),” she said. “My partner, John, was working in Green Bay, and we looked along the lakefront on Google Maps, just exploring different towns, and Two Rivers was intriguing to us.”
Shortly after their self-directed Google Maps search, Nyssen said she and John bought a property – prompting “a life change.”
“We ran it as an Airbnb for a couple of years,” she said. “Then, during that time, we found this (building) that we’re now at in Two Rivers, and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity (to start) an inn.”
Though including a bar, spa and lounge into the business was not part of her original plan, Nyssen said multiple streams of income soon became a necessity as renovation costs piled up.
“We had put so many upgrades into the building that we needed to generate more revenue,” she said. “And it kind of makes sense having everything all in one place.”
Now, renovations on the nearly 100-year-old building are nearing completion, as the sisters said they hope to open later this summer after more than eight months of construction.
“We’re probably going to open the inn first, but I would say we’re 90% done,” Nyssen said. “It’s a very large project.”
Strong community focus
Drawing on their own travel experiences, Hanley said she and Nyssen found one consistent detail that contributed to their most enjoyable trips – convenience.
“My sister and I have traveled together forever, along with our families, and sometimes we found the places we liked best were just simple places where you check in (and) everything is right there for you,” she said. “You don’t have to think a lot. You’re just there to relax, and that’s the kind of atmosphere we wanted – and very nature based.”
Two Rivers, the sisters said, is a unique place offering numerous ways to engage and connect with nature.
“My sister designed (a map of nearby activities), and I love (it) because it’s so beautiful,” Hanley said, “but it (also) shows there’s just so much going on, and, to me, it’s just scratching the surface.”
Some of the attractions highlighted on the map, Nyssen said, are the Woodland Dunes nature reserve, the Ice Age Trail, Point Beach state park, the Van Der Brohe Arboretum and more.
“Every time I come up (to Two Rivers), my sister always has this full itinerary of things to do… (and) I still haven’t done disc golf or the Rawley Bike Trail,” Hanley said.
Nyssen said they have always been “blown away by the natural amenities around here.”
“It’s just unbelievable how many things are so close by with a different vibe from each one, (and) it’s really amazing for a small community to have these types of amenities.”
Each of the six forthcoming rooms at the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa, Hanley said, will feature a theme centered around one of the city’s natural amenities.
“We really (place) a strong focus on what’s happening in Two Rivers, and especially the nature we (like to) call the wonderlands,” she said.
Beyond the natural beauty of the Two Rivers area, Nyssen said there’s also beauty to be found among its residents.
“The community just blows me away,” she said. “The friendliness, the welcomeness, the talent of artists – and we’re constantly amazed by the new people we meet.”
Placing a strong focus on collaboration with the local community as well, the sisters said the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa will feature art, decorations and amenities made possible by local artists and business owners.
“We’re going to have a piece by Rebecca Jabs (Illustrations), we’ve printed a historic print from the Hamilton (Wood Type & Printing) Museum – they went to their archives and got an old print and made it up for us – one of the master woodworkers, Brandon Gauthier, is making our mantle…,” she said. “It’s just endless how many talented people we keep finding.”
A lot of the individuals they’re working with on the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa, Hanley said, grew up in the area, too.
“In addition to the artisans, there are so many amazing people who we are collaborating with, and a lot of them grew up in Two Rivers or Manitowoc,” she said. “We’re constantly meeting so many people who have roots in the community that maybe left for a while, but came back, and that’s a true testament to the city.”
Violet Inn amenities
As the sisters work to complete the remaining 10% of the renovation project, they said preserving what they could of the historic building – located at 1415 16th St. – was of utmost priority, while simultaneously ensuring it met modern regulatory standards.
“The building was built in 1926, and when we purchased it, it needed a lot of work – so let’s just say it looks a lot better today,” Hanley laughed. “It’s inching closer, but we had to do significant renovations – not only to turn it from a previous bar to an inn, but we had to update (the building according to) the energy codes, all of the fire codes, (etc.). Now, it will be fully ADA-compliant (and) the inside is going to be brand new… modern and fresh.”
Elements such as the original maple wood structural beams, Nyssen said, were salvaged, and Hanley added they are also bringing in other historical features to the building.
“We have a beautiful open ceiling that is also the original wood with the beams, so we were able to use some really cool elements,” Hanley said. “We’re also working to bring (in) other things, like our mantle is salvaged wood from the Hamilton. It’s gorgeous. It’s still a simple, beautiful building, but we really want it to have good historical bones.”
The inn’s speakeasy, she said, will be located on the building’s bottom level and be open to the public.
“It’s going to be called the Fox Den,” she said.
Nyssen said the Fox Den will pay homage to traditional Wisconsin bars while offering a different vibe than that found in most other local watering holes.
“The bar is a little bit different,” she said. “We love the Wisconsin bars around here, but this is a little bit more like a cocktail (or) martini bar. Then, the spa will have infrared saunas, massage rooms, a massage chair and a yoga room.”
Passionate both about their business and the Two Rivers community, Hanley said they want the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa to serve as a place for just that.
“We had heard that Two Rivers was known, historically – because of the rivers coming together – as a place to come together, and we love that idea,” she said.
Furthermore, Hanley said they would like to host a series called Den Talks, where local entrepreneurs, artisans or people “who (are) doing really cool (things)” are featured.
“We would love to have intimate talks and gatherings in that space, but we also feel like the spa… can be another place focused more on personal wellness and relaxation,” she said.
And, especially to protect the natural beauty of the area, Nyssen said operating their business sustainably has been a driving factor in much of their decision-making.
“The sustainability part is really important to us,” she said. “(We’re) keeping the plastic use down, we hope to eventually put solar panels on the roof, we don’t have carpet, all our faucets are (motion)-sensing – everything is energy efficient (and) that’s really important to us.”
Hanley said the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa as a whole can also serve as a gathering place for community groups, businesses or families once its doors are open.
“(The inn) is a smaller place with six rooms, but (it also has) a huge lobby that we’re calling The Nest,” she said. “With the backyard and everything, it could also be a really amazing place for people to have a family retreat, a business function or a yoga retreat. So, we will have (event and group-package) options as well.”
The inn’s backyard space, Hanley said, will eventually feature flowers, plants and herbs native to the region and the Badger State.
“I think one important thing is we really want to attract people during the winter,” Nyssen said. “We want to create an atmosphere that’s very summery, so we had a huge focus on plants… to create that type of atmosphere that you can get away (to) in the middle of winter – a summery,
relaxing place.”
For updates on the Violet Inn, Lounge & Spa’s anticipated grand opening, visit its website, violetinn.com, or social media pages.
