40 UNDER 40: Emily Nelson

The Brooks Hotel in Wallace changed Emily Nelson’s life twice over. 

She said her grandfather’s run-down hotel first inspired her to fulfill a career in designing as an architect. She pursued that career for a while, before stepping into the role she never thought she’d take on: that of a hotelier. 

Studying architecture laid the of foundation for Nelson’s understanding of the principles of design, while traveling abroad during and after college inspired her and challenged her ideas of business and design, as well as how it all comes together to form the human experience. 

“I love to dissect and understand the sensory of place and connection with people and turning those into meaningful memories like I had with my grandfather at the hotel,” she said. “Who I am today is a reflection of how my mother and grandfather pushed me into all the things I was interested in all the time.” 

As an only child, Nelson wandered the hotel and the unfinished second floor, where she drew floor plans for fun. Though she took a break from that, she ultimately came back to functionality and creativity as core interests. 

“My family supported me and taught me primarily how to be independent and how to work hard, which gave me the confidence to believe I could achieve anything I wanted,” she said. 

Five to 10 years from now, Nelson said she hopes to have the businesses inside the hotel working independently from her. With the freedom of not running operations, she wants to build her dream boutique hotel from the ground up, harnessing different experiences such as wellness retreats, farming the food on site and group gathering hubs where connections with others and nature can be prioritized and romanticized. 

Nelson had choice advice for her younger self. 

“Move fast,” she said. “You can’t buy more time. Make that decision, trust your gut and don’t ponder the possibilities too long. Find good people who share your work ethic. Feed off that energy, don’t let everyone else’s fears become yours.”