Accommodations
There are a few good rules to remember when trying to find hotel accommodations in the Twin Cities. First of all, winter rates for rooms are almost half that of spring and summer rates. Second, staying in St. Paul is cheaper than staying in Minneapolis, even though there are far fewer hotel options in St. Paul. Most hotels in the Cities have package plans that can knock up to a couple hundred dollars off the price of a room if you reserve a few months in advance and you plan to stay for two or more days. All major credit cards are accepted at the following establishments except where noted. Also, all the following hotels have both smoking and nonsmoking rooms unless otherwise noted; however, none of the bed-and-breakfasts listed here allow smoking inside the rooms. All hotels in the metro area are required to have wheelchair-accessible ramps outside and inside the hotels.
If you visit the Twin Cities during the chilly winter months, try to find a hotel connected to either the Minneapolis or the St. Paul skyway system. These wonderful second-floor walkways are climate controlled and link most of the downtown businesses, so you don’t have to step outside unless you want to. You can enter the skyway system through the parking garages in both cities, and posted maps let you know where you are at every junction.
Note: Accommodations are listed alphabetically under the headings Minneapolis, St. Paul, Neighboring Communities, and Bed-and-Breakfasts.
1. Best Western Normandy Inn
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 370-1400
Address: 405 South Eighth St.
Description: Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, this hotel is equally close (5 blocks) to the Metrodome and the Minneapolis Convention Center, 3 blocks from the light-rail line’s Government Plaza Station, and across the street from an entrance to the skyway system. The hotel—which is familiar to downtown denizens for its cheesy French-chateau facade, complete with “distressed” panels meant to accentuate the ye olde effect—offers guests a complimentary continental breakfast; has an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, and a fitness room; and serves milk and chocolate chip cookies every night. Every room has free wireless Internet.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Address: 901 Hennepin Ave.
3. Comfort Suites
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 333-3111
Address: 425 South Seventh St.
Description: This newly renovated all-suite hotel in downtown Minneapolis 2 blocks from the Metrodome features an open atrium and access to the skyway system. Suite amenities include a separate bedroom, living area, and a fully equipped kitchen; hotel facilities include a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant with room service, and complimentary cooked-to-order breakfasts.
4. Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 338-2288
Address: 618 Second Ave. South
Description: This hotel offers a comfortable stay for tourists and business travelers alike, with a year-round fitness center and a 24-hour business center. Each room includes an oversize desk with an ergonomic chair, individually controlled heating and air-conditioning, and high-speed Internet access. The hotel is in the middle of downtown Minneapolis and minutes from all the entertainment venues and shopping.
5. Days Inn University
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 623-3999
Address: 2407 University Ave. SE
Description: This friendly six-story hotel is located on the eastern edge of the Minnepolis campus of the University of Minnesota and is within walking distance of Dinkytown and all its stores and restaurants. The hotel offers guests a complimentary continental breakfast, free lot parking, and complimentary shuttle service to sites within 2 miles of the hotel. The hotel is a convenient choice if your plans include the Minneapolis university area.
6. The Grand Hotel Minneapolis
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 288-8888
Address: 615 Second Ave. South
Description: Originally the home of the historic Minneapolis Athletic Club, the Grand Hotel Minneapolis remodeled and reopened as a hotel in 2000. Based on the AAA rating system, the hotel is the top luxury hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Although you will pay for the experience, you will be pampered from the moment you step in the door. The 140 rooms of the hotel feature such indulgences as Egyptian cotton sheets, silk bathrobes, Aveda bath products, leather-topped desks, marble bathrooms, and Tuscan furniture. The hotel is connected to the skyway system and is within easy walking distance of the luxurious Gaviidae Common shopping center (anchored by such stores as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue), the Minneapolis Convention Center, Nicollet Mall, and the Hennepin Theater District.
7. Graves 601 Hotel
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 677-1100 or (866) 523-11
Address: 601 First Ave.
Description: Formerly Le Méridien, Graves 601 is across the street from the Target Center in the Block E entertainment and shopping complex and is connected to the skyway system. Since opening in 2003, this swank hotel has gotten rave reviews from local and national publications—and travelers. Rooms have features such as glass-etched, handcrafted headboards; backlit photographs inspired by Twin Cities culture; huge plasma televisions; high-speed Internet access; and artistically designed bathrooms with rain shower features. In addition to an on-site health club, the hotel has a restaurant (Cosmos) and a street-level, futuristic lounge (Infinity).
8. Hilton Minneapolis
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 376-1000
Address: 1001 Marquette Ave.
Description: The Hilton Minneapolis is located next door to Orchestra Hall in the center of downtown and is connected to the skyway system. The 25-story brick hotel has 821 rooms, all featuring large windows and hand-carved oak trim. The hotel has an on-site health club (including a full gym, whirlpool, sauna, and swimming pool); 73,000 square feet of meeting space including the new Symphony Ballroom; wireless Internet access; and more. There’s a coffee cart in the lobby as well as an on-site restaurant and bar (SkyWater).
9. Holiday Inn Metrodome
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 333-4646 or (800) 448-DO
Address: 1500 Washington Ave. South
Description: Located on the eastern edge of the downtown business district with the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota on one side and the Metrodome on the other, the Holiday Inn Metrodome has one of the best hotel locations for sports fans in the Twin Cities. The 265-room hotel has an indoor pool, a whirlpool and sauna, a gym, and a restaurant (the Grill Room Restaurant and Lobby Bar) and offers guests shuttle transportation within a 3-mile radius.
10. Hotel Ivy
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 746-4600
Address: 201 South 11th St.
Description: “A historic landmark in the heart of downtown Minneapolis,” reads its Web site, “the Hotel Ivy captivates with Ziggurat style.” A 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian building style you were quizzed on in junior high may not immediately scream luxury, but apparently it did when the tower was built in 1930 as a local headquarters for adherents of Christian Science. Investors turned it into a 136-room luxury hotel in 2008. The Hotel Ivy offers the standard array of luxury features, notably including an in-house spa and Porter & Frye, a steakhouse that’s one of the Twin Cities’ best restaurants.
11. Hyatt Regency Hotel
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 370-1234
Address: 1300 Nicollet Mall
Description: This 24-story hotel is located right on the Nicollet Avenue pedestrian mall near Orchestra Hall, with direct access to the skyway system. The hotel has 533 guest rooms and suites, four restaurants, an indoor pool, a full-service athletic club, a business center, and a retail area that includes clothing stores, salons, gourmet coffee shops, and delis. The hotel features a bistro, Taxxi, the over-the-top sports bar Spike’s Dugout (think giant world globes in basketball hoops), and neighbors Manny’s Steakhouse and the city’s finest “flown-in daily” seafood restaurant, the Oceannaire Seafood Room.
12. Marquette Hotel
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 333-4545
Address: 710 Marquette Ave.
Description: Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, the Marquette has the distinct advantage of being part of the IDS Center complex, which is connected to the downtown skyway system. The rooms are large with great views of the downtown area from all sides. Amenities include Egyptian cotton sheets, luxury bath products, free wireless Internet access, a business center, and a 24-hour fitness center. The hotel has a restaurant, Basil’s, which overlooks the Crystal Court of the IDS Center, and a bar, the MARQ VII Lounge. The Marquette also operates Windows on Minnesota, a banquet and meeting space on the 50th floor of the IDS Center, which features 11-foot-high windows with spectacular views of the Metro.
13. Minneapolis Marriott City Center
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 349-4000
Address: 30 South Seventh St.
Description: Connected to the skyway system, this hotel is conveniently located just off Nicollet Mall with its numerous shops and restaurants. The hotel also provides guests with a fitness center, a business center, the Lobby Bar, and an on-site restaurant—Northern Shores Grille, a casual dining establishment.
14. Nicollet Island Inn
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 331-1800
Address: 95 Merriam St.
Description: The small, intimate Nicollet Island Inn sits in the middle of the Mississippi River on Nicollet Island across from downtown Minneapolis and is easily accessible from the Warehouse District via the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. The building that houses the inn was built in 1893 as the factory for the Island Door and Sash Company, a maker of window shades and blinds. Today the National Historic Building, which completed extensive renovations in 2007, includes 24 individually decorated guest rooms with fine linens, plasma screen TVs, Select Comfort Sleep Number beds, and gorgeous views of the downtown skyline and the river. The Nicollet Island Inn also has a romantic restaurant well known throughout the Cities for its wonderful brunch.
15. Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (612) 339-4900
Address: 35 South Seventh St.
Description: This luxury hotel on Nicollet Mall is a short walk from the Hennepin Theater District and Target Center. The Radisson Plaza features a restaurant, a lounge, a 24-hour business center, and a health club. Through the connected skyway you can easily reach most of downtown Minneapolis’s attractions and shopping areas. The comfortable rooms feature free high-speed Internet access, marble and granite bathrooms, and large desks.