AC Hotel Downtown Minneapolis
Opened: Fall 2016 (the brand’s first property in Minnesota)
Location: The intersection of 4th Street and Hennepin Avenue, connected through the Minneapolis Skyway System
Guest Rooms/Suites: 245
Meeting/Event Space: Over 1,500 square feet of meeting space; the Hennepin Meeting Room features flexible seating and 675 square feet of meeting space
Restaurants: AC Kitchen serves Europeaninspired fare for breakfast; AC Lounge serves signature cocktails, specialty wine, local craft beers and small bites
Website: achotels.marriott.com
Four Seasons Hotel
Plans are in the works for a $330 million, 33-story tower at the corner of 3rd Street and Hennepin Avenue at the north end of Nicollet. The project would include a Four Seasons Hotel with 275 rooms and 18 condominiums on the top five floors. The ground floor would include a restaurant and plaza, with an open atrium, hotel ballroom and conference center on the second floor, and a hotel pool and bar on the third floor. Final approvals are pending, and timing has not been confirmed at press time.
Elliott Park Hotel
Opening: September 2018
Location: East Town, connected to Finnegans House and in walking distance to Hennepin County Medical Center and U.S. Bank Stadium, along with many corporate headquarters and the downtown core
Guest Rooms/Suites: 168 rooms total, 18 of which are suites
Meeting/Event Space: Open fireplace in the lobby common space, 3,500 square feet of private meeting spaces in three areas, from boardroom to ballroom; largest space can fit 150 people with banquet seating
Restaurant: Tavola Italian Restaurant + Bar, a farm-to-table rustic/Tuscan Italian restaurant focused around a wood-fired oven in the middle of the restaurant
Notable: “With the alignment with Autograph Collection, the hotel is able to provide all the benefits of Marriott while maintaining its individual identity,” says Mike Harral, vice president of development for hotel developer Willkinson Corporation. “The identity is rooted in Minneapolis, the people and culture of the city, with a focus on exceptional, memorable service.” Harral says the property was designed with meetings in mind: “We know what’s important to meeting planners, and we offer an accommodating and functional space, a full audio-visual suite, complimentary amenities, including high-speed internet access and incredible food and beverage offerings.”
Website: elliotparkhotel.com
Moxy Ironclad
Opening: Spring 2019
Location: At the intersection of Washington and Portland Avenues in downtown Minneapolis
Guest Rooms/Suites: 141 rooms, 9 suites
Meeting/Event Space: Guest rooms only; flexible suites and parlors may be used for small meetings or events
Restaurant: Space will be leased
Notable: “Our high-energy Living Rooms and bars are thoughtfully designed to create environments that get friends, new and old, to have some fun in creative and playful ways,” says Sally Ableitner, corporate director of sales and marketing, Graves Hospitality. “Our guests are known as funhunters who create the action. Our living rooms are essentially their playground.”
Website: moxy-hotels.marriott.com
Graduate Minneapolis
Opened: December 2017
Location: The University of Minnesota’s campus, less than a block from the Golden Gopher’s TCF stadium and next door to dorms and the McNamara Alumni Center
Guest Rooms/Suites: 304
Meeting/Event Space: 20,000 square feet of combined meeting and event space, with areas for breakouts, boardroom business and ballroom-sized soirees; two large ballrooms with capacities for 320 and 600 guests respectively, as well as smaller breakout rooms
Restaurant: The Beacon, a neighborhood gastropub, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus three roving food carts in the lobby (turn to page 12 for more on the food carts)
Website: graduatehotels.com/minneapolis
Loews Minneapolis Hotel
Opened: Rebranded as Loews in 2014
Location: Across from Target Center via Skyway, close to Target Field and First Avenue
Guest Rooms/Suites: 251 bright guest rooms with upgraded bathrooms; suites include three presidential suites like Encore, Poet (inspired by Bob Dylan) and Performer (inspired by Prince)
Meeting/Event Space: 12,000 square feet; the fifth floor Meeting Space features a 5,600-square-foot ballroom with an additional eight windowed breakout rooms across the foyer
Restaurants: Apothecary Bar & Lounge for shareable plates, handcrafted cocktails, local microbrews and build-your-own Old Fashioneds; Cosmos Restaurant with American cuisine for breakfast and dinner as well as a Chef’s Table experience; Relevé Champagne Lounge features small plates and Champagne cocktails
Notable: The hotel’s executive chef, Timothy Fischer, grows more than 70 different items in the rooftop garden, and the produce is used in the restaurants and for catering.
Website: loewshotels.com/minneapolis
Hilton Minneapolis
Opened: 1992
Location: Connected by Skyway to Minneapolis Convention Center and Orchestra Hall; in walking distance to Target Field, Target Center and U.S. Bank Stadium
Renovation: Last summer, the Hilton completed the second phase of a $27 million renovation that has refreshed rooms, lobby, meeting space and restaurants. “We’ve infused this landmark hotel with new energy and relevance in a highly competitive market,” says Ken Jarka, general manager. “We are truly proud of the transformation, and for those guests who haven’t stayed with us recently, we look forward to having them experience the new wow factor of our space.”
Guest Rooms/Suites: 821
Meeting/Event Space: 77,000 square feet
Restaurant: Ten 01 Social and Ten 01 Market
Notable: “We’re the largest hotel and the largest hotel ballroom in Minnesota,” says the hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing Kimberly Zoulek. “Our function space was designed by meeting planners for meeting planners. The event space has an organic flow that allows for natural networking and effective event presentation.”
Website: minneapolis.hilton.com
Radisson RED Minneapolis Downtown
Opened: November 2016
Location: East Town, two blocks from U.S. Bank Stadium
Guest Rooms/Suites: 164 “studios”
Meeting/Event Space: 1,000-square-foot Events & Games Studio, 74 person-capacity classroom-style; planners can do what they wish with the space, from team-building to writing on the white walls
Restaurant: OUIBar + KTCHN for breakfast and dinner
Notable: “There is no front desk; we hire and train our staff differently, we simplify the experience through technology and we enhance the experience through art, music and fashion,” says Sylwia Oak, curator.
Website: radissonred.com/minneapolis
The Depot Complex
Opened: Constructed in 1899; The Depot Shed is one of the last long-span, trussroofed sheds surviving in the nation. In 2001, construction was completed on a complex that includes the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot, the Residence Inn Minneapolis Downtown at The Depot, an interpretive history center about the Depot, restaurant, banquet space and 650 spaces for underground parking. An extensive renovation, completed in March 2017, added 110 rooms to the hotel and completely refurbished public spaces.
Location: East Town; close to the University of Minnesota and the historic Mill District. The Mississippi riverfront is just steps away and there is extensive green space nearby.
Guest Rooms/Suites: 335 in hotel; 131 extended-stay rooms at connected Residence Inn
Meeting/Event Space: Much of the property’s event space can be found in the historic covered train shed. Event Pavilion can accommodate 1,520 for banquet seating. There are plans to add 20,000 square feet in 2019, which will boost amount of total meeting space to 61,000 square feet.
Restaurant: Milwaukee Road Restaurant & Bar for breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner
Notable: “We’re a medium-sized hotel, so if you stay here, you’ll be a big fish in our pond,” says Managing Director Michael Clark. “We have incredible longevity in our management team and staff, so you’ll be working with many of the same people each year. We care about building great relationships.”
Website: thedepotminneapolis.com
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Minneapolis – University Area
Opened: Spring 2017
Location: On the campus of the University of Minnesota
Guest Rooms/Suites: 141
Meeting/Event Space: 6,500 square feet of meeting space; Bridges Ballroom can accommodate up to 350 guests; five breakout spaces
Restaurants: Made Market Restaurant specializes in steaks, chops and fish.
Website: minneapolisuniversityarea.doubletreebyhilton.com
Moxy Uptown
Opened: January 2018
Location: Uptown Minneapolis
Guest Rooms/Suites: 124 guest rooms with two suites
Meeting/Event Space: The Green Room located on the Penthouse Level can serve as an event space for 25-50 people; the lobby can host gatherings of up to 300, too.
Notable: “Moxy Hotels bring out the local flavor and energy of the cities they are in through the bold programming that speaks to the creativity of each location,” says Ableitner. “Our hotels are 24/7 spots for all things fun and impromptu. Moxy’s NOW + WOW communal spaces, including its living rooms, game rooms and bar, come alive with a thoughtfully crafted assemblage of spontaneous and organic happenings designed to cater to travelers and locals who like to hang out with their friends and meet new ones, without breaking the bank. Moxy is premium in every way but price—its affordability is not a sacrifice of style, nor a loss of comfort.”
Website: moxy-hotels.marriott.com/hotels/ minneapolis-uptown
The Marquette Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
Renovation: Completed a $25 million transformation and conversion to Curio Collection by Hilton in June 2017 (the brand’s first property in Minnesota)
Location: 7th Street and Marquette Avenue, connected to Crystal Court in the IDS Center
Guest Rooms/Suites: 281
Meeting/Event Space: Over 25,000 square feet of meeting/event space including Windows on Minnesota (located on the 50th floor of the IDS Center)
Restaurants: Jacques Restaurant & Bar in the lobby serves Italian-Mediterranean food and creative cocktails, and Jolliet House (the former Basil’s), the hotel’s breakfast, reception and private dining space
Website: marquettehotel.com
