Minneapolis Hotel Questions
Mar 20th, 2015, 04:02 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,219
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Minneapolis Hotel Questions
I'm doing some advance planning for a first ever trip to Minneapolis in the Fall of 2016 (early I know). The primary purpose of the trip is to shop at the Mall of America one day and to see the Vikings play in their new stadium.
Having never been to Minneapolis before, is downtown a convenient place to stay given the number of hotels there? Can you get to the stadium and Mall using the light rail? Or is it better to stay in another area of the city? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Having never been to Minneapolis before, is downtown a convenient place to stay given the number of hotels there? Can you get to the stadium and Mall using the light rail? Or is it better to stay in another area of the city? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Mar 20th, 2015, 07:26 PM
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 26,778
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Downtown works as well or better than anywhere. The light rail does go to the mall and you can walk/Uber/cab to the game (maybe light rail too, I don't know). There are also some decent restaurants in the area.
As for any specific hotels... I've stayed at the Marquette, the Hyatt, the Hilton, and the Hotel Minneapolis - several more than once. All are fine; standard city business hotels, but fine. Weekend rates are usually under $100 per night at most of them. With Priceline, you might shave a few follars off, but I've not bothered the last few times I've been there.
As for any specific hotels... I've stayed at the Marquette, the Hyatt, the Hilton, and the Hotel Minneapolis - several more than once. All are fine; standard city business hotels, but fine. Weekend rates are usually under $100 per night at most of them. With Priceline, you might shave a few follars off, but I've not bothered the last few times I've been there.
Mar 20th, 2015, 09:20 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We are in the Minneapolis Area quite often and we like both the Westin Downtown and the Westin Galleria Edina. We also were pleasantly surprised with our stay at the Radisson Blu at Mall of America. Now we try to stay there if we are flying out the next morning. All the other hotels you mentioned downtown are good also. If you plan to be in the downtown area for most of the time (as well as for the game) I would pick a downtown hotel. If you have a car and are going to many different locations then the hotels out by MOA or Edina will work also. We have not used the light rail but my brother uses it all the time and loves it.
Mar 21st, 2015, 08:22 AM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The light rail Blue Line has stops at the stadium and the Mall of America.
Downtown Minneapolis is not super huge so you don't necessarily need to stay in a hotel right on the light rail line, however it would be more convenient to do that. Likewise, you should be within walking distance to the stadium from pretty much anywhere in downtown. Even if you wind up staying in a downtown hotel near light rail, you might find it easier to walk back from the game rather than cram into a crowded train.
You could also look at staying in downtown Saint Paul. The Green Line runs between Saint Paul and Minneapolis so you would not need a car. It wouldn't be as convenient because you need to take the Blue Line from the airport/MOA to downtown Minneapolis, then transfer to the Green Line to get to Saint Paul. Altogether, that trip would probably be 1.5 hours or more.
Downtown Minneapolis is not super huge so you don't necessarily need to stay in a hotel right on the light rail line, however it would be more convenient to do that. Likewise, you should be within walking distance to the stadium from pretty much anywhere in downtown. Even if you wind up staying in a downtown hotel near light rail, you might find it easier to walk back from the game rather than cram into a crowded train.
You could also look at staying in downtown Saint Paul. The Green Line runs between Saint Paul and Minneapolis so you would not need a car. It wouldn't be as convenient because you need to take the Blue Line from the airport/MOA to downtown Minneapolis, then transfer to the Green Line to get to Saint Paul. Altogether, that trip would probably be 1.5 hours or more.
Mar 21st, 2015, 11:00 AM
#7
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like I said, downtown Minneapolis is not huge. Light rail runs along 5th street for the most part, around the stadium it shifts over to 4th street. The Hyatt is about 8 blocks from light rail, Hilton is 6 blocks and the Westin is a block or so. Downtown is very walkable.
