Minneapolis-St. Paul inexpensive hotel
 

Hello--I'm traveling to MSP for the first time on business, but unfortunately I do not have an expense account. Do you have any hotel and restaurant recommendations that someone on a strict budget could enjoy? Thanks!

Take a look at www.quikbook.com, as a start. Is your business in the central city? If not, you may want to look at some of the outlying areas for potential deals.

If you don't have an expense account does that mean that you won't have a car? What part of town are your business meetings in?

We frequently go to Mpls./St Paul on business and have used Priceline for hotels very often and have always been happy and have gotten great prices. What area are you going to? There is lots of info on Priceline bidding on www.biddingfortravel.com. I'll be happy to answer any other questions if you give me an idea what area of the Twin Cities you need to be in. Will you have a car? That will make a difference also as to what area and what fellow posters recommend. I also recommend that you look at the websites of various hotels in the area as sometimes they have good rates too and then I just book with them.

Let me clarify the expense account issue. Yes, I'll be renting a car. I'm a sales rep for a very small publishing company, which means I don't have a lot of discretionery funds at my disposal--about $100/day for all food, gas, car rental, etc. I'll be traveling all over M. one day and all over StP another day. I'd rather not stay in the outskirts if it can be avoided because usually the only food options there are Outback Steakhouses and the like.

Here's an example of a somebody getting a 3* hotel in St. Paul for $42 via Priceline:<BR><BR>http://www.betterbidding.com/index.p...mp;t=59&amp;s=

I would recommend you bid for a hotel downtown or out near the airport/Mall of America. There are a lot of choices in those areas and lots of restaurants in both areas also. Also not far from either city. I am sure you can get a hotel for the $30-$50 range on Priceline. You can look at Bidding for Travel for ideas of what others have bid for those areas and also what they have gotten. Good Luck!!

It sounds like you are looking for some privately owned &quot;non-chain&quot; restaurants. This thread is a good one:<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1<BR>

Oops! Try again...this is the correct link.<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34383224

Thanks for all of the input. Yes, when I travel someplace new I try not to eat at any national chain restaurants. By that same token, are there any independently owned hotels or B&amp;Bs in the MSP area that I should know about? Any chance that places like that would be on priceline? If not, would you know a place to look for deals for such lodging?

Candlewood suites in Richfield, about 6 1/2 miles from the airport, is very nice and should be about $65 a night. My son got the Wyndham Airport (about 15 minutes from airport), for $34 on Priceline for this past weekend.