11 Sophisticated Hotels for a Modern Midwestern Stay in Minneapolis
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Here’s where to stay when exploring the Twin Cities’ big sibling.
The first great city on America’s greatest river, Minneapolis epitomizes the modern Midwest. It’s a fun, cosmopolitan place with vibrant Somali, Hmong, and Indian communities, ample outdoor recreation, and quietly superb dining and arts scenes. It even comes with a bonus city. (Oh, hey there, St. Paul!) Minneapolis’ best hotels combine this urban sophistication with a patently Midwestern lack of pretension, creating welcoming stays where you half expect the concierge to greet you with a truffle-topped Tater Tot hot dish. Here are the best of the bunch in Minnesota’s biggest city.
Best Minneapolis Hotels in 2022
Editor’s Pick: Hewing Hotel
Editor’s Pick: Hewing Hotel
Why We Chose It
Hewing Hotel’s super-local ethos provides guests with a true only-in-Minneapolis experience.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$
Notable Amenities
Dry sauna, 24-hour fitness center, rooftop spa pool, pet amenities
Hotel Description
Hewing is one of those unique hotels that provides guests with a real sense of place. It occupies an 1897 building that served as a showroom for farm equipment in its first decades, with trains delivering merchandise straight into the basement. In the 1980s and ’90s, Minneapolis bands like The Replacements used it as practice space. The hotel’s name comes from the Minnesota pine beams that were once hewn right down the street, and its dinnerware, floral bouquets, candles, and honey are sourced from small, in-state businesses.
Hewing’s rooms ensconce guests in a Minnesotan milieu, with wood ceilings, flannel accents, and gray-on-gray deer and loon-patterned wallpaper. There are down duvets and custom throws from 157-year-old Faribault Mill for those cold Midwestern nights, and local literature for your personal edification. Hewing continues to keep things close at its restaurant, Tullibee, which works with regional farmers and fishermen, and at Hewing Bar and Lounge, where local beer from Pryes and Fair State breweries and charcuterie from the in-house butchery are on the menu. Upstairs, an all-season rooftop lounge features a Nordic-style sauna, spa pool, and dramatic views of the Minneapolis skyline.
Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis
Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis
Why We Chose it
Elevated amenities, two swimming pools, and luxurious suites make the Four Seasons a year-round refuge.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$$
Notable Amenities
Rooftop pool (seasonal), 24-hour fitness center, spa
Hotel Description
In a city where one season (winter) is so much longer than the others, it’s good to know there’s a Four Seasons to take refuge in. Weather outside is frightful? Delight in a Honey Haven Ritual in the hotel’s spa, lounge by the indoor pool as you watch snowflakes through the floor-to-ceiling windows, or partake in a seasonal pop-up dining experience at Riva Terrace restaurant, complete with curling and a private mini cabin.
Guest rooms have all the exceptional taste you’d expect from a Four Seasons, with refined decor, chaise longues in some rooms, and toasty heated flooring in suites. The Presidential Suite comes with two bars, a full kitchen, and a fireplace, but if you’re splurging, you may want to opt for the River-View Executive Suite and its Mississippi vistas instead. When warmer weather does come, the hotel can arrange for a personal training session along the riverbank or design a bar hopping tour through the trendy Warehouse District. It also opens up the rooftop pool, where you can tan or soak in the hot tub.
Hotel Ivy
Courtesy of Hotel Ivy Minneapolis
Why We Chose It
A convenient location makes Hotel Ivy ideal for business travelers, while a superb spa and fitness center keep guests feeling good.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$$
Notable Amenities
Bicycle rentals, spa, EV charging station
Hotel Description
Part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, Hotel Ivy occupies a handsome ziggurat-style tower in Minneapolis’ Downtown West neighborhood. Just two blocks from the city’s convention center, and with eight event rooms, it’s a great option for anyone traveling to the Twin Cities on business. The 136 understated rooms and suites are decorated with original artwork and feature beds with leather headboards, Frette linens, limestone bathrooms, and freestanding soaking tubs. Guests seeking something truly elevated should look into the newly renovated, two-story Penthouse Suite, which provides some of the best views in town.
Hotel Ivy’s restaurant, Monello, serves Italian cuisine and house-made limoncello, while the basement speakeasy, Constantine, has stained glass fixtures and curiosity-piquing offerings like Black Mission fig liqueur. There’s a fitness center with free weights, Peloton bikes, and Technogym equipment on-site, but the hotel’s health headliner is undoubtedly the Anda Spa. Guests can indulge in the usual massages and scrubs but also have access to crystal-based wellness practices and fitness counseling services.
Hotel Emery
Courtesy of Hotel Emery
Why We Chose It
The Emery showcases Minnesota’s culture through partnerships with local artists, artisans, brewers, and bakers. It’s also home to one of the city’s best restaurants.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $
Notable Amenities
Dry-cleaning service, 24-hour fitness center, cruiser bikes (free for first hour), no fee for pets
Hotel Description
In its first decades, the 116-year-old building that houses Hotel Emery was home to Midland Bank. Today, the former drive-up teller space is the hotel’s porte cochere, and sturdy Doric columns and a vault door add a nostalgic financial vibe to the lobby. On weekday afternoons, Emery invites guests to call it a day early and gather here for Banker’s Hour, a complimentary local craft beer tasting. The hotel serves up more local flavors through partnerships with Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company and Crooked Water Spirits, as well as local looks by several Twin Cities artists.
The rooms have warm, unfussy Scandinavian designs, and beneath their 12-foot ceilings, you’ll find wood platform beds, rainfall showers, and large windows. Start your day with a flat white from the Emery branch of local boutique roaster Spyhouse Coffee and end it at the in-house restaurant, Giulia, which partners with Steven Brown, a James Beard semifinalist who previously worked at the legendary Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. Named one of the city’s best restaurants by the Star Tribune, it serves Northern Italian cuisine, small plates, and freshly made pastas from an open kitchen.
The Chambers Hotel
Why We Chose It
No hotel offers a better introduction to Minneapolis’ art, music, and theater than The Chambers.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $
Notable Amenities
C.O. Bigelow bath products, walk-in rain showers, 24-hour fitness center
Hotel Description
The Chambers blurs the line between hotel and gallery, with more than 200 works of art on display, including a bull’s head by Damien Hirst and video art by William Wegman. Many of the pieces are showcased inside the 60 guest rooms and suites, where guests can also expect indulgences like reading nooks, Frette bathrobes, and, in some suites, soaking tubs, terraces, and heated floors. The U-shaped hotel has a 6,120-square-foot courtyard with a fire pit and outdoor bar at its center, while up above, a glass rooftop lounge seems to float above the original 1908 brick structure.
Art lovers will love the Chambers doubly for its location in Minneapolis’ theater district. The Orpheum, State, Pantages, and Skyway theaters are all within two blocks, and it’s just one more to First Avenue, a legendary music venue that’s hosted acts like Ike and Tina Turner, U2, Run DMC, and some local kid who called himself Prince. (“Purple Rain” was set here.) The Minnesota Orchestra is just five blocks from the hotel, while the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and its popular “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture can be reached on foot in 20 minutes.
Graduate Minneapolis
Courtesy of Graduate Minneapolis
Why We Chose It
Graduate Minneapolis is full of school spirit and makes the perfect stay for homecoming visits, campus tours, and game days.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $
Notable Amenities
24-hour fitness center, complimentary bicycles, Topgolf Swing Suite
Hotel Description
Dust off your letter jacket and practice your fight songs before you check in to Graduate Minneapolis. Located on the University of Minnesota campus, the hotel leans into Minnesota nostalgia hard. The lobby greets guests with decorative snowshoes, air hockey tables, a fireplace, woodland toile inspired by the state’s lake houses, and, in a nod to Prince, paisley wallpaper. In the guest rooms, you’ll find hockey player-patterned bed runners, wooden ducks, headboards with pastoral hunting scenes, and walleye-print wallpaper in the bathrooms.
If you’re in town for Gopher football or hockey, the hotel’s gastropub, The Beacon, makes a great place to pregame. It serves craft cocktails and beer, plus tried-and-true dishes like pancakes, meatball sandwiches, and rib eyes. Guests with a competitive streak can rack ’em up at the pub’s pool table or hit the virtual links in the hotel’s Topgolf Swing Suite, which has a leather couch and its own bar. Graduate Minneapolis is pet-friendly, too, so your mascot can travel with you.
W Minneapolis — The Foshay
Courtesy of W Minneapolis - The Foshay
Why We Chose It
Housed in a nearly century-old skyscraper, W Minneapolis — The Foshay exudes Art Deco class and provides the city’s best views from its observation deck.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: No
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $
Notable Amenities
Turndown service, 24-hour fitness center, observation deck and museum
Hotel Description
In 1929, the Midwest utilities magnate (and, later, convicted pyramid schemer) Wilbur B. Foshay built an Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Minneapolis. At 447 feet, it was the Midwest’s tallest building for 48 years. Today, the Twin Cities landmark is home to W Minneapolis — The Foshay. The hotel’s newly renovated rooms pay homage to the building’s heritage with carpet and headboards that display geometric Art Deco patterns in shades of deep blue and gold. All rooms feature luxurious pillowtop mattresses, while upgrading to the Wow Suite or Extreme Wow Suite will net you a Jacuzzi or a fireplace, respectively.
The Foshay’s restaurant, Manny’s Steakhouse, has a 300-bottle wine list and has been ranked as one of the country’s best steakhouses. For a post-dinner drink, hit up the Living Room, the moody lobby cocktail bar, where there’s a dance floor and live music most nights. The hotel’s true highlights, though, are upstairs. The ’20s-style Prohibition Bar is not very well hidden on the 27th floor, originally Foshay’s private full-floor office and retreat. Three stories further up is an observation deck, where 360 degrees of Minneapolis spread out beneath you.
Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis
Courtesy of Hyatt Centric Minneapolis
Why We Chose It
A business district location and loads of meeting space make the Hyatt Centric a reliable option for anyone traveling to Minneapolis for work.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$
Notable Amenities
Fitness center; beds, bowls, and treats for pets
Hotel Description
With a setting in Minneapolis’ business district just 10 minutes from the convention center and 10 customizable venues that cover 6,500 total square feet, the Hyatt Centric is a great choice for business travelers. Guest rooms are somewhat conservative in design but are well appointed with minibars, mini fridges, and reading chairs. Booking the Grand Suite will net you a media den and an extra 451 square feet of space compared to the hotel’s most basic rooms.
The Hyatt Centric is also a good bet for visiting sports fans as it’s exactly midway between U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Vikings, and the neighboring Target Field and Target Center, where the Twins and the Timberwolves and Lynx play. Guests who want to stay active themselves will appreciate the hotel’s large fitness center. It covers 7,000 square feet spread over two floors and features treadmills, bikes, weights, and a running track.
Moxy Minneapolis Downtown
Courtesy of Moxy Minneapolis Downtown
Why We Chose It
The Moxy is a solid pick for younger travelers thanks to its prime location, affordable rates, and keen sense of fun.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $
Notable Amenities
Lobby bar, 24-hour fitness center
Hotel Description
Moxy’s fun, funky vibes start at the check-in counter, which does double duty as the hotel’s bar. With playful artwork on the walls, card and board games on the tables, and a space that opens onto the sidewalk in good weather, it may tempt you to settle in for a cocktail before you even head up to your room. On the opposite side of the lobby, you’ll find a cozy lounge with a gas fireplace. Alternatively, you can heat yourself up in the hotel’s 24-hour gym, which has treadmills, free weights, and a heavy bag.
Moxy’s 141 rooms are trendily designed with contemporary furniture, leather headboards, and sleek black showers and faucets. They get lots of light thanks to nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, which extend the full length of the wall in suites. If you’re looking for more space, some rooms and suites have twin lofts, patios, or balconies. When you’re ready to head out and explore, you’ll find yourself just two blocks from riverfront parks and the Mill City Farmers Market, open on Saturdays year-round.
Loews Minneapolis Hotel
Courtesy of Loews Minneapolis
Why We Chose It
Loews Minneapolis has put a lot of thought into its guests’ experience, which shows in its many considerate amenities.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$
Notable Amenities
Complimentary shoeshines, 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes, visual fire alarms and outlets for TTY devices in hearing-accessible rooms
Hotel Description
Loews Minneapolis is a smooth operator. Throughout the hotel, the design is suave, understated — impressive but never ostentatious. The newly renovated guest rooms are decorated in a soothing palette of white, gray, and icy blues that seem to riff on the state’s winter landscape. Suites have a bit more color, along with eccentricities like private fitness centers, built-in hair and makeup stations, and, why not, a baby grand piano. Even in some of the more basic guest rooms you’ll still find jetted tubs and five-head massaging showers, though.
Where the hotel stands out among the city’s properties is in its thoughtful details. In addition to standard accessible rooms, Loews also has hearing-accessible rooms, which are outfitted with visual fire alarms and outlets near phones for TTY devices. Water, towels, and fruit are provided in the 24-hour gym. Guests traveling with young children have access to babysitting services and complimentary cribs and baby bath amenities. Loews offers pet-walking and -sitting services, has a pet-specific room-service menu, and provides furry guests with toys, bedding, litter boxes, and a welcome letter, which — not to make judgments about your pet’s IQ or anything — you’ll probably have to read to them.
Hotel Alma
Why We Chose it
This seven-room boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant serve up a sophisticated stay in a historic neighborhood.
Key Specs
Free Wi-Fi: Yes
Resort Fee: No
Room Rate: $$
Notable Amenities
Complimentary beverages and antipasti at check-in, complimentary in-room bakery breakfasts, in-room spa service
Hotel Description
Alma sits across the Mississippi from downtown, in Marcy-Holmes, Minneapolis’ oldest neighborhood, a charming collection of renovated industrial buildings and riverside parks. Alma began as a restaurant, and the James Beard Award-winning venue still takes pride of place here. Even if you’re staying elsewhere, be sure to book a table for one of its prix fixe dinners, which feature small treasures like delicata squash and bitter greens salad and duck with couscous and pear mostarda.
The hotel itself is a seven-room boutique property that aims to feel not like a hotel but like a friend’s place you happen to be house-sitting. White walls and local white oak furniture keep the rooms feeling bright, and you’ll find your hands reaching out to touch all the alluring textures: custom woven baskets, hand-woven vintage rugs, throws with playful pom-poms. If all the fine food and furnishings leave you wishing your own abode could be a bit more Alma, you’ll be pleased to learn that the hotel sells many of the same goods it uses, from triple berry jam and wick trimmers to hand towels and pillow mist.
Final Verdict
No Minneapolis hotel is as Minneapolis as our Editor’s Pick, Hewing Hotel, which brings together a historic city structure, local artisanal products, and traditional Minnesotan experiences for a genuinely unique stay. Hotel Emery and Hotel Alma also do a great job of making you feel like a local and have two of the city’s best restaurants to boot. If you’re seeking some luxury or are visiting the Twin Cities in summer, it’s hard to look past the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis and its rooftop pool.
Know Before You Go
Weather in the Twin Cities is notoriously fickle. Pack with adaptability in mind, and be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes if you’re visiting between October and April.
If you’re traveling to the city in winter, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with the Minneapolis Skyway System, a 9.5-mile series of enclosed bridges that links offices, restaurants, stores, and theaters throughout downtown. Several of the hotels on this list are also connected to the system.
Minneapolis is a rich destination for exploring Indigenous culture. Highlights include the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where you’ll find a fascinating collection of Native American art and textiles; Birchbark Books, owned by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Louise Erdrich; and Owamni, which only uses “decolonized” ingredients that predate the arrival of Europeans and is one of the country’s best and most interesting new restaurants.
How We Chose These Hotels
We evaluated numerous Minneapolis hotels in the course of creating this list. Among the factors we considered when making our selections were reputation, location, quality of service, and amenities. In formulating this list, we drew on personal experience, independent guest reviews, and any recent accolades the properties had received.
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