If you’re looking for the best hotels in Downtown Minneapolis, you may want to consider staying at Hotel Emery, a Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection property that’s modern, centrally located and has some great on-site amenities.
After staying four nights, I’ve put together some helpful tips and an honest review to help you decide if this property is the right choice for your stay in Minneapolis!
Location of Hotel Emery
Hotel Emery is located in the heart of Downtown Minneapolis and this was both very convenient and also inconvenient for reasons I didn’t anticipate before arriving.
I thought the majority of my time would be spent in the Downtown Minneapolis area, but unless you specifically have business in the area, I learned that Minneapolis has changed a lot post pandemic.
In other words, the downtown area has changed immensely with significantly fewer people spending time in the central downtown area and more people spending time in the up and coming Warehouse District or North Loop area.
This means I spent a lot of time OUTSIDE of Downtown Minneapolis. However, what I DID love about the location is it was right next to the light rail. This was very easy to take and just a few blocks away.
One thing that is helpful to know, is Downtown Minneapolis is connected by 8 miles of skyways – within the hotel you’ll find (on the 2nd floor) a skyway that will take you around the city if there is inclement weather.
The Rooms at Hotel Emery are Spacious and Modern
The rooms at Hotel Emery are spacious with plenty of room to spread out. I loved the details in the decor, but loved that it felt warm amongst the marble of the lobby.
This hotel used to be a bank, which means it has beautiful marble and high ceilings in the lobby and downstairs area, but even though it’s mixed with lots of greenery and wood, it still has a (beautiful, but) cold feeling.
The rooms are the opposite – they are inviting, comfortable, and one thing I appreciated – is there is house keeping daily (unlike other hotels that still skip out on this unless you have a very long stay).
Also helpful to know
- They offer rollaway beds and do not have an additional charge for them in case you later realize you have another guest
- There are water refill stations on each floor (along with ice machines)
- There is a coffee shop (that is quite good!) downstairs, but I appreciated the actual mugs in the room instead of paper to go cups.
The bathroom was spacious and the Ink & Water bathroom products felt lovely and luxury to use. I appreciated that they didn’t give little tiny bottles of it, but instead, full size containers.
Many On Site Amenities at Hotel Emery
There were several things on the property at Hotel Emery that will make your stay a little more comfortable. The first one is the restaurant…
I loved the restaurant on property – Giulia. An Italian restaurant that has both a seating dining area, but also has more casual seating in the front (as well as a large bar) – I noticed an after work crowd hanging out here.
Service was fantastic and I loved the wine list. There is also a fun happy hour worth checking out.
Also on site in Spyhouse Coffee Roasters which opened early and served fantastic coffee as well as a few breakfast items (such as a frittata and breakfast sandwich).
The downstairs seating area is beautiful with lots of people coming to co-work or hangout in the morning and afternoon.
One thing not to miss is check out what events are happening. While I was there, the space was transformed into a speakeasy on weekend evenings. Call ahead at the hotel to see if there might be anything interesting happening here or at the restaurant during your stay.
Another helpful amenity on site are the bikes. Located in the valet area, guests get a free hour (but it does require an app download). There are many bike paths (many of which are built into the sidewalks, away from the traffic) in Downtown and using the bike program was an easy way to quickly see the area.
On the 2nd floor you’ll find a full gym for hotel guests and it will also take you to the Skyway. Ask the front desk for a map and they can help navigate you to where you need to go (I used the Skyway to get CorePower yoga a few blocks away while it was raining outside).
Other Hotels in the Minneapolis Area
There were several other properties I considered – one of which was The Graduate because I was spending most of my time at a conference on the University Campus.
In hindsight, I realize that where you stay (depending on what you do) should be near a light rail stop and matching the amenities you need to have a great stay.
Click around below for some other top hotels (or vacation rentals) in the area!
Bottom Line
Hotel Emery is a great choice for someone who is looking for a hotel with a bit of a vibe that they can hang out at, dine in, and be centrally located in the Downtown Minneapolis area.
Would I stay again? To be honest, I would!
It was a comfortable stay, the service was fantastic and the hotel had everything I needed to support me while I was in Downtown Minneapolis both exploring and spending time at a conference.
PS you should TOTALLY play pickleball in Minneapolis. It’s top 5 one of my favorite areas to play in the country (and I’ve played on nearly 100 courts!). Learn more in this blog post!