Venue Reviews - Weddings at Minnesota Hotels

Hotels reviewed on this page:
Minneapolis, MN (4-star hotels)

• Depot 
• Marriot City Center 
• Radisson Plaza 
• Marquette
• Crowne Plaza Northstar
• Grand Hotel 
• Hilton 
• Hyatt Regency (sometimes considered a 3-star)
• Graves 601 (not reviewed yet)
• Westin (not reviewed yet)

There are four other 4-star hotels in Minneapolis, but they're smaller, and only occasionally host weddings: Hotel Ivy, W Hotel, Le Meridien Chamers, and Autograph, and thus aren't reviewed here. There are a number of 3-star hotels, as well, but they're also not reviewed here.
 
St Paul, MN
There are three main hotels in Saint Paul, MN:

• Hilton (newly remodeled) 
• Saint Paul Hotel (not reviewed yet) 
• Crowne Plaza (not reviewed yet) 

There are also three smaller hotels in St Paul, MN that occasionally host weddings: the downtown Embassy Suites (review on my blog), the Holiday Inn by the Xcel Center (not reviewed), and the Kelly Inn Best Western by the Capital building (also reviewed on my blog).

Any Minneapolis or St. Paul hotel that has a ballroom can work very well for a wedding ceremony and reception. I have performed wedding ceremonies at all of these downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul hotels and highly recommend each one. Included in each review are pictures and capacities. Information about hotel wedding fees is included here, along with a list of the advantages and limitations of using a hotel for your Minnesota wedding reception and ceremony.

Pricing Information for Hotels
Prices can definitely be negotiated. One standard is that if the bride and groom get their guests to book a minimum number of rooms, their room is upgraded to a suite with a jacuzzi or th eir stay is free. Some couples even negotiate for a free breakfast, as well.

Some couples choose to have a gift-opening the morning after their wedding. In this case, they either schedule a breakfast, or else everyone gathers in their suite, and the bride and groom order rolls and coffee for their guests.

Calculating hotel fees and costs for weddings 
Usually quoted in terms of "Minimum food and beverage cost."

• Minimum food and beverage cost varies. In Saint Paul, MN, for instance, there are three main hotels: the Saint Paul Hotel's is $18,000, the Crowne Plaza's is $14,000, and the Hilton's is $6500.
• Packages: Usually about $50/person, often includes cake, champagne toast, an hour of punch at the bar. 
• Bar: An open bar usually costs about $30/guest. With a cash bar, the guests pay for the alcohol.
  

So for 200 guests, at $50/person plus an open bar at $30/guest, that's $16,000 - so it's very easy to make the minimum food and beverage charge.

Advantages of using a Minneapolis or St. Paul Hotel for your wedding

• Guests can be encouraged to stay at the hotel.
• Socializing is increased because all the wedding guests can visit with each other all weekend.
• There are usually fun places for guests to visit (museums, shopping areas, etc.) within walking distance.
• Children are occupied since they have a swimming pool in which to release their energy all weekend. 
• Both the wedding ceremony and reception can be held in the same place, so there is no need to rent separate sites for each, potentially saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
• Once your guests find the ceremony site, they don't have to then search for the reception site. Your guests are already at the right place, and your cocktail hour can start immediately. Traffic in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area is usually pretty minimal on weekends, but it's still something to consider.
• There is no need to rent a limo or arrange a car for transport from the wedding site to the reception site.
• Drunk driving is reduced because your guests don't have to drive home after drinking at the reception.  
  

Since the Minneapolis or St. Paul hotel you choose gets business from the guests staying for the weekend, their fees are negotiable. You usually don't even have to ask, or worry about haggling, for the following - the site manager and catering staff most likely have set guidelines for rate reductions such as:

• The bridal couple often gets a free room (or suite!) if their guests book a certain number of rooms (usually a block of ten).
• The site rental is often waived if a set goal is met for alcohol sales (usually $2,000 to $3,000) or the food/beverage minimum is met ($6,000 to $12,000). Bartender fees are often waived, as well.
• There is usually no need for extra security fees.
• In-house catering can be more economical than when a caterer has to go off-site, such as for a park or private home. Note that the average Minnesota caterer charges approximately $50/plate, with the low end being about $20/plate.

Limitations when using a hotel for your wedding
If you decide to use a hotel for your wedding and reception, note that the hotel will require you to use their catering services, which usually includes the wedding cake. If the hotel is upscale, however, their catering services and their wedding cakes will usually be excellent. You can ensure that the hotel's food and baking is up to your standards by arranging a tasting (which is actually a fun thing to do).

Space Calculator (Courtesy of the Hilton) This tool which can be handy when trying to figure out what size room you'll need for your wedding reception.

Reviews of my favorite Minneapolis Hotels for weddings and receptions

A. The Depot 
Built in the old train depot; has lots of marble and columns.

B. The Marriott City Center
Across from Block E, in the heart of Minneapolis.

C. The Radisson Plaza
Has an amazing lobby.

D. The Marquette Hotel
In the IDS Tower - large weddings can be held on the 50th floor.

E. The Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel
With a rooftop terrace.

F. The Grand Hotel
Old-school and upscale.

G. The Hilton 
Has a plush, contemporary feel.

H. The Hyatt Regency
Home of Manny's Steakhouse, one of the top 5 steakhouses in the U.S.

Note that it's too far for wedding guests to walk to the University of Minnesota, the Metrodome, Loring Park, or the Walker Art Center from any of these downtown hotels, but all of these sites are five minutes away by taxi. Most of the shops and restaurants are on Nicollet Mall, and most of the nightlife is on 1st Ave. N.

 

The Depot Hotel in Minneapolis

The Twin Cities used to have two main train depots, this one in Minneapolis (the Milwaukee Road Depot) and the one in St. Paul (the Union Depot). Both locations have been converted into wedding reception sites because of their gorgeous architecture. This review is of the hotel and wedding reception hall in downtown Minneapolis, formerly known as the Courtyard Hotel.

The Minneapolis Depot has several sections, which can be pretty confusing until you walk around the place a bit. They are:

If the above pictures are confusing, click here for an interior map of the hotel. The Depot's main hall, used for wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions, is filled with marble and columns and has a grand, old-fashioned feel to it.

Out-of-town guests don't necessarily have to rent a car because the light rail stops just a few blocks from the Depot. The light rail goes straight to the airport and also goes to the Mall of America. The hotel is not hooked up to the skyway system, but you can walk about a block to get to it.

Capacity: Up to 450 Guests in the Great Hall. While I've performed wedding ceremonies in the Great Hall, I have not personally seen the historic train shed set up for weddings - however, I'm told that the train shed area next to the Pavilion can hold 2,000 people.
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 225 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-375-1700 

  

 

The Marriott City Center is right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and is the most convenient hotel in terms of being close to restaurants and things to do. It takes up a whole city block, between Hennepin Avenue (the main street of Minneapolis) and Nicollet Mall (which has very wide sidewalks, and only buses can drive down the street). The hotel is also a block away from the light rail, which can take guests to the airport or the Mall of America. And since it is hooked up to the skyway system, your guests can stay warm and dry as they step out to explore. The entrance to the Marriott City Center hotel is a little odd - it's on the first floor, but then you go up to the fifth floor to get to the lobby. If your wedding ceremony is fairly small, you can have it in one of the smaller ballrooms, with the reception right there in the same room. 

A nearby restaurant that would be great for a rehearsal dinner is Murray's Steakhouse (the home of the Silver Butter-Knife Steak), which is possibly the most famous restaurant in town. It's across the street on 6th Avenue. They don't have private dining rooms, but they can accommodate parties of up to 30 people in their main room.

Capacity: Up to 1,300 guests.
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 30 S. 7th St., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-349-4000
 
 

The Radisson Plaza hotel is right in between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall on 7th Street, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. The skyway connects right to Macy's on one side and the City Center shopping mall
on the other side.

Sarah Pikul from the Radisson Plaza hotel in downtown Minneapolis is incredibly kind, and she gave me a private tour around the Radisson's downtown Minneapolis flagship hotel.

There are several ways to enter the Radisson Plaza hotel. If you come in from the street, you are either walking in (perhaps you took the light rail here from the airport), or driving in. In either case, you'll see this valet parking section and then enter the main lobby. Be sure to look up (see the right-hand picture below) - the lobby extends upward to the top floor - almost 20 stories high!

However,most wedding guests drive to the Radisson, which means they will enter into the heated basement parking lot (unique among downtown Minneapolis hotels). Wedding guests then go directly up to the third floor, where the ballroom is located. When they exit the elevator, they'll be greeted by the gorgeous balconies ringing the lobby. Every floor has these balconies overlooking the lobby, producing a beautiful and cohesive effect.

Note that this hotel is different from the other Minneapolis Radisson (the one by the University of Minnesota). This hotel, the Radisson Plaza, is the flagship property, the one right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, by the theater district, Nicollet Mall, and the light rail, which travels to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport.

The ballroom of the Radisson Plaza is beautiful, with lots of mirrors and glass chandeliers. The ballroom is actually much larger than this picture shows. (This picture is reprinted with permission of Sarah from the Radisson Plaza.) Wedding ceremonies are often held on one side of the ballroom with a divider across the room. The divider is drawn back after the ceremony, revealing the tables all set up for the wedding reception.

Not only does the Radisson Plaza in downtown Minneapolis give you a free suite for the night when you have your wedding and reception at the hotel, they will give the parents of the bride and groom a drastically reduced room rate, something I have not seen at other Minneapolis/St. Paul hotels.

If your wedding ceremony and reception are at the Radisson Plaza, you might want to have your rehearsal dinner at the Firelake Steakhouse, which is right off the hotel's lobby.
Mpls.St. Paul.Magazine named the chef one of the Best Restauranteurs in the city.

As with most hotels in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, area, the Radisson Plaza in downtown Minneapolis does not charge a room rental fee for weddings, just a food and beverage minimum.

Figuring out prices for weddings is one of my pet peeves - it can be very tricky at other places, and what seems to be a $20 entree is usually more like $60 once the other charges are tacked on: linens, silverware, security, tips, taxes, cake-cutting fees…the list goes on and on. The Radisson Plaza has a wonderfully refreshing policy: $61/person (or more, depending on your food and beverage selections) includes everything. Wow! Their up-front policy is really easy to work with. My theory is that they get so much business from conventions that they are used to being totally clear about everything. I wish all hotels could be like this - what a great policy!

If you're interested in using the Radisson Plaza for your wedding ceremony and reception, call 612-339-4900 and ask for the Catering Manager on duty to check if your date and time is available. If it is, they will send you a full packet of materials, which is very well put together and extremely helpful.

Capacity: 300 guests
Location: 35 S. 7th St., Minneapolis

 

The Marquette Hotel is attached to the IDS tower, the most famous building in downtown Minneapolis (the big blue building with the black band on top). If you have a large wedding (200 to 500 guests), you can rent out part of the 50th floor, which is called Windows of Minnesota. Click here for a 360 degree tour. I've always done wedding ceremonies on the Marquette's fourth floor, which is used for smaller wedding ceremonies and accommodates up to 150 guests.

The Marquette Hotel is right on Nicollet Avenue, which is great for shopping, and hooked up to the skyway system. While the Marquette Hotel has its own lobby, there is also a huge public lobby in the adjacent IDS building. The IDS lobby is called the atrium, and it has trees and a four-story freestanding waterfall.

An ideal spot for a rehearsal dinner would be at Basil's restaurant in the IDS building, which has private rooms that can accommodate 40 guests. Basil's is featured in the opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (and a statue of Mary Tyler Moore is across the street on Nicollet).

Capacity: 150 guests (4th floor); 500 guests (50th floor)
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 710 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-333-4545
 
 

The rooftop terrace - amazing for wedding ceremonies.

The Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel is connected to the skyway system and adjacent to the Northstar Building, which has more than 30 shops. The highlight of the Crowne Plaza is the rooftop terrace, called the Skygarden, where wedding ceremonies and receptions can be held. (Another rooftop garden in Minneapolis is at Brit's Pub, which has a comparable feel, if you are wondering what it's like.) The terrace is only eight stories up (the hotel section in back is much taller and goes up many more stories) and you can't really see the street, so no one feels vertigo - plus it is surrounded by buildings on three sides. The shrubbery and walls keep guests from going all the way to the edge. The Skygarden is an amazing spot that few people know about because it's not a public park. There are maple trees, wood chips, flowers, and shrubbery everywhere, and the view of the surrounding buildings is incredible. The terrace feels magical, almost like you're floating, instead of feeling like you're on top of a building (which you're not, as the rest of the building goes up many more floors).

The Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel doesn't have valet parking, nor does it have a parking garage, but there are many parking garages nearby.

Capacity: 175 guests
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 618 2nd Ave S., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-338-2288.
 
 

Most hotels in downtown Minneapolis are quite new, but the Grand Hotel has the advantage of being a hundred years old, so it's absolutely gorgeous in a way that newer hotels can only hope to imitate. Like the Depot hotel in Minneapolis, which used to be a train depot, the Grand Hotel is a conversion - it used to be the Minneapolis Athletic Club. Thus, everything about it is old-school and beautiful...the lobby is gorgeous, the hallways - even the elevators!

Katie Grace from the Grand Hotel invited me to tour the site, and I was very impressed. (Click here for their wedding brochure.) My favorite features:

• A full-service spa in the hotel. No other Minneapolis hotel has this feature - the bride and her attendants can get ready for the wedding right there in the hotel.
• The reception can end at 1:00am, instead of the usual midnight cut-off. As far as I know, no other hotel in town offers this option.
• The beds have down comforters, down pillows, and high-thread-count sheets. I had no idea these items would be so comfortable, but I got to stay in the Grand Hotel for a night, and because of their amazing qualities, I have now bought all three items for my bed at home - they are unbelievably cozy! Again, as far as I know, no other Minneapolis hotel offers these amenities.
• While the Grand Hotel has food and beverage minimums, which is the standard way of hosting wedding receptions at hotels, they have a wonderfully clear pricing packaging, starting at $54/person, which is very reasonable (especially considering that the hotel is top-of-the-line).

The Grand Hotel has its own restaurant, Zahtar, which is perfect for a rehearsal dinner - the food is described as modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. Local food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl said that Zahtar "easily ranks beside the Atlas Grill as one of the best in Minneapolis."

Two other items I loved: The Grand Hotel only hosts one wedding per day. And then the day after your wedding, the hotel give you a free space for a gift-opening brunch. Nice!

The Grand Hotel offers valet parking, but it's very expenseive ($20). I recommend the $5 parking at the Brumer lot, located at 225 S. 6th St. (entrance on 7th St.).

Capacity: 250 guests for dinner (more for a cocktail reception)
Rental Fee: Like all hotels, the Grand Hotel does not charge a rental fee for wedding receptions but, rather, a food/beverage minimum, which varies depending on your date. Packages start at $54/guest.
Location: 615 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-373-0411 (Talk to Katie Grace to check availablity for your date.)
 
 

Pictures can make any place look amazing, so it's hard to tell how a hotel looks just from photos. In my opinion, though, the Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis has gorgeous ballrooms. The feel of the lobby and the ballrooms is contemporary and modern, and the hotel is famous for hosting visiting filmmakers. The Hilton's pool is on the second floor, which is unique to the city, and provides a nice view of the surrounding area. You might want to encourage guests to park across the street for $11, as the parking in the Hilton's underground garage is really expensive - $24/night, even for guests. The Hilton is across the street from Orchestra Hall and a block from Nicollet Mall, but guests would probably need to take a cab to the 1st Avenue/Block E/Target Center area. The Hilton is hooked up to the skyway system (though not always at night).

The Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant is a block away on Nicollet Mall and has a private room that can seat up to 35 guests, which works well for a rehearsal dinner.

Capacity: 60 to 700 guests, depending on the ballroom
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 1001 Marquette Ave. S., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-376-1000.
 
 

One of the best parts about the Hyatt Regency Hotel is that it's home to Manny's Steakhouse, which was voted "Best Steakhouse" by City Pages and "Best Restaurant" by Mpls.St.Paul.Magazine. The hotel also has the Oceanside Seafood Room, with fresh seafood flown in daily; Taxxi, which serves casual American food;  a sports bar; and a coffee shop.

While the Hyatt Regency has the obligatory pool, the hotel also has a full basketball court. Note that there is a separate fee for using the athletic facilities.

While the Hyatt is theoretically on Nicollet Mall, a street that only permits pedestrians and bus traffic, the hotel is actually on a section of Nicollet that permits cars. It's a good idea to give out maps to guests since the streets in that area are one-way, and the hotel is near Loring Park, I-94, and other obstacles. The Hyatt Regency is at the end of Nicollet Mall, across the street from the Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, and about a block from Wesley Church and the Convention Center. Since Manny's Steakhouse is actually in the hotel and the restaurant has private rooms, Manny's works very well for a rehearsal dinner.

Capacity: 150 to 1,200 guests, depending on the ballroom
Rental Fee: See information about fees at the top of this page.
Location: 1300 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis
Phone Number: 612-370-1234.

The Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Saint Paul, MN (formerly the St. Paul Radisson City Center) is newly-remodeled (the newest in the city). Unique to St Paul's Hilton Hotel is:

• A gorgeous 11-story atrium, perfect for wedding ceremonies. 
• Easy access to the skyway system.
  
• Ethnic preferred caterers are allowed.
  
• Microwave and refrigerator in every room. 
• You can have your wedding reception till 1:00 am (not just midnight, which is the usual cut-off time).
• Low $6500 food/beverage minimum (for instance, the other two Saint Paul hotels have much higher minimums. The Crowne Plaza's is $14,000 and the Saint Paul Hotel'[s is $18,000.) 
• Any sales from a cash bar apply towards the food/beverage minimum.
• Low $40/person wedding package (hotels are often $50-$60/person), which includes choice of two entrees, an hour of hosted punch, champagne toast, and... 
• Buttercream Collection wedding cake

Wedding ceremonies at the St Paul Hilton Garden Inn are usually held in the atrium, which is gorgeous at night. The atrium can be decorated with ceiling drapings of tulle and lights through the Hilton's wedding planner, Swank. The cocktail hour and reception is then held in the adjoining ballroom. Note: if you book all 32 rooms in your wedding block, you can also have dancing in the atrium. The Hilton can also host rehearsal dinners in one of their banquet rooms.

Capacity: 400 in the atrium (or 300 in the ballroom)
Rental fee: None!
Location: 411 Minnesota Street in Saint Paul, MN
Phone: Call Chandra Westberg at 651-405-0267 or Brier Veit at 651-605-0272 for wedding booking.