Venue Reviews - Weddings at Minnesota Hotels

	My recommendations for wedding sites in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area:
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Minneapolis, MN (4-star hotels) The Depot The Marriot City Center The Radisson Plaza The Marquette Hotel The Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel The Grand Hotel The Hilton The Hyatt Regency St Paul, MN (3-star hotels) The Best Western Kelly Inn Embassy Suites The Saint Paul Hotel (4-star, review to come) For most weddings at hotels, the couple selects the ballroom or an outdoor garden for their ceremony, but the image to the right is at an unusual location - check out the waterslide in the background!

      - Usual minimum food and beverage cost: $8,000 to $12,000

     - Dinner costs: Usually start at $20/plate, but that doesn't cover a lot of the extra charges, such as tip, taxes, security, cake-cutting, linens, etc. (The average dinner cost is $50-$60/plate.)

     - An open bar: Usually costs about $30/guest.

     - With a cash bar, the guests pay for the alcohol.

So for 200 guests, at $50/plate with an open bar (let's say $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
Some of the advantages of choosing a hotel for your wedding ceremony and reception:
     - 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 - they're already there, and the 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 is always 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:

The hotel's entrance	The Pavilion, which is now an indoor ice skating rink	Charlie's Restaurant, next to the Stone Arch Bar
The waterpark	The Great Hall (This is the part used for wedding receptions.)

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.

The Marriot City Center Hotel in Minneapolis

The Marriott City Center hotel is on Hennepin Avenue (the Theatre District), one block from 1st Ave., which is filled with nightlife.

Smaller weddings are held in the Marriott City Center hotel's smaller ballrooms.

The Marriott City Center hotel is built around this diamond-shaped atrium.

The Radisson Plaza Hotel in Minneapolis

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.

The Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis

The Marquette Hotel is connected to the IDS building.

The large 50th-floor wedding reception room.

The fourth floor's smaller wedding reception room.

The Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel in Minneapolis

Front entrance of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.	One of the gorgeous lounges at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The rooftop terrace - amazing for wedding ceremonies.

The Grand Hotel in Minneapolis

The Grand Hotel in Minneapolis is a classic location, much like the Saint Paul Hotel in St. Paul.

Here's a whole slideshow of images, with the wedding at Wesley Church (review here) and the reception at the Grand Hotel in Minneapolis.

• 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 Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis

Unlike other hotels in downtown Minneapolis, the Hilton has a large porte-corchere (covered drive-up area), which makes loading and unloading guests unhurried and easy.	The lobby of the Hilton Minneapolis is all glass and cherry wood.
	The Hilton's Symphony Ballroom

The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis

The Hyatt Regency is between Nicollet Mall and Loring Park.	The Hyatt is home to Manny's Steakhouse, which was voted one of the Top Five Steakhouses in the Nation by the Zagat Guide.
The lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.	Across the street is the Ichiban Steakhouse (also great for a rehearsal dinner).

The Best Western Kelly Inn Hotel in St. Paul

This side of the Kelly Inn looks out directly at the St. Paul Cathedral.

Since the Best Western Kelly Inn in St. Paul is right next to the Minnesota State Capital, many people know this hotel for hosting government functions, but they also host wedding ceremonies and receptions. The Kelly Inn has a small lobby, but there's a large ballroom on the main floor which can be divided, if necessary, for smaller wedding ceremonies and receptions. This hotel has a bar/restaurant which is also on the main floor, so if wedding guests want to grab a quick drink they can pop over to the bar next door. For a 360-degree tour of the hotel, click here.

Strictly speaking, the Kelly Inn is not actually in downtown St. Paul, but just a few blocks away, on the north side of I-94. It's right by the Marion/Kellogg exit (Marion is the street that runs to the north, and Kellogg is the street that runs to the south), and the Kelly Inn is also just off 35E. Unlike most downtown hotels, parking is incredibly easy since the Kelly Inn has a huge free parking lot that surrounds the hotel. Many of the guest rooms either have a view of the State Capitol or the St. Paul Cathedral.

The Kelly Inn is almost unique in that it actually lists its meal prices on the website; they start at $19/plate (compared to most other hotels, which start at $27/plate). There is a room rental fee of $800, but the fee is often waived when you meet the food and beverage minimum (which varies, depending on how many wedding guests you have and how many of them reserve hotel rooms). For more on hotel rental fees, see the information about fees at the top of this page.

Embassy Suites Hotel in St. Paul

The porte-corchere of the Embassy Suites makes loading and unloading wedding guests quick and easy.	The nighttime view of the Embassy Suites is spectacular, especially in the winter when the trees are lit up.
The businesslike feel of the Embassy Suites' ballroom can be transformed by using chair covers - see this example and this one.  I highly recommend Heartstrings Chair Covers ($2/guest).	Wedding ceremonies can be held in the unique Spanish-decor lobby/atrium/courtyard of the Embassy Suites. All rooms face the indoor atrium.

	My recommendations for wedding sites in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area:
		Chapels      Parks      Gardens      Mansions      Museums      Hotels      Farms      Historic Sites     Amphitheaters      Restaurants     Comparison Matrix