At Long Last, Minneapolis Gets New Downtown Hotels

<B> At Long Last, Minneapolis Gets New Downtown Hotels</B>

By Frank Rosci

Two new hotels, one now open and the other scheduled for mid-October, promise to give downtown Minneapolis a much needed shot in the lodging arm, said Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. "Our expanding convention market makes additional hotel rooms imperative, especially since Minneapolis already has a low hotel room vacancy rate."

The hotels, a 96-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, which opened in April, and a Residence Inn by Marriott, are the first hotel properties to be built in Minneapolis since the 814-room Minneapolis Hilton and Towers opened in 1992. With the addition of the new properties, the number of downtown hotel rooms has increased from 5,034 to 5,258.

Located on the western edge of downtown, one block from the Minneapolis Convention Center and about 100 feet from the city's famous skyway system is a climate controlled network of glass-enclosed walkways that links 52 blocks. The $7-million Holiday Inn packages its downtown setting with convenience and affordability, said Esta Goodman, director of sales.

"For a small property, this hotel offers a variety of room types, including business suites, one-room suites, extended stay, and whirlpool and fireplace suites," she said. "Our room rates range from $59 to $99 per night. Special extended stay rates and group rates are available through the sales department," Goodman added.

"Because we do not have the overhead of full-service hotels, we will be able to keep room rates low," predicted Paul Klodt, president of Minneapolis-based real estate development company Klodt, Inc., which developed the hotel. "Rates will be the difference for some travelers in determining whether to stay downtown or at a limited-service hotel in the suburbs."

Amenities and services include free local calls, two telephone lines in all suites, complimentary continental breakfast, exercise room, indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, free USA Today delivered daily to all rooms, coffee makers and hair dyers in all rooms, microwave and refrigerator in every suite, and convenient access to nearby highways and freeways.

"Since we opened, the response, particularly from business travelers seeking a lower priced hotel, has been extremely positive," Goodman said. "Groups like the quaintness and compactness of the meeting rooms, and all our guests appreciate the free local calls."

Minneapolis' other new downtown hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott, is expected to open Oct. 12. When it does, it will stand as the only upscale, extended stay hotel in downtown Minneapolis, said general manager Alan G. Elliott.

The design of the 124-suite, $15.6-million hotel reflects the latest generation of the Residence Inn concept, Elliott said. It incorporates a residential style with several additional features, such as 50 percent more space than a standard hotel room, and a comfort touch that can help guests feel more relaxed and be more productive.

Extended stay travelers, looking for room rates between $38 and $64 per night, create a national demand among all hotel brands for 109 million room nights per year, a figure up 10 percent since 1997, a Marriott spokesperson said.

Each of the hotel's studios and one- and two-bedroom suites offer working desks with dual telephone lines, voicemail, a fully-equipped kitchen with full-sized appliances, coffee makers and microwave ovens, living room areas and king-size beds.

There also are in-room smoke detectors and sprinkler systems, complimentary newspapers and continental breakfast daily, and a free grocery shopping service. Non-smoking suites and suites for physically challenged guests also are available.

"With advance bookings strong, we'll be hosting much the same kind of guests we're seeing now: corporate trainers, executives relocating and consultants working to prepare local businesses for the new millenium," said Melanie Monasterio, director of sales and marketing.

Extended stay guests--those defined "as on the road for more than a few nights"-- benefit, as do guests who may stay only one or two nights, she said. "After about the fifth night, our long term guests tell us the amenities really start to make a difference," she noted.

"Guests appreciate their company's efforts to identify a comfortable, homey hotel; and the company saves money on food expenses since the traveling employee has access to complimentary breakfast daily, complimentary guest receptions and dinner one weeknight, complimentary evening socials on weeknights, and an in-suite kitchen," she said.

One meeting room that accommodates up to 40 people is on the hotel's lobby level, as are the lounge and breakfast area, Monasterio said. A second meeting room may be added as well.

The hotel's recreational facilities include a fitness room and complimentary passes to a nearby fitness center that features an olympic-size swimming pool, basketball court and aerobic classes.

The new Residence Inn and the Holiday Inn Express are both located about 20 minutes from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.