W Minneapolis
Well it was Dec 30th, and I had one more suite night to burn up, and shockingly there was a really good rate at the W Minneapolis, for the 31st, New Year's Eve. My suite night got me from a standard room to at least a corner room. Not a suite, but well, as you'll see, it was larger than standard.The Foshay is a 1929 historical landmark modeled after the Washington Monument, and was originally an office building. It's a tad small so the rooms tend to be spatially challenged, but they do what they can with it.
Arrival
I drove up I-35 to downtown Minneapolis. Traffic was super light. I go to check in and I had assumed the W would have a private New Year's Eve party, which would be an additional cost. I was floored when I found out it was included in the room. I got two tickets so I called my Editrix and asked if she wanted to go. What was labeled under "obviously yes".The Room
Well, nothing is far from the elevators in this place, and my room was no exception. It wasn't cramped but it didn't feel big either. The bathroom though was quite large and useable.Dining
Ok, let's just call this drinking. Manny's, a stupidly high-end steak house is attached and that's where breakfast is, but for a W the draw is the bars. Prohibition on the 27th floor (the ENTIRE 27th floor) and the Living Room on the ground floor. In most hotels, you have "food & beverage" or F&B - at W, you have B&F.Facilities
So they have a gym, it's workable, and a museum. Plus a lot of event space which seems key to the property's feel.
Well, about the same as all of them except that 2108. That could be a big boy
Bathroom is pretty big, no bumping into stuff
Big shower, maybe for when you hookup in the bars? I wouldn't know, I'm old
These smell good, I have just never used them. I've been told by those in the know they are exceptional
Hmm, looks like there might be a party planned
Since it's a corner room, it has views in two directions downtown. North here
And to the East
Prohibition, the upstairs bar, the calmer of the two
The Living Room, this is the party spot. Usually has a DJ spinning on the weekends
And since it was New Years, well, it was a huge party. A great way to start the new year for Rob, traveling and in a high-end hotel. My favorite things
Manny's is open for breakfast, and while those seem like expensive options, the portions are HUGE
I couldn't even begin to finish this massive omelet
And for the morning after, water, bloody marys, and liquid IV - the party doesn't need to stop just because you're currently walking dead!
Lots of cardio, but enough hard core weight stuff for my needs
And private massage rooms for therapists who are brought in, so they don't have to feel uncomfortable in your room. Brilliant
So this building was the tallest for 5 states into the 1960s. There is a museum on the 29th floor (only reachable by the far right elevator) where you can learn about its history which is storied (29 of them to be precise) and very cool
Many items from the opening and over the years. This was a heckava big deal for Minneapolis
And then there is a viewing deck outside going around the entire roof, much like many other buildings of the time, accessible from the museum. They say you can see 20 miles on a clear day, but my vision isn't that good
Stylish and modern event spaces
For large parties or small
With a very slick nod to the past
For New Years a selfie spot I guess. This is so generational
Summary
THE party hotel in Minneapolis, no arguments can be made successfully to the contrary. The New Year's Eve bash was well done and quite a fancy to do. The rooms are small but the bars are super nice.There is no lounge, the regular rooms are pretty small so opt for a larger one, and lower floors actually have bigger rooms due to the narrowing nature of the tower.