Hilton HHonors - The Marquette; very nice

Just stayed at this very nice, first class property in Minneapolis, that I hadn't heard much about. Contemporary glass structure located in downtown Minneapolis, with Skyway access. Room was about 50% larger than typical Hilton/Marriott room, with very nice linens and new mattresses. Contemporary over-sized furniture (to match the very large rooms) and extra-large bathtubs with glass enclosure rather than shower curtain. One of the nicer elite lounges with great views, friendly/courteous attendants, and, hold on, free alcoholic refreshments. Lounge breakfasts include smoked salmon, cold-cuts, cheeses, fresh pastries, bagels, fresh fruit and cereal. Evening snacks include at least one hot dish, deluxe cold-cut and cheese platter, fresh fruit, various crackers, etc. When you enter the lounge, the morning attendants ask if they can pour you a cup of coffee, and the afternoon attendant asks what drink she can fix you. Big screen plasma television in the lounge.

A very nice property. Interestingly, other than a plaque on some floors saying "HHonors", there was no indication anywhere I saw in the hotel, that it was Hilton.

It is definitely a hidden fact that that hotel is a hilton property, when I last stayed there I seem to recall nothing saying Hilton on it either.

Wow sounds great. I stayed there long ago, but I don't really remember it too well. Will actually be staying there next weekend (booked two rooms, one for me one for the parents) for my brother's college graduation.

Looking forward to it.

Wow sounds great. I stayed there long ago, but I don't really remember it too well. Will actually be staying there next weekend (booked two rooms, one for me one for the parents) for my brother's college graduation.

Looking forward to it.

If the lounge is important to you, you should check to ascertain whether it is open on the weekends. I stayed there during the week.

If the lounge is important to you, you should check to ascertain whether it is open on the weekends. I stayed there during the week.

Ok, I'll do that. Not a huge deal but its nice to have it. :)

If the lounge is important to you, you should check to ascertain whether it is open on the weekends. I stayed there during the week.

Just stayed there last weekend, and the lounge is definitely open on weekends. Downside is that it's ony open for certain hours (IIRC 7-10 and 5-10), not throughout the day as some lounges.

It is a HILTON INTERNATIONAL Hotel same as Drake in Chicago.

It is a HILTON INTERNATIONAL Hotel same as Drake in Chicago.

But there is no longer any differentiation, right?

Just adding a note. The hotel may be going under renovation. The lounge has been temporarily moved to one of the meeting rooms on the 3rd floor and the 15th floor is now a Exec floor. I suspect the floor the lounge is normally on is under reno.

I was there in December for a wedding, I absolutely love the place. The location is perfect, and the lounge is amazing. They didn't even care that I passed the 2 drink limit about 30 minutes into the evening cocktail hour.

great hotel. prices seem to vary a lot, I found a real deal for one night, realized how fabulous it was and tried to extend and the price was 4x the previous night. Would be a great weekend in-town treat.

great hotel. prices seem to vary a lot, I found a real deal for one night, realized how fabulous it was and tried to extend and the price was 4x the previous night. Would be a great weekend in-town treat.

Yes. $80/nt on Saturday, "from $307" for the Monday night.

The Marquette has a fond place in my heart as my three night stay there a couple of years ago put me gave me Gold status as the result of an offer. It was a nice hotel, too. Enjoyed the Irish Pub a block or two away, and walked to the Metrodome for a Twins game.

great hotel. prices seem to vary a lot, I found a real deal for one night, realized how fabulous it was and tried to extend and the price was 4x the previous night. Would be a great weekend in-town treat.

They are very full during the week with business travellers, hence the higher prices during the week. BTW I really recommend the Sunday brunch special at Windows on Minnesota (50th floor of IDS tower, attached to Marquette).

This is indeed a great hotel. Just back from a weekend stay. As former gold now demoted to silver I was happy to book an Executive floor room for $159 - the same price as the far inferior Hilton Airport. Amazing room - floors 16-19 are Executive and I was on 16. Huge, wonderfully decorated, everything clean and new, great marble bath with shower, quiet. The lounge is small and food only adequate but the wonder attitude of the attendants, especially Mike, make up for it. Great stay.

The lounge is small and food only adequate but the wonder attitude of the attendants, especially Mike, make up for it. Great stay.

Unlike the vast majority of U.S. Hiltons, is the liquor still free as it was when I stayed there in December 2006? They had a self pour bar where a sign indicated you could have two free drinks (no way to pay if you had 3 or more, however). Probably this is because the Marquette was formerly a Hilton International hotel (now merged with Hilton USA). Also a great HD plasma TV and free Internet access was available in the lounge (but not the guest rooms).

Evening cocktails are still free in the excellent HHonors lounge at the Marquette. There is a sign about only 2 free drinks but the attendants will pour more, and will do so enthusiastically if tipped. Many people order room service to the lounge for dinner to take advantage of this, but they appear to be regulars and tip liberally.

Anyone have any recent experiences with The Marquette? Looks like I'll be in Minneapolis for 3-nights in early may for biz. I have these Hilton options (price per night):
* Embassy Suites, $129
* Marquette Hilton, $162
* Hilton Minneapolis, $143
* Doubletree Suites, $129

I was in Minneapolis about 2 years ago, stayed at the Marquette. I had a very large room, had a small kitchen in it. It was a 1-night stay, I had no status at the time, but my company gives them some business so I think they normally upgrade us. I'm not sure if it is worth the extra $30+ per night -v- the Embassy Suites or Doubletree.

I'm looking to be in the downtown area again, so I can walk where I need to, and take the light rail to/from MSP (did that before). From what I remember, the Marquette had a pretty good gym (with weights), and a nice breakfast in the restaurant overlooking some sort of courtyard. I'd like a place with a half-decent gym.

Any suggestions on which of these I should book? I'm a HHonors Diamond now, if status means anything in selecting a property.

Thanks!

Just thought I'd share some of my experiences (so far) with The Marquette:

* Checked the OLCI a day before, no upgrades offered, at times only smoking rooms. Day of arrival, checked in the morning, saw an exec level room (1757 I think) and I grabbed it.
* Arrived around 9 PM on Mon May 5. Great experience getting here (got my auto upgrade on US), the rail is pretty easy from MSP. Take rail to 2nd to last stop, Nicollette Mall, and it is an easy 2-block walk. Rail is $2 during rush hour, $1.50 outside of it. Ride took 20 to 25 min.
* As I was checking in, the clerk noted that I had done e-check in. I asked if there were better rooms. He said I had already been upgraded.
* I got to my room and was just WOW'd. I didn't notice that the room # was different (actually have 1650). It isn't a full suite with a living room, but there is a nice entry (where the closet/mini-bar/fridge are, along with a nice bench). The bedroom is a corner, nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, couch (actually comfortable), king bed (very comfortable), 36" flat screen tv, huge dresser, nightstands, awesome executive desk. The bathroom is also very large, HUGE walk-in shower (no tub) with a very large shower head coming from the ceiling in the middle and a hand-held shower too. Sink and toilet work as expected, tons of counter space around the sink.
* Executive lounge: not huge, but good, nice flat screen tv. Has complimentary drinks 5-11 PM (last call at 10:30 PM) with cold cuts, cheeses, crackers, fruit, etc. It is located on the 19th floor (right next to elevator) with some great views of town. Breakfast includes fruit, cereal, pastries, baegels, OJ, coffee, milk, and hard boiled eggs.
* Workout room: on 3rd floor, same location as exec lounge. Smallish, 3 treadmills, a few exercise bikes, eliptical machines, some weight machines, a bench, and dumbells. I went at 5:30 this morning, was the only one for about 5-10 min, but by 6 the place was very busy.
* Other: a room on the exec level gives you access to the downtown Minneapolis YMCA. I used it twice (yesterday and today), has a nice lap pool, a bit shallow, but nice and bright with large windows.
* Misc: I've visited the front desk a few times. Got the passes to use the Y (you need to know about this, they don't advertise, and they may try to charge you if they don't know you have an exec room), also got some ideas for where to run, got my key redone (had it next to my cell phone in my pocket). Front desk staff have always been very friendly.
* Location/nearby: from the 2nd level you can access the Minneapolis Skyway. At first it was a bit challenging, even to just get across the street to my company's building. After a day I seemed to get the hang of things. There is a Starbucks conveniently located, a Sack's 5th Ave, Macy's, Target, and many more places to shop all nearby. Much of downtown Minneapolis shuts down around 6 to 7 PM. When I wanted to go to Target, I saw some people walking with Target bags, I just asked them how to get there. The people here in Minneapolis are very friendly.

I didn't (yet) get a chance to use the restaurant this time. The first night I was still full from eating on the plane that the snacks in the exec lounge were fine. Last night I went to Rock Bottom (close to the Y, about 5 to 8 min walk). For breakfast I was able to get by with the exec lounge. My company provided lunch for my training class.

Overall a very nice stay so far, and I'm quite impressed -v- my visit here 2 years ago (no status then, basic room, no lounge, etc). Amazing how status can help make a visit so much better!!!

This hotel sucks. So many better options in downtown, like the beautiful Westin just around the corner or the new W across the street. Decor is very tired. $40 premium for executive level is a joke. No slippers in the room. No turn down servive. No newspaper at my door. No real comforter sheets -- just two regular sheets to enclose the comforter which of course eventually expose the unwashed comforter. No free drinks in executive lounge -- a silly honor bar system with a lounge dragon keeping a close eye. Food is gone by 6:30PM in the lounge -- one day when I got there at 530 the food was just cheap cheese and turkey/ham. Breakfast is very chinsy.

Will try the new THE HOTEL DOUBLETREE on my next visit.

I was at The Marquette one night last week. Checked in late and left before sunrise, so I didn't have a chance to explore the rest of the hotel or have breakfast. Executive floor as a Diamond. Photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mg_travels/3122500259/in/set-72157611376041797/) and set (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mg_travels/sets/72157611376041797/).

Just stayed there last weekend, and the lounge is definitely open on weekends. Downside is that it's ony open for certain hours (IIRC 7-10 and 5-10), not throughout the day as some lounges.

Can anyone confirm that the lounge has been open on weekends recently? The post above is a few years old and with the way things have been trending lately...

I've got a res at the Marquette over a weekend in the near future.

Marquette is dated. Stay across the street at The Hotel Minneapolis.

Can anyone confirm that the lounge has been open on weekends recently? The post above is a few years old and with the way things have been trending lately...



Yes, the lounge is still open on weekends. One random Sunday they closed the lounge and offered Executive-level guests vouchers for breakfast and appetizers at the hotel restaurant. A little less convenient but still a nice gesture.