The Ivy Minneapolis, Luxury Collection [Master Thread]
 

I am going to be staying at The Ivy in MSP in a few weeks. I have been debating between it and the Westin. Threads about the Westin seem to be favorable, but I haven't found a lot on the Ivy. This post will serve as my placeholder for a trip report, but I would like to see other comments here from anyone else who has stayed there lately. It's a smaller hotel with not a lot of rooms. How was the SPG treatment?

the weekend the ivy opened, i stayed at the westin but asked for a tour of the ivy. while the gym/health club in the ivy is great, the westin is a much nicer property in terms of guest rooms, etc.

i found the rooms/bathrooms at the ivy to be very small and oddly laid out. the westin is really great. i am going to reserve further comments on the westin since there is an existing thread on the property.

the properties are within walking distance to each other.

I think that beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to these two properties. I have stayed at both recently and have prefer the Ivy to the Westin. The Ivy's gym is far superior to the Westin's (think of an actual health club vs. a nice hotel workout room). The two times I have been at the Ivy I was upgraded to a one bedroom suite with a very nice bathroom. The comparable upgrade at the Westin is nice; however, the Westin upgrades always seemed to be in very dark rooms (the bedrooms on two occasions lacked windows, while the living room had windows).

I would give the Westin the advantage on the restaraunt / bar scene, while the Ivy had a more helpful staff. If valet parking is important, I would recommend the Ivy as their garage is on site while the westin's garage is off-site and can take a while to get your car.

Both properties do a good job with platinum upgrades.

Like I said, it is all about personal preference.

the entrance to the westin is really spectacular.

I checked into the property around midnight this week after a delayed flight. It was very easy to find - right off I-35W on the 11th st exit. I pulled up to the door and a doorman/valet came right out to greet me. I could have looked for, and probably found street parking, but just didn't have the time or energy.

The property is on the Southern end of the downtown area and isn't a long walk to the attractions further North. But as a result of its location, it is a bit quieter around there.

The front desk and lobby are very modern and similar styled like a Westin. The friendly desk agent had an envelope with my keys all ready to go and the check in was very fast.

The hotel has 19 floors with around 7 to 9 rooms per floor. I was given a room on the 19th floor, and it was the room I reserved ("Superior"). I didn't ask for, nor expect, an upgrade due to my longer stay length and Gold status. But the top floor was a nice bone to throw me. The room is an interesting design - I walked in and to my left was a beautiful marble bathroom with a huge sunken tub and a separate glass enclosed shower stall. To my right was a long console that divided the room. It consisted of a closet and the back of the desk. On the other side of this long console was the sleeping area (King bed), and on the back of the closet part of the console was a large 42 (maybe 46) inch plasma TV. Many of the channels are true HD, including local networks and some cable channels like HBO.

The room has both WiFi and hardwired internet (for a fee).

The King bed has very comfortable sheets and ultra soft pillows. The matress is a little bit firmer than I'm used to, but I slept very well.

I hung up my breakfast order on the door handle with a preferred time of 715-730am. They knocked on my door at 650am! I politely commented to the person that I was expecting them a little later, considering I was STILL SLEEPING when the loud knock came (alarm was set for 7am, so I'm not going to grouse about 10 minutes). I'll probably order again and check the same time frame, but this time I'll put a nice note on the form "no earlier, please".

Overall, I like the property and find it to be a peaceful enviroment. I'm going to be at the Westin next week so I'll be able to compare the two. The Spa looks to be very nice from the description of services and amenities so I will try to check that out, as well, and report back.

I just returned from a one nighter at the IVY and had a FANTASTIC stay. I arrived at 11:30pm at night, there was someone out there ready to grab my car for the valet ($25 per night). Checked in very quickly. When they didn't ask me what I wanted for my ammenity, I just said, please give me points for the ammenity. The front desk person (who was very friendly) told me that there is an ammenity in my room, but if I don't like it, they'll just add the points.

I then asked him if there were any upgrades available, and he informed me that I had been upgraded already. Walked up to the room (506). It was a true suite that I had been upgraded too. Walk into a vestibule with hardwood floors, two chairs, and a cheese and fruit plate (very fresh fruit, very nicely done - this was my amenity - much better than 500 points). Bathroom off of vestibule with the standard Luxury Collection look and feel (large tub, shower, etc.)

Next room was a fairly large "sitting room" with flatscreen TV and LARGE leather couch, a small desk, and a separate chair. Then two doors to a bedroom with a king bed (nice firm bed, soft pillows). Room was very cold (which is very nice). Flat screen TV had TONS of HD channels (not just CBS, ABC, NBC, but ESPN, ESPN2, etc.). Also, Bose wave radio there too. Bedroom also had two overlooked things that hotels never seem to get right. It had an outlet right next to the bed, which is good for those of us who like to sleep next to their blackberrys (yes I am pathetic). It also had a "suit valet" (you know, a place to hang your jacket, your pants, also holds cufflinks, wallet, etc.) Those things are perfect for someone like myself who usually is a "one night traveler".

I crashed hard, went to sleep, got up and went to the gym. Very nice gym (as has been previously mentioned). 10 new treadmills, 10 new elliptical trainers, a bunch of other aerobic equipment (a couple of upright bikes, rowing machine, etc.) and then a fairly large area with ~20 or so pieces of weight equipment. Very clean, bright, open. Had nice towels. Top 10% of hotel gyms that I have been in. Only nit was only one water dispenser way in the back of the place.

I ordered breakfast for delivery at 7:15-7:30. It arrived at 7:16am. I am a cereal guy in the morning, and typical room service has one of those small boxes (which is just too small for me). Instead of a small box, it was a properly sized cereal already in the bowl. Also had berries, which were very fresh

Also, two complimentary bottles of water (san pellegrino's still water). It was also glass, not plastic (such a nice touch).

Finally, I ran out of toothpaste. Called the front desk, and they brought up a new tube for me in 4 minutes. Instead of the single use stuff one typically gets, it was a 2.7oz tube of colgate. For someone who is constantly on the road, actually not having to go to CVS to pick up a new tube was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, tremendous room (and actual suite, not a junior one), very comfortable, clean, great decor (think dark wood, leather, etc.), quick service, etc. Also, it was cheaper than the WEstin for the night I was staying. I did not use the INternet, so I can't comment on that.

My few complaints (hard to have any):

1 - When I called the front desk at 6:00am to get toothpaste, no one answered. Called again, no answer.

2 - they had no plastic laundry bags in the room. It's nice to be able to use one of those to store workout gear for the trip home (I ended up using the newspaper bag)

3 - Wasn't aware of any "club" room with comp. breakfast, etc.

4 - One finaly compliant. Website had directions to the hotel. Unfortunately, the exit ramps from one interstate to the other interstate where closed. Not sure if I can blame it on the hotel, but so little to complain about, have to add it
Long story short, I would be hardpressed to stay any where else on my next trip to Minny

great review. i prefer the westin though i haven't actually stayed at the Ivy (just received a tour). having said that, i am a westin wh*re, for the most part. ;)

i liked the ivy and the gym is amazing, i just thought the basic rooms had odd layouts. now if i knew i was going to get a big suite, that might be another story.

I'm actually at the Westin this week to do my own compare/contrast of the properties.

I like the Westin location in town, and the lobby bar is a lot more lively at night. They really did a great job converting the bank. I also like the business/concierge area as you walk back to the elevators.

My room (standard) is a little on the narrow side, but otherwise fine. The bathroom is smaller than the Ivy, not as luxurious. The TV is 32" instead of 46" at the Ivy. Similar HD channels, though.

If it's peace and quiet with luxury you want, go to the Ivy. If you want to be a little more in the middle of things and a bit more of a "vibe", do the Westin. But both are very nice and are among Minneapolis' better hotels.

the elevator situation was a bit of a mess when i visited the Ivy. there were only two elevators allocated to the hotel (the other two elevators were for residents' floors). and, one of the two elevator hotels was out of order meaning that there was only one working elevator for the entire hotel.

has the situation improved?

Having stayed previously at the Westin and loved my room and hotel location...was not sure what to expect at the Ivy. Stayed May 8th for one night. Agree with other posters - the gym was amazing! Bed was reallly comfortable too - better than heavenly bed. Overall room was interesting (as previously described with console in the middle) - was on the small side and did not compare to my corner room at Westin.

I would stay again if service was better. Between valet, check in, drinks in lobby, drinks in restaurant bar, dinner in restaurant, breakfast in restaurant, check out, even just getting my bag back from the bellstand - everytime I dealt with the staff it felt like "amateur hour" ! It was as if the entire staff had never worked in the hospitality arena before much less a hotel...especially one that is part of the Luxury Collection! The Sheraton Minneapolis in the "rough area of town" had better service.

Overall I was really surprised and very disappointed.

What a great hotel. Kinda like a W "for the rest of us" Stayed there Saturday night and will return next Saturday. Th eroom was reasonably priced but everything inside was thru the roof. $25 to valet park, room service seemed expensive. The food was decent but I think the Chef was tryin gto be a little edgy with his/her menu items so my guess is they are a turn off. I ordered a plain hamburger for my son and it was prepared with a slice of sirloin in it...... Room I had was on the 19th and quite spacious. Bathroom amenities were plentiful and generous in their size. I paid around $100 a nigh but I checked some other dates which looked like they were in the $300-500 range.

P.S> Health club/fitness center was great.

I placed a lengthy posting about my recent Hotel Ivy stay in the American Express forum. Below is a link to that posting.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post11764622

I don't have any status with Starwood, so I can't comment as to that. Short summary - hotel very nice, handling of Amex FHR program not so good.

I had 2 separate stays here this past week as SPG Platinum, and no upgrade on either of them (hotel was wide open on the web site both nights), similar to your FHR issues in the post referenced above. I agree, nice hotel, but they don't seem to care much about any commitments to provide upgrades based on availability.

My second stay at the Ivy was two nights last week. A simply beautiful hotel and room and a very catering staff. The Ivy Spa toiletries are reason enough to choose this over the Westin - and I'm usually not one to care about such things. The gym is truly huge and unlike any hotel gym I've seen. Location is great being 2 blocks off of Nicolette and near my favorite Thai place King and I.

My only gripes are - paid internet (I don't get it, how can Four Points not charge while the "premiums" do?) and pricey valet parking (despite in & out privileges) that require lots of tips every time you leave.

The Hotel Ivy is my favorite hotel anywhere. I love the warm decor and base moulding, the carpet, the bed, Sferra bedding and towels, toiletries, and the bathroom. It feels like a home. Even the standard rooms that I got as SPG Gold were wonderful.

You nailed my only gripe about this hotel -- the internet is pricy at $14.95/night, even if it is fast (3 Mbps). It irks me that alofts and Four Points offer free internet, while Cat 4's and 5's don't.

I only visit Minneapolis for pleasure, so I usually don't have a car. On my last trip, my AA flight was so delayed that I missed the last Metro and had to rent. I parked in the ramps across the street... It was like $9-$13 per day and connected to Ivy via skyway.

I do dislike that they use the public elevators to bring up room service meals, so they always smell like food.

I stayed here this weekend. As a Plat I was upgraded from a Traditional room to a Grand Deluxe room. It had a great bathroom with a separate tub/huge glass shower overlooking the city. When I checked in I asked about a suite upgrade and was told that I was upgraded to a suite. It clearly wasn't, but it was nice enough that I didn't care (and incidentally had a higher rate than the Junior Suites available on SPG. Bath amenities are all in large 3 oz. bottles and very nice. Points were given as the amenity and posted next day. Valet parking is $25 per day, which I think is reasonable. I had a very nice brunch in the restaurant. All of the food was very good. The gym and spa are very nice and free for Plats to use (I was told this by the front desk and spa attendant and wasn't charged).

sub par stay
 

Received the smallest room I have ever gotten there. Superior room on a middle floor. Very dark. Called down for and asked for a possible upgrade. Told no dice even though a better room was on spg.com. was told the room was "out of inventory."

Internet (both wireless and wired) weren't working. Tech came up and he also couldn't get wireless to work on his mobile phone. I didn't have much time as I needed to run to dinner so I wasn't able to get needed work done.

Upon check out, internet was on my bill. When I said that needed to be removed, agent's reply was: "why should it be removed?" When said I was platinum, rely was: "oh, okay." Shouldn't this be automated (and can't you see my status on the computer screen you are staring at)?

Lousy room, technical glitches, mediocre stay. (Great bed, nice shower)

I just had a nice one-night stay here this last weekend. "Upgraded" to a Grand Deluxe (I think?) on 15th floor. I'm sure a nicer room was available but I was too tired to ask.

The wireless wasn't working on my laptop, but it was working on my blackberry. Still, since I couldn't do any work on my blackberry, I went down to their "business center" (one computer in the lobby) to do work. I barely got any time on it because so many people were waiting for it. On my bill, the internet fee was automatically removed.

Love the toiletries and the bed there.

no plat upgrade!
 

i also stayed in the ivy last friday (went to see a play at the guthrie). i did not get upgraded from the base room at check-in. was something going on in the city? i did enjoy my stay there however. the gym was great! i also liked the grapefruit-smelling toiletries in the room.

I was not aware of this option and nobody mentioned it even though I said I needed to look something up before dinner. :rolleyes:

In the past, I have asked people that had poor stays to contact Starwood Customer Care (CC) so that issues don't repeat themselves. So, after this stay, I decide to contact CC and pass along my comments. I asked that the comments be shared with the property's GM.

Well, today I got a message from CC that said they were sending the comments to the GM. Within ten minutes the GM emailed me and asked for a few hours to look into my issues.

By the end of the day, the GM replied and addressed all of my concerns. Basically, he said I should have been upgraded and "That not occurring was due to misinterpretation by new staff of what comes with or doesn’t come with the Starpick rate. That has been corrected." ^ (This is proof positive of why it is important to contact Customer Care over issues. The GM didn't know there was a misunderstanding among his staff regarding upgrades on Starpicks rates.)

In my email to CC, I mentioned that there are tremendous options in Minneapolis (Chambers, Westin, W Foshay, etc.). In his email, the GM said: "I agree with your observation that there is tremendous choice of Starwood brands in this market, and I would never discourage you or anyone else from trying them. I don’t want to lose your business though, and will fight on to keep it." (my bolding) ^^

He closed the email by saying: "It would be a privilege to meet you in person and to host your next stay. I hope for the opportunity."

Needless to say, very impressed.

Stayed here again last night, got pretty much the same room as last time xx08 (Grand Deluxe Room). Has anyone ever gotten a real upgrade here as a Plat?

Again, the internet didn't work for me... I let the front desk know on my way out but didn't have time to troubleshoot.

I had to cancel a reservation here last minute but noticed I'd been upgraded to a suite... seems I should have counted myself lucky and regret I couldn't honor the reservation...

Stayed here 8-14 to 8-15. Booked (and paid for) a Deluxe 1K, noticed on app that I was downgraded to a Deluxe 2Q because the 1K was 'easier to sell'. Had to call Plat Concierge to get it back to 1K. Junior and PH suites both available, and girl at front desk told concierge that they just don't upgrade anyone into those....even though they had given me the Junior Suite before. VERY disappointing.

As I've said in the past (in this thread, in fact), if you feel like you've been denied an upgrade you should have received, open a Customer Service file with SPG. This is the only way things will change. Hotels are dinged when customers open these files. If enough customers open files, the hotel will correct the problem. Coming on here to complain won't have as big of an impact as: 1) complaining to SPG and 2) complaining on here.

You need to do both....

As you can see above, I opened a file with SPG. The GM of the property quickly replied and admitted that I should have been upgraded. He promised to take care of me next time through.

Just a heads up: this property is a Minneapolis Living Social Deal of the Day (similar to Groupon).

One-Night Stay in Superior Room + $40 Toward Spa Services for $119. Not bad, but not spectacular. Must use before 12/23/10.

Purchase coupons by 9/5/10.

http://livingsocial.com/deals?prefer...mail%20address...

Great deal. I can't find anything in the T&C that this deal is limited to weekends. And, I guess you book directly with the hotel? Not quite sure how this works and there isn't much listed in the T&C. I guess the voucher explains everything...but you have to buy first?

Hotel Ivy Minneapolis - a great hotel
 

Here is my experience after 5 stays at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Overall a great hotel

Staff: The staff is excellent. After my first visit Jonathan and Lacey at the front desk remembered my name and always took a minute to be personable. I forgot to book my 3rd week reservation and Jonathan got me booked even though they were officially sold out. I didn't have to beg, plead or ask for special treatment as a plat.

Rooms: The rooms are fantastic. I am not a bath guy but all of my rooms had a huge bathtub and a great view of the city. The rooms at the Ivy were better than average with the simple extras that to me make a difference like regular sized q-tips, a nice working desk and most importantly a fast internet connection that has been very reliable

Facilities: The gym at the Ivy is by far the best gym I have ever had at a hotel. I am a crossfit.com regular which requires some odd equipment and almost always requires a barbell with free weights which are never avail at a hotel, but the hotel ivy gym is a regular gym not just a set of treadmills and universal weights.

Restaurant: The Porter and Finn is a great restaurant and has a great vibe. I usually travel Mon-Thu so I catch Ricardo at the bar for a night or two each week to grab a bite to eat. Ricardo works Sun-Wed (I think) and is a great guy who can help tell you a bit about the city, where to go and where to eat. Best of all they have Fulton IPA on draft and cold bottles of Duvel in the fridge.

Spa: I am not a spa guy but I do admit to taking in a couple of massages to ease the muscles from the workouts; what else do you do when it is -6F and blowing snow. The spa facilities were very nice and I highly recommend sport massages from Brook or Kate. Absolutely fantastic.

Just for reference - are those rates booked through groupon or other similar sites considered eligible stays?

Does anyone have contact information for GM at this property? Thanks in advance!

This hotel is just beautiful. The staff is extremely professional, and the fitness center is one of the best hotel fitness centers I've seen.

recent reviews/thoughts
 

Anything more recent. I have 4 nights coming on up and the reviews here are a wash, TA and Yelp are glowing. Looks really nice and got a nice rate.

a more recent review would be great!

-cheers

Hotel Ivy is a great hotel in a fantastic location.
 

Hotel Ivy is a great hotel in a fantastic location.

First - go to Brits – they have lawn bowling on the rooftop - and the rooftop is freaking huge. All around you have restaurants, bars, coffee, etc.
Do not miss Uptown – great food, people, stores, old school bowling alley with a huge beer list (draft and bottle) and a ton of rooftop bars. Great weather all week equaled packed bars and restaurants.
They serve butter with everything – I started asking for it to be placed on the side. Mounds of butter!
This city loves beer and it shows. Pet and bike friendly hotel and city.

Upgraded to Jr Suite – was hoping for a suite as they look massive on the chart. Check-in was a breeze – nothing to get excited about – 500 points and free internet – chatted a little , then on our way.
Nice room, huge bathroom and a ridiculous comfy bed. I liked the modern décor and I think most, if not all, channels were HD…to include HBO and HDNet.

Small area with couch and desk slightly separated by a wall. Didn’t take pics but still felt very open.

Room was clean and had ice and water waiting for us in the room. Great maid service as I requested extra waters and every night had them. Even though we kept the towels on the hooks, they replaced them everyday –

Elevators are the fastest I’ve seen.

Dunn Bros coffee every AM in the lobby – wasn’t the best, but doable until we sat down somewhere.
Bar at the hotel has reverse happy hour till midnight – good selection, better prices…fries are delicious.

We parked on the street, always found a spot and the cost savings were worth every penny. There is street parking everywhere – Friday 6PM through Monday 8AM. Sweet!
Valet was $28 night (I am too cheap for 4 nights).

Not sure what it is about this hotel, but we really liked it. May check out the Meriden, but this will be the place we stay…especially if we can snag the same rates next time.

Stayed at the Ivy few months ago. Beautiful hotel. got upgraded to a very nice large suite. modern style. food from room service was very tasty. location is good. i would definitely stay there again.

Had a one night stay at The Ivy this week, found it to be good, but not great. Had reserved a junior suite - asked about an upgrade to a regular suite, but front desk clerk said the hotel was sold out. Checked SPG.com when I got to my room and it showed regular rooms and suites available for sale. Didn't pursue it further because it was just one night.

Room was very nice, but small for a "junior suite". Desk and chaise in a small separate area behind a partial room divider. Nice bathroom.

Ate dinner at the bar at the Porter and Frye restaurant and was totally unimpressed. Food sounded great but was very bland and uninspired. Asked for a substitute of veggies, but didn't get it. They seemed to be out of a few of the entrees that night and I heard the people next to me complain to the bartender about the portion size of their chicken - apparently had eaten the same thing there the previous week and the portion was now smaller. The bartender "checked with the kitchen" and reported back that they had gotten smaller chickens from their supplier that week - but she did discount their meal. Wouldn't go back for dinner.

I have nothing (well almost nothing) but good things to say about Hotel Ivy. Although they definitely had some issues with platinum recognition a while ago, they have gotten dramatically better when it comes to upgrades (I usually don't even need to ask--as they frequently preblock me into suites). The service is excellent as well: in particular, Pepper (the concierge) is super friendly, helpful and always willing to go above and beyond to make a stay great--it's staff like this that keeps me coming back to the Ivy over the W or the Meridien (not that those properties are bad--just not as good from a service perspective in my opinion).

The only drawbacks about this property are: (1) lackluster platinum breakfast (just a few rolls and some coffee--be nice if they included a dining credit as the hotel's restaurant is actually quite good in the mornings), (2) distance from 'downtown' downtown--though, then again, Minneapolis isn't exactly huge so it's not really a problem to walk a mile to bars/restaurants and (3) the fact that Porter and Frye (the hotel's restaurant) is so bad--it's not even that the food is inadequate (it's fairly average for Minneapolis which has many excellent dining options), it's more that the place is deserted giving the restaurant a very dead vibe, plus the service can be pretty marginal in the evening. This property would be really phenomenal if they did a restaurant revamp and thought about expanding the morning breakfast selection for platinums beyond carbohydrates.

Being a NY'er, I was blown away by the great dining options in Minny....Zelo, Monte Carlo, Manny's, Lurcat all come to mind.

A review of the Hotel Ivy and Starwood Suite Night Awards...

We just finished a 2 night stay on points at the Hotel Ivy over the weekend (my first LC hotel). I tried to use my SNAs to confirm an upgrade in advance, but all room types were showing as booked (from T-5 to T-1) except for the executive level rooms, which I didn't think worthy of using my SNAs for. The two SNAs I had working the reservation expired as expected at 2 pm the day before arrival. I contacted the property and the plat concierge to see if they could do anything for me - plat concierge couldn't, but Tony at the hotel pre-blocked me into one of the executive level rooms. Shortly after midnight of the arrival day, the SPG app showed us upgraded to a bi-level penthouse suite (and my SNAs back in my account - score!).

We arrived at the hotel at 2 pm (1 hour earlier than standard check in time) and were able to check in without a problem (no Your24 request required). Our suite was huge with an entrance way, 1.5 bathrooms, a dining room, an upstairs office, lounge area, and bedroom. We used probably 25% of the space in the suite over the weekend. It was nice to see small details taken care of in the room. There were plenty of pillows, towels, bath amenities, etc. There was a WiFi router hidden in the dining room that provided great signal and enough bandwidth to watch movies on Netflix. If I wanted to nitpick about the suite, probably the only things I would say are that the bed was not as comfortable as the Ws or Westins I frequent, the second level had a ceiling of ~6'8", which is unnerving when you're 6'6", and plugs around the bed were not very easy to access. We were told we had access to the saunas and the workout facilities, but we never visited them.

We hit up the bar in the hotel for it's second happy hour (from 10 to midnight). Only one person was working the bar on Friday night and we got our complimentary drink that comes with the room (one per room per day). The cocktails and food from the happy hour menu were excellent. We enjoy having a quieter atmosphere, but be warned that the bar is not a place to go to party if that's your desire.

Valet parking is $28 a night as someone else mentioned. We were too lazy to park on the street or in a garage ourselves. We did walk to the river (about a 20-30 minute walk), which was nice to explore. Otherwise, we we driving to where we wanted to go.

Overall, it was a great hotel and we'll return there the next time we're in Minneapolis. The Suite Night Awards didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, but we got the upgrade in the end.