I had the pleasure of doing a site visit last week with Megan McNally, senior catering manager, at the Elliot Park Hotel Minneapolis and just loved it. It is a new build boutique hotel that opened September 2018 as part of the Marriott Autograph Collection.
The hotel is located on the edge of the historic Elliot Park neighborhood of Minneapolis at 823 5th Avenue South, between 8th and 9th and just minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Light Rail. MSP Airport is 30 minutes away.
The lobby offers a very warm and inviting ambiance with contemporary furniture groupings in navy and cream, a communal table, a large fireplace (at the far end), gray wood flooring, charcoal wood plank walls off set with white textured panels that reach to the second floor. There is one wall of battery powered flickering candles that gives off an extra warm glow in the evenings, along with unique expansive lighting fixtures throughout to add to the ambiance.
The lobby lounge and their Tuscan-Italian restaurant, Tavola is located just off the lobby entrance. The lounge featured a copper U-shaped bar top plus additional seating at 10 booths. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with seating for 127 guests and windows overlooking 9th Avenue. There is a private dining room that can accommodate a group of 12 max. The restaurant menu offers farm-to-table Tuscan-Italian cuisine and includes a wood-fired oven.
The gift shop, located on the lobby level features lines of seasonal upscale products.
The 168 guest rooms (1 penthouse, 12 corner suites, 18 queens and the balance kings) are very spacious and comfortable with over-sized windows that provide great city views and wonderful natural light, upscale custom bedding, complimentary Wi-Fi, Amazon Alexa, work desks/chairs, closet and bathrooms with walk-in showers.
The Penthouse Suite, located on the 8th floor features a full kitchen with a table for four, sitting area, desk and ottoman, window seat, two bathrooms – one with an oval tub, shower and double vanity – and one with a vanity and toilet.
There is a nice size fitness Center on the third floor with treadmills and elliptical machines with TVs, free weights and stationary bikes.
Banquet space located on the second floor has a built-in coat rack, 2,262 square feet of pre-function space with comfortable seating around perimeter overlooking the lobby that provides a nice area for registration and receptions. Catering is provided through Tavola with finishing done in the kitchen on this floor.
Chestnut Studio offers 2,305 square feet of function space with lots of natural light and some pillars (that do not affect site lines).
Ember, at 373 square feet and located next to Chestnut seats 12 conference style comfortably.
Blaze, at 488 square feet, features a board-style table with executive-style chairs and a large screen TV.
The meeting room tables used on this floor have hard-surface tops with privacy panels that do not require table cloths.
Finnegan’s
One of the unique features of the hotel is that it adjoins Finnegan’s, a woman-owned brewery, which provides additional function/event space. The Taproom, located on the first floor overlooking the brewery is open to the public and shares outdoor patio space with the hotel. The Brewer’s Den, located on the second floor has a large bar and casual seating groupings (and can be modified per specs).
Elliot Park Hotel, is building out the third floor above Finnegan’s. Currently, it is under design and expected to be operational by the fall of 2019. Tentative plans call for a terrace, a built-in bar, coat room, and soft-set furniture covering about a third of the space, with ballroom space (350 guests for a sit down dinner or 500 reception style) with dual screen projection filling the remainder. Each floor has its own bathroom facilities. There are lots of windows and tall ceilings.
Catering is provided by Tavola with finishing kitchens on both 2nd and 3rd floors.
The fourth floor houses an impact hub with office space to rent by the day or month.
There is Valet Parking through the hotel, self-parking under the building as well as a surface lot across the street at 9th and 5th.
For additional information about the Elliot Park Hotel, contact Megan McNally, senior catering manager at 612.389.2272 or mmcnally@elliotparkhotel.com.