After three business trips where I stayed at the Aloft Minneapolis, I'm calling it quits. There are just too many other hotels in Minneapolis to stay in this concrete beehive another night.

Curious, must know more? Fine.

What I liked:

1. Modern decor (well, kind of). It's definitely an improvement on Standard American Hotel. Bright, artsy, fun. Woo, partay!

2. Free wi-fi. Non-free wi-fi is a pet peeve of mine, so that's a positive.

3. Great staff. And I'm serious, they were all super nice and helpful.

4. Well-stocked (kind of) 24hr. food pantry. By well-stocked I mean that they have a kitchen where they can prepare mediocre salads and sandwiches.

5. A real blowdryer in the bathroom

6. Shampoo/body wash dispenser in shower. Go nuts!

7. Across the street from a pretty good sushi place and a VERY good foodie destination (Sanctuary).

What I didn't like:

1. The concrete. This structure is made of it, which means that your voice echoes oddly in the halls and rooms, and dude, it's cold. All the bright colors in the world don't really help that.

2. The porcelain tile in the bathroom. Did I mention the concrete? Add chilly porcelain for your bare feet.

3. Desk chairs that don't adjust up or down.

4. Two types of "pillows" on the beds. Gigantic lumpy ones, and narrow decorated bolsters. For you non-decorating types, think "lifesaver roll".

5. I've had mixed results with the food. Hard-boiled eggs from the mini-mart that had gone sour. Pretty good breakfast sandwiches. Half decent happy hour pulled-pork sliders. And, tater tots. Minneapolis, what is up with your tater tot obsession? Aloft, you aren't helping elevate this foodstuff by serving them alongside little plastic cups of ketchup.

6. No room service. And the coffee maker in the room only offers 1 (one) regular coffee pod for you to brew. Which means you have to get dressed, go downstairs, and hustle up some coffee for yourself (fyi, $4 for the fancy stuff).

7. Lowest common denominator wine list. Into syrupy reds? You'll love it.



What I specifically didn't like about my last stay:

1. Sketchy wi-fi. The helpful desk clerk ran a cable up for me but still, that meant I was tethered to the desk. I was on the top floor, in the furthest reaches of the building, so maybe it was a reach issue.

2. Exhuasted (and exhausting) heating/cooling room units. Maybe it was my top floor, into-the-wind room. Maybe it was a unit that had reached the end of its useful life. Whatever it was, it blew cold air on me until the desk guy (second trip!) came up and fixed it (helpful hint: unplug and reconnect). The second night it cycled all night long, it just never stopped. And it never really got warm (this is where the concrete and porcelain add insult to injury).


The Doubletree Suites are $10 more a night and the beds are heaven. Money well spent, I'd say. And that's where you'll find me next time.