Okay if you like taking your shoes off at the front door and climbing in your stocking feet several sets of stairs with all of your luggage to your room. Don't count on anyone making your bed for you the next morning--let alone change your bedding. They don't. You can, however, eat cold cereal and store-brand bagels in the basement for the "breakfast" part of your B&B stay. There is nothing quaint about this place. It's a home that someone thought might be able to make it as a bed & breakfast. There are certainly better, cheaper, and cleaner alternatives to this place. You can stay in a modern room at the airport and ride the mass transit in to the city for far more comfort and cleanliness--and less money.

Wales House is a fantastic place to stay, conveniently located for the University, public transport and Dinkytown (which has second hand bookshops, bars, a cinema and great restaurants - including the world's best breakfast at Al's). The atmosphere is homely and the communal areas are comfortable, with plenty of books, information about the local area and a couple of televisions. A large kitchen is shared between all 10 rooms with plenty of fridge and cupboard space. There are washing machines available to use for $3. There is high-speed wireless internet throughout the house and garden.

Kelly and Julie are perfect hosts and interesting people to talk to. The standard of cleanliness is very good. My room was large and comfortable with en-suite bathroom.

If you are looking for room service and a huge TV in every room, you may prefer elsewhere. However if you are looking for a comfortable, quirky and interesting place to stay in a great part of Minneapolis for a few days to a few months I would recommend Wales House very highly.

Extremely comfortable lodging. Free wi-fi available throughout the house. Large common areas for hanging out and meeting others. The Carvers are very friendly and considerate proprietors. Their dog, Sky, is beautiful and sweet.

Conveniently located to Dinkytown (a quick walk to Al's Breakfast), and about a 40 minute walk from downtown across the Stone Arch bridge (and a 5 minute drive).

At these rates, why stay anywhere else?

I can't recommend Wales House highly enough, for either short or longer stays.

This inexpensive, friendly bed and breakfast (run by Kelly and Julie) is ideal for anyone visiting the University of Minneapolis, being located close to one campus, with other areas of the university easily accessible via campus shuttle bus. Other forms of public transport are available nearby, and the airporter bus dropped me at the door.

My room at the front of the house overlooked the quiet tree lined street and the front lawn of the house, where squirrels and rabbits constantly played. The room itself was simple but lovely: a comfortable bed (with plenty of pillows and a pretty patchwork quilt), a good desk, chair, desk lamp and computer access for working, plus a phone and answering machine for the room's direct line. If you don't want to stay in your room, the house contains many sunlit and antique filled spaces where you can read or take your laptop.

While some rooms have ensuites, mine shared a bathroom, which was right next door and spotlessly clean. A continental breakfast (with great fresh juice) was set out downstairs each morning near the guests' kitchen, where cupboard and refrigerator space was thoughtfully allocated for each guest.

Being at the front of the house my room did experience some noise one night from students living in the area (who were apparently celebrating a return to campus) but this didn't bother me. However, if noise is a concern, simply make Kelly aware of this when you make your reservation, so he can advise whether your stay might coincide with any student festivities, and locate you in a quieter area of the house.

Kelly's thoughfulness extends to excellent advice on what to do and where to go. Restaurants (try Kafe 421, which I tried on his advice), ATMs, supermarkets, some interesting second hand book stores and even a cinema are all available within a 5 minute walk, at Dinkytown shops. I greatly enjoyed walking around both the neighbourhood and the university campus, which was beautiful in Autumn. With only three days in Minneapolis to attend a conference, I felt I had seen a lot more than if I had based myself in a hotel downtown. Wales House, in just three days, had become home.