Have made at least a half dozen visits to this full service hotel over the past ten years or so. The hotel has charm and historic value; its shops are cherished by my wife. The room rates are reasonable for a hotel of this stature. The Veranda Restaurant has good food and prices - it is now open for dinner seven nights a week, providing a more down-to-earth alternative to the upscale Port Restaurant in the lower level. The Port Restaurant now has a more limited and pricey menu than in the past (one of the Negatives, more below).
Some things were disappointing this time around, hence the three star rating where I would have tended to 4-5 stars in the past. Our room in the newer part of the hotel had two large windows facing west and south-west with very nice views of the Mississippi. The heat from the setting sun, however, overwhelmed the A/C unit at times, made worse because the cooling knob could only be turned up so far, thus the unit still cycled OFF leaving the room a bit stuffy. In addition, the fan went OFF when not cooling and could not be kept constantly ON to keep the air moving. The Thermopane(?) windows looked thinner than I'm used to seeing in MN and the heat near the windows was very noticeable, leaving me to wonder what the room would be like on a 90 deg day (it was only 80 outside) or in the middle of the winter. Other negatives, the mattress was very soft, the tub drained VERY slowly, and the hot water faucet had to be turned fully ON or it would "jump" back OFF.
All in all, I'd still consider coming back again, as I much enjoy the atmosphere. Yet, I had to struggle to escape the feeling of 'Cost-Cutting'.

I booked the St. James for a weekend get away to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. I wanted a special place to share with my wife and the St. James exceeded all expectations.

Our room was exactly as the gent who took my reservation had described it. It was located in the historic part of the hotel built in 1875. The large corner room (about 15' x 21') had lots of light from tall windows. There were views of the Mississippi River, old railroad depot, and Levee Park on one side and Barn Bluff on the other. It was furnished with some antiques and nice reproductions and felt very cozy. There were side tables and lamps on each side of the Queen size bed, plus 2 dressers, an armoire, desk, and 2 reading chairs with a table. The full bath was also large and came supplied with plenty of thick towels and two robes.

The hotel was beautifully maintained and fun to explore. It had many interesting nooks and crannies due to the age of the building and contained many wonderful architectural details not found in modern facilities.

We enjoyed a terrific Sunday brunch ($14) overlooking the river. It was delicious and inexpensive. The fifth floor Irish pub was a great place for cocktails in the evening. Food at the St. James was top notch and service generally was too.

My only complaint would be regarding the hotel's location which is one block from the railroad tracks. There was noise from the train whistles about three times per night. This didn't bother my wife at all, but I was awakened by them. I got ear plugs for the second night and that cured the problem. A fellow traveler told me that his room on the other side of the hotel was quiet at night, but he had no river view. I'd say the trade off for a great view was worth it.

What a wonderful hotel! It was charming, clean, quiet and the staff was friendly, professional and very helpful. It is located close to the Mississippi River in the downtown area of quaint and charming Red Wing. The Sunday Breakfast in the beautiful Veranda Cafe was delicious. I can't say enough about the hotel, our room and the town. We will definitely return for another visit.

Great historic hotel on the Mississippi was a lot of fun. Enterprise brought our rental car to the hotel.