03.18.08

Review of the Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis for weddings

Posted in Wedding Sites in Minnesota at 8:43 pm by Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Sarah Pikul from the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis was incredibly kind, and she gave me a private tour around Radisson’s downtown Minneapolis flagship hotel - wow! What a great place for wedding ceremonies and receptions!

Note that this hotel is different from the other Minneapolis Radisson (the one by the University of Minnesota) - this hotel is the flagship property, the one right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, by the theater district, Nicollet Mall, and the light rail which connects right to the Minneapolis/St Paul airport.

The Radisson Plaza Hotel is right in between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall on 7th Street, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. The skyway connects right to Macy’s on one side and the City Center on the other side.

There’s several ways to enter the Radisson… if you come in from the front, you are either walking in (perhaps you took the light rail here from the airport), or perhaps you took a cab. In either case, you’ll then see this valet parking section, and then enter the main lobby (below).

Lobby of the Radisson

Looking up in the lobby
So if you enter through the front door from the street, you’ll walk into the lobby, be sure to look up (right-hand picture) - the lobby extends upwards to the top floor - almost 20 stories high!

3rd floor lobby
However, most wedding guests who are coming to weddings at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, however, will be driving…in which case, they’ll enter into the heated basement parking lot (unique among downtown Minneapolis hotels). Wedding guests then come directly up to the third floor, where the ballroom is located. When they exit the elevator, they’ll be greeted by the gorgeous balconies ringing the lobby. Every floor has these balconies overlooking the lobby, producing a beautiful and cohesive, effect.

The ballroom of the Radisson
The hotel ballroom is beautiful, with lots of mirrors and glass chandeliers. The ballroom is actually much larger than this picture shows - when I toured the Radisson, they were set up for a meeting, so I didn’t get to see it set up for a wedding (this picture is reprinted with permission of Sarah from the Radisson Plaza.) Wedding ceremonies are often held on one side of the ballroom, with a divider across the room, and then the divider is drawn back after the ceremony, revealing the tables all set up for the wedding reception.
Radison' Sleep Adjustable Bed
Ah, one of my favorite parts about the Radisson Plaza Minneapolis - they’re beds are SleepNumber beds! It’s the only hotel chain that has them. They also have feather beds available in their upgraded rooms. I love weddings at hotels - wedding guests not only get to go to your wedding, they get to visit all their friends and relatives who are staying at the hotel. The ceremony and the reception are then all held in the same place, so no one has to travel… it’s a great relief to out-of-town guests, especially.

Note that not only does the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis give you a free suite for the night when you have your wedding and reception at the hotel, they will give the parents a drastically reduced room rate, something I’ve not seen at other Minneapolis/St Paul hotels.

Firelake Steakhouse in Minnepolis - in the Radisson Hotel

If your wedding ceremony and reception is at the Radisson, you might want to have your rehearsal dinner at the Firelake steakhouse, which is right off of the hotel’s lobby. Minneapolis/St Paul Magazine named the chef one of the Best Restauranteurs in the city.

As with most hotels in the Minneapolis and St Paul, MN area, the Radisson in downtown Minneapolis does not charge a room rental fee for weddings, but just a food and beverage minimum. Figuring out prices for weddings can be very tricky at other places, and what seems to be a $20 entree is usually more like $60 once the other charges are tacked on: Linens, silverware, security, tips, taxes, cake cutting fees… the list goes on and on. The Radisson has a wonderfully refreshing policy - $61/person includes every single thing. Wow! Their up-front policy is so easy to work with…my theory is that they get so much business from conventions, that they are used to being totally clear about everything. I wish all hotels could be like this…what a great policy! If you’re interested in using the Radisson Plaza for your wedding ceremony and reception, call (612) 339-4900 and ask for the Catering Manager on duty to check to see if your date and time is available, and if it is, they’ll send you out a full packet of materials, which is very well put together, and extremely helpful.

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Rev. Tomkin Coleman’s Local Wedding Tips & Info

03.18.08

Review of the Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis for weddings

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