W Minneapolis - The Foshay

Minneapolis is full of beautiful old buildings with tons of charm and character.  The Foshay Tower is probably the most recognizable example of this and Starwood hotels has taken full advantage with the W- Foshay.  The very trendy W brand has been in this very historic landmark for only a few years, but its impression on Twin Cities night life has been drastic.  With its huge Living Room lobby bar, the intimate Prohibition bar on the 27th floor, and Manny's steakhouse all under one roof, the crowds are present most nights of the week.

RESERVATIONS
As with most hotels, you can make a reservation for the W - Foshay through several different channels.  Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Priceline, and Hotwire all offer decent rates for this hotel, but the best values can be found on the hotel's own website.  The rates tend to follow downtown trends with weekdays being quite a bit more per night than weekends, and the best deals are often found in the form of packages and advanced-purchase rates.  For example, by booking the AAA Breakfast rate on the hotel's website and presenting a valid AAA card at checkin, you not only get a good price on a room but also $40 towards breakfast either in Manny's restaurant or via in-room dining.  Also, by paying for your room in advance (at the time of booking) and agreeing to lose the rights to cancel or change your reservation, you can save between 10% and 20% off standard rates.  Other packages include complimentary drinks, valet parking, and spa treatments, but always check what the going rates for these extras are before booking to make sure you're getting a good deal.

ACCOMMODATIONS
The W - Foshay is not shy when it comes to style.  This can be considered either a pro or a con.  The guest rooms are very modern and minimalistic with clean lines and shiny finishes.  While some consider this to be modern and forward thinking, others consider it to be cold and sterile.   The W brand categorizes its rooms using terms like wonderful, fantastic, spectacular, and wow, with wonderful being a basic room and extreme wow being the suite of all suites.  While a wonderful room will provide you with a bed, desk, entertainment system, and bathroom, the upper level rooms throw in more lounging areas, larger bathrooms, and separate bedrooms and are typically found on higher floors with better views of the city.  The beds are very comfortable and have down comforters wrapped in several layers of clean white sheets.  Pops of color are added to the mostly black and white rooms with the addition of hot pink mini-bars and silver bolster pillows.  All guest rooms have LCD televisions and DVD players as well as bed-side iHome alarm clock/iPod charging systems. 

SERVICE

The staff at W hotels are not called customer service agents, front desk clerks, housekeepers, or bell boys, they are called "talent".  When applying for a job, you are not going in for an interview, but instead an audition.  This idea of casting individuals to play certain parts is nothing new for anyone who has visited Walt Disney World, but it can be a little off-putting if you are used to typical hotel staff.  Arrogance hangs pretty thick in the air throughout the lobby and interacting more than a few times with the pretentious staff can almost be too much to handle for most people.  While you will always be provided with prompt and quality service, it is always served with a full glass of attitude that may or may not suit your taste.

EXTRAS

One thing that stands out at the W Minneapolis is the "Whatever/Whenever" service.  Most hotels call it a concierge, but W takes it a step further.  Available 24 hours a day, the whatever/whenever service is always just a button-press away.  Whether its tickets to tonight's hot show, dinner reservations at the newest great restaurant, or a bathtub full of champagne to soak in after a long days work, they can make anything that's physically possible (and legal) happen at a moments notice.  You incur any charges necessary to get what you want, but you will get it.  They can also hook you up with the Acura Experience program that gives you complimentary transportation both to and from any location in the downtown area. 

Another feature of the property is the observation deck.  Located 30+ floors above street-level, it is the only operational observation deck in Minneapolis.  Admission is free for hotel guests and about $8 for visitors. 

SUMMARY

Overall, this is great hotel for anyone that wants to feel a part of everything.  The common areas of the property are the "it" places to see and be seen, and the location really can't be beat as it is literally in the middle of downtown.    The hotel has a definite point of view which may scare off the occasional traveler, but for the trendy business person or the couple who wants to be glamorous for a night, this is the place to stay.