OverviewLocated about a 12-minute drive from Minneapolis's city centre, and a 2-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 35 West on-ramp, the Ramada Plaza Minneapolis is suitable for business or leisure travellers who require a hotel with easy highway access, meeting/banquet space and on-site dining.
This hotel has 247 air-conditioned guest rooms, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer and a desk. Microwaves and mini-fridges are available upon request (for a fee), as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include an indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, laundry services, vending machines, free parking and a free area shuttle (pleased contact the hotel for details). Pets are permitted for an additional $10 per pet, per day. Only two pets are permitted per guest room.
On-site dining is available at Scalzo's Italian Grille, which serves room service, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
The University of Minnesota is a 14-minute walk south of the hotel, while St. Anthony Shopping Center can be found about a 6-minute drive northward. Siebert Stadium is roughly an 8-minute drive southwest and Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is a 22-minute drive south. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets permitted for $10/pet/day, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: August 14, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms and location.
The hotel's staff were the source of numerous compliments by patrons, who characterized them as helpful, accommodating and friendly. One reviewer noted, "Friendly helpful staff that accommodated us when we showed up a day early, provided all fresh linens ahead of time to accommodate dust mite allergies, and handled a package delivered to us perfectly. Cleaning staff was also friendly and helpful".
Many guests enjoyed the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, spacious and well maintained, with comfortable beds and pillows and good water pressure. It should be mentioned, however, that a few lodgers had complaints about their rooms (see below).
Several reviewers were pleased with the hotel's location. They described it as easy to find, and close to highway access, the University of Minnesota, shopping, restaurants, business parks and downtown Minneapolis. Some guests did feel that the hotel was more suitable for those with a vehicle, however, as they found there was not much within walking distance.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the rooms and noise transfer.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with their clean and comfortable rooms, a few lodgers had complaints about their accommodations. They reported poor Wi-Fi signals, dated decor, small bathrooms and no mini-fridges. Guests can, however, request an in-room mini-fridge, for a fee.
Noise disturbances were mentioned by a few guests. They reported noise from guests in adjacent rooms and the hallways.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #20 of 49 Minneapolis hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 272 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.1 out of 5 with an 87% recommendation rate from 257 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.4 out of 10 from 38 reviews.
The author called the hotel on August 14, 2013 to verify some information.
