I am attending a 2-day event at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN in the fall and would appreciate hotel advice. I'll be staying in town for a couple of days after the event to see some of St. Pa
I am attending a 2-day event at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN in the fall and would appreciate hotel advice. I'll be staying in town for a couple of days after the event to see some of St. Paul so I'd like to find a hotel that balances convenience to the Xcel as well as other attractions. Ideally, I'd like a 3 star hotel ($150 or less/night) that has free parking. I'm sure I can't stay in the city for that rate but I suspect a hotel that isn't downtown would offer more convenience overall.
If you have any must-see or -do sightseeing suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated also.
Downtown St Paul is not that huge, if you are willing to walk a bit, almost any downtown based hotel would be "close" to the xcel but likely do not have free parking. Stay away from the Kelly Inn, it may sound OK, but my last few visits have been quite unpleasant.
If you want to stay more surburban, anything on 35E (Eagan) is an easy shot to downtown. The Hampton Inn and Crowne Plaza are both just fine hotels.
Remember St. Paul and Minneapolis are pretty much right next to each other, so my recommendations depending on your taste: --Science Museum, if not for the exhibits, go for the view of the river. --Minneapolis Institute of Art, one of the great museums and its free! --Como Park (zoo and conservatory- a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. --Misssissippi--it doesn;t really matter where you go, the riverside parks and walks are nice especially in the fall. --Walker Art Center. I am not a fan of the art on the inside, but the sculpture garden is wonderful. --James J Hill house has tours and is a magnificant mansion with some of the most amazing woodwork, I have ever seen.
That is just some ideas. If the weather is not freezing there is a lot of outside activities one could do.
Yeah, ditto all of Rocky's advice. I wouldn't stay out in the 'burbs, though. There are plenty of affordable hotels downtown St. Paul within a short walk to the Xcel. Make sure to check out Mickey's Diner. It's a 24 hour diner that was featured in Mighty Ducks and some <a href="http://www.pokerchips.com/">poker chip</a> movies.
The titanic exhibit is on at the Science museum if you are interested in that. We have stayed at the Minneapolis Radisson downtown for $120.00 including breakfast - check the website for specials, and it's walking distance to the science museum.
