Hotel Ivy, A Luxury Collection Hotel

If the Four Seasons is the new-build flagship at the top of the Minneapolis market, Hotel Ivy is the answer for travelers who want their luxury with a sense of place. A Luxury Collection hotel, Marriott's badge for characterful, locally rooted properties, it was built to incorporate and restore the Ivy Tower, a 1930 Art Deco landmark whose stepped, ziggurat silhouette is one of downtown's most distinctive. The result is a hotel with genuine history at its core rather than a glass box, and it has quietly held a place as one of the city's most loved luxury addresses.

Its guest scores reflect that affection. Hotel Ivy holds a 4.5/5 Google rating, converting to an HFK score of 9.0/10, and it is repeatedly noted as the only Forbes-recommended hotel in Minneapolis, an independent nod to a consistency the reviews echo. It sits at #2 on our Minneapolis list behind only the newer Four Seasons, and for a certain kind of traveler, one who values design, intimacy and a serious spa, it is arguably the more characterful choice.

What makes Hotel Ivy special?

Two things set it apart: the building and the spa. The Ivy Tower gives the hotel an architectural identity no competitor can copy, a restored Art Deco landmark folded into a contemporary luxury hotel, and the design throughout leans into that heritage with warmth rather than corporate polish. The Ivy Spa Club, meanwhile, is the hotel's signature draw and one of the most highly regarded urban spas in the Twin Cities; it is the amenity guests mention most, and it turns the hotel into a genuine wellness retreat in the middle of downtown. Add a boutique scale, 136 rooms rather than several hundred, and the experience is more personal than the big convention hotels nearby.

Where is it, and what is nearby?

The address is 201 South 11th Street, central to downtown Minneapolis and skyway-connected to much of it, so you can reach a large part of the core under cover, a real advantage in a winter city. Orchestra Hall, the theatre district, Nicollet Mall and the Minneapolis Convention Center are all within a short walk, and the riverfront, the North Loop's dining scene and the sports venues are a quick ride. The area immediately around the hotel is a business-and-arts district that can be quiet in the evenings, which is precisely when the spa and the in-house restaurant and bar earn their place. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is about 20 to 25 minutes away.

What are the rooms like?

Rooms are a consistent strength. The 136 rooms and suites are generously sized and finished in warm, neutral tones, with the beds and linens drawing near-unanimous praise in the reviews, guests describe them as some of the most comfortable they have slept in, and bathrooms that run large, many with the deep soaking tubs that are a recurring highlight. Modern in-room technology and the boutique scale round out a room product that feels considered rather than templated. The honest note is the usual one for a characterful older-core hotel: a small minority of guests report housekeeping inconsistencies, so it is worth flagging preferences at check-in, but the overwhelming weight of feedback on the rooms is strongly positive.

The spa, dining and service

The Ivy Spa Club is the amenity that defines the hotel and the one to build a stay around, a full urban spa with treatments, relaxation spaces and fitness facilities that consistently earns the highest praise in guest reviews. Alongside it the hotel runs a restaurant and bar for meals and cocktails without leaving the building, while the wider downtown and North Loop dining scenes are close for variety. Service is the other pillar of the hotel's reputation: reviewers describe the staff as genuine and attentive, the kind of warm, personal attention a boutique-scaled luxury hotel can deliver and a large one often cannot, and it is a big part of why the property holds its Forbes recommendation and its loyal following.

What do guests consistently say?

The review pattern is strongly and consistently positive, which is what a 4.5 average and a Forbes recommendation imply. Three things recur. The beds and linens draw near-universal praise, guests describe them as among the most comfortable they have slept in, and the spacious rooms with their deep soaking tubs are a close second. The Ivy Spa Club is the single most-mentioned highlight, cited over and over as the reason to return. And the service earns warm, specific praise: staff described as genuine and attentive, the personal touch a boutique-scaled hotel can deliver. The criticisms are few and minor, occasional housekeeping inconsistencies and the odd note that the surrounding blocks are quiet at night, neither of which dents the overall affection. It is the profile of a characterful luxury hotel that its guests genuinely love, which is rarer than a merely competent one.

How to book it well, and when to go

To get the best of Hotel Ivy, lead with the spa and the room. Book a category with a deep soaking tub or a suite, and pair it with a treatment or two at the Ivy Spa Club, that combination is the essence of the hotel. Minneapolis rewards a summer or early-autumn visit for the lakes, riverfront and patios, but the Ivy is arguably at its best in deep winter, when the spa, the skyway connectivity and the historic warmth of the building turn it into a downtown retreat from the cold. Rates rise around major conventions, sporting events and the peaks, so book ahead for those; as a Marriott Luxury Collection hotel it is also worth comparing the direct rate and Bonvoy benefits against the aggregators before you commit.

Hotel Ivy vs the Four Seasons: which to book?

These are the two poles of luxury in Minneapolis. The Four Seasons is the newer, larger, river-view flagship with a destination restaurant and the most complete facilities in the city; Hotel Ivy is the boutique, design-and-heritage choice with the better sense of place and the city's best-loved spa. Choose the Four Seasons for a brand-new tower stay, river views and Mara; choose Hotel Ivy for character, intimacy, the Ivy Spa Club and a distinctive historic anchor. Against the rest of the field, Loews, the historic Marquette and the design-led Hewing, Hotel Ivy holds its #2 spot on the strength of that spa, those rooms and its Forbes recognition.

Who should book Hotel Ivy?

Book it if you want luxury with personality: couples after a romantic, spa-led escape; wellness and design travelers who want the best urban spa in the city and a historic building to match; and anyone who would rather stay somewhere distinctive than in a generic tower. Look elsewhere if you specifically want river views, the newest facilities or a resort setting. For a characterful, spa-centred luxury stay in Minneapolis, though, Hotel Ivy is the standout, and its guest scores and Forbes nod confirm it.