Cheap Hotels in Minneapolis-St. Paul? (Nicollet: transfer, neighborhoods, university)

[Super Gimp]

Anybody here got any recommendations for cheap hotels in the Twin Cities? I plan be in town the for 3 days and 2 nights from April 25th to the 27th for the American Planning Association's national conference, which will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I won't have a car at my disposal, and likely won't be able to afford a cab, so I'll need to be near a transit line that can take me to and from the Convention Center.

Anybody here have any good suggestions?

[DaPerpKazoo]

I don't know how cheap you're looking, but the Downtown Holiday Inn Express is going to be the cheapest within walking distance of the convention center. It's just a block from the convention center and six blocks from the nearest LRT station, which will get you to and from the airport fast and without any transfers.

[SoDak11]

Well, I don't actually know what they charge, but I'd give the Snelling Motel a call. They are right by the VA and cater, I assume, to families with relatives in the hospital. It certainly isn't fancy, but I bet the price is right. The area is perfectly safe too. Its just a 3 to 5 minute walk to the VA Light Rail Station, which will get downtown in 15-20 minutes.

[MplsTodd]

I assume you already went to sites like Hotwire and Orbitz to try to get a good deal.
I second the Holiday Inn Express suggestion (its one block from the convention ctr). Other less expensive hotels would probably be The Millenium Hotel at 13th & Nicollet; The Normandy Inn (may have changed their name) which is a fake Tudor style low-rise hotel on the east edge of downtown at 5th Avenue and 7th Street.

You could also look into B&B's. I think there are a few in south Minneapolis that would be close to buslines serving downtown.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Super Gimp

Anybody here got any recommendations for cheap hotels in the Twin Cities? I plan be in town the for 3 days and 2 nights from April 25th to the 27th for the American Planning Association's national conference, which will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I won't have a car at my disposal, and likely won't be able to afford a cab, so I'll need to be near a transit line that can take me to and from the Convention Center.

Anybody here have any good suggestions?

Holiday Inn Express downtown is around $100 a night. Since it is the cheapest hotel that most people would consider, it tends to book up in advance sometimes. Not have a car is probably a good thing if you want to save some money. Parking is usually 20-30 an night. Most of the big names are going to run you at least 150 a night at the low end.

There are some dives like the drake, but I would not recommend these.

[Ben Around]

Suggestion: check out Trip Advisor dot com. Look for Minneapolis hotels and B&Bs and you'll find reviews from those who have stayed there. When you find some likely candidates in your price range, let us know where they are and we'll be able to advise you on relative accessibility to the Convention Center.

[StilltheSame]

Try expedia - were going this weekend and there are a number that have rates under $100 - including Graves!

[uptown_urbanist]

There's a bed and breakfast in Uptown:
Evelo's Bed & Breakfast bed and breakfast - Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Bed and Breakfast Inns.
The location is great and the price is good. I haven't stayed there, but I think this is the place where my husband's relatives used to stay when they came to town.

[kuan]

Give these guys a call

Minneapolis International Hostel - Your hostel away from home

[Super Gimp]

Thanks a ton for all your help guys. Given that I have a relatively mild physical disability (hence my SN), some of your suggestions, particularly the hostel & B&Bs, may not be feasible, and I apologize for not initially making it clear (I get around using a very light manual wheelchair fwiw). I am willing get out and drag my chair up small flights of stairs for lodging purposes if necessary, so some places you may not think of as being options for me may actually be so. My transportation to and from the Twin Cities will be via MegaBus, as I'm trying to make this trip as budget as I possibly can.

Anyways, I noticed while looking around on the various sites that the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown St. Paul has singles those two nights (the 25th & 26th) from just $67, with all the amenities I'm looking for. It is also in a location connected to downtown Minneapolis by bus route 16 (which runs on University Ave), which has 24-hour service (unlike the light rail), something which really attracts me to this option. However, how is the neighborhood along that route? Given that this will be my first time ever in the Twin Cities, I want to make sure I am safe. I have taken the bus through some seriously craphole neighborhoods in my hometown of Chicago (and yes, I am a Sox fan ) many times before, but it's never been very late at night that I've done so, and I want to be careful as I can. What do y'all think?