Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis

Christian helped me sort out a booking mistake and stayed with the issue until it was resolved. He was friendly and exceptionally helpful, five-star service. The lobby is huge and accessible, the restaurant was good, and I loved the preppy-cool theme room. I hope I get to stay here again.

I couldn't tell what the $30 resort fee was paying for. The hotel has lots of entertainment and spaces for college students to hang out, so perhaps that's where the fee goes. The breakfast deal was also disappointing: I paid extra for rooms with breakfast, but got only a $10 room credit against a tab of about $20 per person. At check-in I was told the credit would be $18 per adult, up to two adults per room. The front desk seemed mostly staffed by college students, and their answers to questions were very limited. It felt way overpriced for what we got.

The bed was extremely comfortable, the restaurant food was delicious, and the service was outstanding. The hotel is just blocks from the Universe hospital, which has a shuttle. My room did have a strange smell, and the tub bottom was slippery enough that I nearly fell the first time I showered, so I wiped it down. Still, the service was outstanding.

We've stayed at the Graduate Hotel—University of Minnesota several times and usually choose it when we're visiting campus. The location, atmosphere, and activities make it an easy pick, especially for a college tour. This latest visit was less comfortable. The beds and pillows felt worn compared with earlier stays, and I didn't sleep as well. Housekeeping knocked at 7 a.m. while we were exhausted from traveling. We got up, took a short walk, and went for breakfast. When we returned around 8:45, the bedding and supplies had already been stripped, though we hadn't checked out and still needed to get ready. I told the front desk, but they could only suggest I should have put out a “Do Not Disturb” tag. I also have a severe latex allergy, so I couldn't wait in the lobby because it was decorated with latex balloons. Aside from the allergy, balloons are an environmental concern too. I understand staff need to keep to a schedule, but the early housekeeping and worn bedding made this stay worse than our earlier ones. We'll probably return for familiarity and convenience, and I hope management reviews the housekeeping timing and replaces the bedding.