The much anticipated W Hotel officially opens tomorrow in the Foshay Tower at 8th & Marquette.
I got a sneak peek at parts of the hotel last week when I met with the concierge staff for lunch. I saw the main floor lobby, reception area, concierge corner, banquet rooms and The Living Room. The entire hotel--caveat: I didn't see the guest rooms--is posh and contemporary while still being elegant and classy. It's less modern than Graves 601 or Chambers, but the dark decor is stark and beautiful. You really have to see it for yourself.
The Living Room is less of a restaurant than a lounging area with cocktails, food and games. The size alone is impressive; I can't wait to try the drinks and the fare, the latter of which is created in a designated kitchen headed up by my friend Josh, former sous chef at Red Stag Supper Club and chef at Cosmos Restaurant before that.
The Living Room does not take reservations because of its laid back, "too cool for school" nature (Josh quote) but, as of of today, Manny's still has openings for dinner Thursday and Friday night. The hotel rooms also look pretty wide open, from opening weekend up until the RNC.
GH2 in Northeast is having its annual 90% off sale this Friday and Saturday, August 15th & 16th. GH2 is where all the clearance items from Grethen House in Edina end up, and they also take consignment items. This is the sale to shop if you drool over high end fashion, but can rarely afford it. In addition to clothes, GH2 also carries plenty of new and gently used designer shoes, bags and accessories.
You can read my write-up of GH2 in Minneapolis Picks here.
And if it's anything like the W in other cities, the service is spectacular.
Posted by: Rich G. | August 13, 2008 at 07:49 AM
Funny...Rich and I must have stayed @ different W s. I'm inclined to say that the only thing that wasn't spectacular was the service.
Posted by: geoff | August 14, 2008 at 05:00 PM
I wondered up with that. I was walking through the Skyway on my way back from the best espresso in downtown Minneapolis, when this old woman in a ruffled shirt and black tie shoved a tray of baked appetizers at my chest. I was listening to my iPod so I didn't hear her promotional speech or explanation as to what was in the food, but I smiled and nodded and declined (I have to watch my numbers). But I'd been blowing by that construction for a couple weeks and am pleased to see it has reached fruition.
Posted by: Christian | August 19, 2008 at 01:57 PM
well i use concierge service for making arrangements for me ,
Posted by: concierge | December 24, 2008 at 12:13 AM
Well, a decent preview. Although, it would be nice if there were some photos to get people excited about this. Nonetheless, "W" has a good reputation, so I figure people can't expect anything less from them.
Posted by: Steven Lodrhowe | May 05, 2011 at 08:42 PM