The Commons Hotel

The Commons staff is definition of professionalism. Every request our group made was handled with the utmost care. From allowing an early check-​in for wedding picture, to a shuttle driver willing to take us anywhere within the city limits to servers like Chloe handling every bizarre request during our rehearsal dinner.
The rooms were clean, fresh and well themed. Pictures and videos of the University of Minnesota’s yesteryear was a brilliant nostalgic touch. The access to the university’s fitness center would have been fantastic had the time been available.
The only complaint is there is no place to lounge by a pool to enjoy a warm Minnesota summer day.

Musty smelling room, old ripped-​up carpets (in the hallways), sagging mattress and chairs (in the room). There is nothing «four-​star» about this place, just the decaying corpse of an old hotel. Room temperature is set to 65 F, which might explain the musty smell, with no way to turn on the heat. The fan sounds like a diesel engine 3 feet from the bed. I’ve already switched rooms, the second smells a little less offensive, but the general decaying vibe is the same.

I’m handicapped and requested an accessible room. What I got was as far from the elevator as you could possibly get, a room that smelled of urine and I got bed bug bites. The four floor hallway carpet looks worse than low income housing and I’m in the waiting room at my doctors office to be seen for the bites. They are on my back and neck and face.
I’ve stayed at The Common’s before but I’ll never stay again!!!

I give it 3 stars because it seemed like they were trying to trick me.
I checked in on friday afternoon, and as soon as i stepped foot in the hotel, I got very excited about my stay because it has a cool hipster vibe to it. It seemed like there were lots of wedding guests also checking in and the staff was preoccupied with that a bit, which I can understand. Everyone at the counter was really pleasant and sweet. They gave me the keys to my room and i took the elevator up. The room was decent, again hipster-​y vibe in the rooms as well. I pulled the curtains open and expected to look out the window after my after a several hours of traveling. I, however, was left VERY DISAPPOINTED. the view to my room was what looked like to 2 giant compressors, and thats it, that was my view. Why would they try to give anyone that room. Made the whole room feel dark and dingy. I immediately called to see if there were other rooms available, and to my surprise there were. So why did they give me a bad room to begin with. At first i thought they might be booked and this was the only room. But no, Im sure they gave me that room so they can save the nicer rooms for their wedding guest.

Attached Starbucks-​Key
Beautiful Lobby-​Check
Good Food and Bars within walking distance-​Outstanding
One of the best hotels on a college campus!

This hotel is a joke. Why you might ask? Well first of all it is in Minneapolis. A city with some of the most stupid idiotic moronic drivers in the USA. Now seriously Minneapolis drivers really suck, it’s called a turn signal USE IT PHUCK TARDS!!!
Ok commons hotel, the rooms are small. The beds are worn out with indentations in the mattresses. But the worst is they nickel and dime you to death. Charge for «premium» wifi 3 gigs only mind you, and you have to pay for it. So no Netflix movies for you.
Oh our business center yes yes that’s $ 9.00 for 15 minutes and email access will cost you 71¢ per page. No color available. So print away please our inkjet is so slow your 15 minutes will be gone. $ 9.00 more dollars please.
You will get Nickel and dimed to death. Also parking is not included $ 18.00 a day please. We prefer valet so don’t worry about being parked in the University of Minnesota Fire Lane. The ticket and tow is not on us.
So The Commons Hotel a Big Double Thumbs down. A cardboard box in the alley is better than this crap-​box.

Love love love this hotel. Central to U of M campus when I go visit my son. Great location to the light rail, awesome restaurants, and athletic venues. Staff was extremely friendly. Gorgeous updated interior and lobby. My only disappointment was the bathroom. There was no bathtub and the shower pan leaked water ALL over the bathroom. Big mess! Although, not a deal breaker but next time will not upgrade to the suite.

Would not accommodate our daughter milk in their freezer. Def not child friendly. We have traveled all over the world and have never had to complete throw away her precious milk especially after coming to MN for surgery. Shame on you Commons.

I really wish I could have given this hotel a better rating, however, there was no internet or tv the entire time I stayed here. I came here for a work conference so having internet was pretty important. I stayed three nights and four days. Not only did they not inform us that they were currently having issues with their system when we checked in, they also failed to offer any complimentary service for the major inconvenience they were causing their guests. Won’t be staying here again, and I don’t recommend anyone else staying here either.

This is my second and last time here. Last time was mediocre at best, from the poor service /​attitude at the front to the less than clean feeling-​especially for the cost. I posted a couple pics this time. I failed to capture the ridiculous amount of dust in the vent last time — which happens to be right above you in the shower. It has great potential though and you can’t beat the location. Hope management sees this and takes this as a call to action.

We really enjoyed this hotel. It is aesthetically pleasing, clean, and conveniently located. Only thing to make people aware of is that you can hear the neighbors flush the toilet or turn in the shower. You can hear people in the hallway. The elevators are slow. Despite those things, we would stay there again.

Stylish and clean hotel. Calming ambiance and staff was friendly and accommodating. Rooms were stylish and comfortable

Not a bad stay… (3.5 stars)
I stayed at the Commons Hotel during a visit to the U of M for work. Ultra-​close to campus, the ambiance was dark but warm. The staff members were friendly and the check-​in was quick.
The room was clean with modern décor. The furniture was not terribly high-​end but not beat-​up either. The bed was big and pretty comfy.
Overall, it wasn’t the lap of luxury but served a good purpose.

The Mr booked this place because he figured I would love the décor and I did! It was very nice! The rooms were nice and the bed was comfortable, however my favorite was how quickly the AC cooled off the room. I like to sleep in a cold room like mid 60s and I loved that the AC was on all night while I slept and doesn’t seem to automatically go off after a while.
The hotel was beautiful! I’m so glad we got to use the excuse of a surprise birthday party to stay here otherwise I usually stay at my best friend’s house (which the décor is very similar to this hotel). So I guess this is like a home away from home for me!
The staff was friendly, and the hotel is impeccably maintained. Everyone seem to love the circular fireplace in front of the library seating area. Great for photo opts!
Oh! And they have Green Tea Jasmine bar soap which I LOVE!

I’ve stayed in my fair share of hotels and The Commons is A-​OK. I think this hotel is specifally good for a very specific traveler, not for a couple looking for a romantic evening and needing to drive all around the city. The fact that it’s connected to a parking garage ($ 15 per night parking is not cool) is awesome. A nice restaurant (the Beacon), a coffee shop (Starbucks) and an Applebee’s attached, very cool. The lightrail is literally right out the front door, so it’s extremely easy to get around (we had a car, but for those who hate driving around, it’s a great perk). There are lots of restaurants and bars all around as well and LOTS of people, mostly students. For a business traveler, a college student or parents of college student, this would be great! Especially if you’re a fan of the nightlife. For my hubby and I, it was not convenient or romantic. It’s hip and fun.
The hipster décor is fabulous. However, the funky hanging lights and awesome blue bathroom are overshadowed by the stained carpets and the average beds. It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want people to sign up for this thinking they are getting the Ritz Carlton. It’s your average Holiday Inn kind of place. Nothing over the top. The halls could smell better, the rooms could have use some updating (and I don’t mean slap some fresh paint on I mean invest in some new carpets), but no real complaints (except the expensive parking, I hate expensive parking). It was clean, comfortable and just fine.
Customer service was great! All the employees we encountered were college students (this is literally ON campus) and I was actually impressed with their professionalism. When we checked in, we were put into a room with two beds, which we were fine with, but when we got into our room the beds were so small (full-​size) so I had to ask for a new room. They couldn’t accommodate us with a King because we stayed for two nights and didn’t have the availability, totally understandable, but two queens fit MUCH better. So, be sure if they give you two beds and you plan to sleep with someone, that you’re getting a queen. :) The entire process went smoothly. It was one of those moments where I’m like do I want to be that lady that calls at 10 p.m. and demand a room? Yes, I did and it was just fine! Again, great customer service.

The bed was comfortable.
The décor and layout of the room was nice.
The staff was friendly.
My only problem was the shower. I am 6’4 and had to hunch over to shower because the way the pipe hangs out at about 6’0 feet.
You would think with Minnesota having near one the highest average heights of adults in America the engineers that designed the hotel would have accommodated this when designing the shower head pipes.
Now my back hurts.

My stingy side wants to tear my hair out for what I paid to stay a night here. Even with the university discount, the cheapest room amounted to about $ 160 (single king bed). But I was going for convenience, and being smack dab in the center of campus and across the street from the light rail, it really was a no-​brainer.
To future visitors: look between Starbucks and Applebee’s. I nearly missed the hotel when I got off the train stop because I was expecting something paralleling the beautiful photos I saw on the website. Instead, Commons (formerly Radisson, according to my parents) blends in with other university buildings in its boxy, red and brown brick casing. Luckily I spotted the giant lettering peeking out from behind the adjacent shops. Drawing closer, the circular driveway framing a giant fireplace begins to hint at what’s inside.
The rest of my stay was fabulous. You’re greeted by not just a friendly employee, but a cozy, glowing fireplace when you enter. The furnishings? Plush, sophisticated, and hip (ster). Somehow everything looks new and vintage at the same time. Exhibit A: see wall of globes behind registration desk. Minnesota Nice is pretty much how I’d sum up the service (seems like many of them are college students?).
My room was a comfortable 68 degrees when I walked in, and there was plenty of space for me to spread out myself and my things, and then some. Let’s talk amenities. An old mini-​fridge was in the dresser below the flat screen TV. An also old iHome was on a night stand table, not much use because of the outdated USB port, but convenient for telling the time. The shower handle is located on the wall opposite the shower head (okay, not an amenity but a thoughtful piece of design). And, perhaps the best perk, a Keurig machine with two complimentary K-​cups of Caribou coffee (one decaf, one caf). Unfortunately I didn’t have time to check out the fitness center and instead stared at the university’s jaw-​dropping four-​story glass gym, but it’s there I promise!
Had the best away-​from-​home sleep ever and awoke refreshed despite the two-​hour time difference.

What a truly excellent hotel. Came here for a night on business at the University of Minnesota campus and I was wholly impressed from start to finish. Walking in was amazing, the lobby is beautiful, very well done and makes you feel like you are in a top notch, classy place. The front desk was very helpful and allowed me to check-​in several hours before the official check-​in time which was great. The room was well appointed (though there was a lack of shampoo) and had a nice view of the gigantic gym on campus (made me feel nice and lazy for not working out, but it’s truly a beautiful complex). The bed and pillows were great and the internet was quick. A top notch experience.
The best perk for this hotel for me was that you truly do not need a car to get around. It’s a block or two from the light rail which goes right to the airport and to all the cool parts of downtown Minneapolis quickly and cheaply.

I’ve stayed here twice; first time there was lots of construction going on and a staff that did not take steps to ensure a quiet and peaceful stay for all; that and a questionable cab ride set up soured me on the place to some extent.
This time around the early morning construction noise is gone and we are left with a very pleasant, warm, and cozy hotel with a «varsity» feeling to it (i.e. decorated with old school photos of college sports, events, etc). There is a pleasant fire going in the lobby, plush furniture, and the overall vibe of comfortable and venerable institution of higher learning. I had minimal interactions with the staff but they seemed professional, polite, and competent.
The rooms are similarly comfortable but there were a few odd and only very slightly annoying issues. The TV was not connected to the cable and would not turn on. The rain shower fixture is mounted quite low; I’m about 6 feet so not particularly tall but the shower head was still only about 2 inches over the top of my head. And the shower tray had widely spaced tines that did not easily hold up the complimentary shower supplies.
Obviously these are ridiculously minor issues and don’t detract from the overall quality of my stay here. I left the Commons with a much more favorable impression this time around and would happily stay here again.

We loved this hotel! It has character, charm, friendly staff! The restaurant/​bar is nice. Our room was lovely and very clean. The bed was quite comfy, shower nice.
Yes, parking is $ 15, but you’re on campus here (next to the hospital) so parking is at a premium, and $ 15 is reasonable.
We could not have been happier with our stay unless we could have stayed longer than one night. Oh, and we got an incredible deal thanks to a bid.