Two men chatted up the clerk, then robbed a west metro hotel at gunpoint late at night and have yet to be caught, authorities said.

The holdup occurred shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday at the Chanhassen Inn along Hwy. 101, the Carver County Sheriff's Office said.

According to the Sheriff's Office: The clerk said two men approached and started chatting, asking about room rates and whether there were others working at the time.

Soon after, one of the men pulled a handgun, demanded cash and fled with the loot.

Sheriff's deputies with K-9 dogs searched on the ground while a State Patrol helicopter assisted above.

One suspect was described as Hispanic or Asian, in his early 20s, 6-foot-2 and slender. He had a small patch of black hair under his chin. He was wearing a black or navy blue baseball cap with "TC" in front, a black zip-up Nike windbreaker, denim shorts and black high-top shoes.

The other suspect was described as white, in his early 20s, about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6, thin with a "buzz-style" haircut. He was wearing a pullover sweatshirt with a hood and front-pocket pouch, and faded black or gray jeans that were ragged on the bottom. He also was characterized as appearing "really dirty."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 952-361-1212 during regular business hours or 952-361-1231 at all other times.