Four Seasons Minneapolis is a year-round destination, but winter is key

Each morning, Florian Riedel, the general manager of the Four Seasons Minneapolis, reviews the guest list with his team to anticipate any special needs or requests.

Together, they try to make each hotel stay a little more magical, whether arranging a birthday surprise meeting with T.C. Bear for a 7-year-old Twins superfan, or planning a personalized itinerary for a first-time visitor, complete with a stroll around Lake of the Isles, dinner in the North Loop, and an evening in the Theater District.

Since opening in 2022, the hotel in the 37-story RBC Gateway tower downtown on Hennepin Avenue has become a landmark in the city’s business and cultural core. This season, it celebrates another mark of distinction: a Michelin Key.

The honor, awarded by the same organization that grants Michelin Stars to restaurants, recognizes hotels that excel in design, service and a sense of place. This is the second consecutive year that the Four Seasons Minneapolis has received the designation. It is the only property in the state to hold one.

“Yes, we are Four Seasons, but we are a Minnesota Four Seasons. We have a gorgeous hotel, and we are very careful stewards of it,” said Naomi Thompson, the property’s director of guest experience. “We bring our authentic Minnesota selves to work every day, and that sets us apart.”

In interviews, the staff repeatedly expressed pride in being part of the revitalization of the city since the COVID-19 pandemic. Guestrooms overlook Target Field or the Minneapolis Public Library, and the hotel is within walking distance of Target Center and U.S. Bank Stadium.

“I remember those first few conversations, before we were open, we set ourselves a goal. This was an opportunity to create a place where everybody is welcome and bring people back downtown,” Riedel said. “We want people to have staycations, go to ball games, go to the pool, and have brunches, lunches and dinners.”

Riedel says most guests come from within a six-hour drive, including the Twin Cities suburbs, Chicago, Milwaukee and Fargo. During the week, business travelers connected with locally headquartered companies fill guest rooms. Weekends bring a mix of families, couples, and groups on regional getaways.

“On Thursdays at 3 o’clock p.m., everything kind of slows down. People take their ties off and relax a little,” Riedel said.

As you walk through the dining and meeting spaces, you see works by Minneapolis-based artists including Laurie Borggreve, Joan Kloiber and Dennis Kalow. The ceiling of the indoor pool is designed to look like waves of wheat, moving gently in the wind.

Riedel connected early on with north Minneapolis designer and entrepreneur Houston White, whose coffee brand can be found exclusively in the cafe spaces.

“We’ve also worked on many community gatherings with Houston White,” Thompson said. “We did something called Cultural Collision, a sort of happy hour on Friday afternoons, where people could come together and share their experiences. Like we had our chef Martín Morelli make empanadas and talk about his culture and his family.”

Another example of the hotel’s hyper-local programming was the Prince Purple Rain package, created in celebration of the world premiere of the “Purple Rain” stage adaptation. Guests received a Prince-themed gift and a special rate, along with playful touches, like a chocolate guitar crafted by the pastry team. Guests were chauffeured to the theater for VIP access, and Mara offered a prix fixe dinner inspired by Prince’s favorite flavors. Mara also hosted a weekly Purple Rain–themed brunch.

“We are so into it, and it’s been really fun to have guests come here from all over the world to see the show,” Thompson said.

Minnesota’s winters may deter some travelers, but the Four Seasons Minneapolis leans into the beauty of the season with the Nordic Village, a winter market that has quickly become a downtown tradition.

When the Nordic Village debuted during the hotel’s first winter, there were just three cabins. This year, there are eight, each transformed into mini-shops strung with holiday lights and filled with goods from local makers curated by Mich Berthiaume, known from her work with the Dayton’s Holiday Market. Visitors peruse the cabins while drinking champagne or mulled wine, looking over the selection of holiday sweets, Faribault wool blankets and Love Your Melon hats. After dark, the cabins transform into private dining rooms for a four-course, Nordic-inspired dinner, with dishes like Swedish meatballs, white fish and venison.

Along with the Nordic Village, which runs through February, the hotel offers guided heat therapy sessions in a Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna on a rooftop deck, with steam and wintertime city views.