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Cozy.   What does that word mean to you?  To me, cozy is a feeling of warmth and comfort, of completely at home wherever I am.  Toasty socks, fluffy sweaters, and comfy fleece pajamas help me feel cozy.  Imagine a hotel so easy-going and comfortable, it’s like slipping into a pair of comfortable PJ’s. On a recent trip to Minneapolis, we stayed at a comfy cozy luxury boutique hotel, The Hewing Hotel Minneapolis, one of the coziest luxury hotels I have ever stayed at!

Update:  Did you hear?  The Hewing has been nominated for Travel & Leisure’s Best Awards for 2019!  Since my review was written in 2018, you can say you heard about The Hewing here first.  I think we can agree that I have very good taste in hotels, right? 🙂

The Hewing Hotel Minneapolis | A Review

The Hewing Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in downtown Minneapolis, is a cross between your grandmother’s house, an elegant resort, and a Nordic ski lodge, with a healthy dose of hipster chic.  Scratch that.  Describing the Hewing in such a way simplifies the understated elegance of the place.  Yes, the Hewing is as comfy as your grandmother’s house, but without the chintzy lace and plastic slipcovers. It does have a ski lodge feel to it, but the only animal heads on the wall are the ducks and deer patterned into the custom-designed wallpaper. It is understated and elegant, warm and inviting, yet cozy, cozy, cozy!

Location & Design

The Hewing Hotel is located in the ultra-hip North Loop section of Minneapolis in the heart of downtown, but it lacks the haughtiness of most “hipster” hotels.  Even us empty nesters felt completely at home here.

Built on the bones of an old warehouse, in the North Loop warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis, the Hewing Hotel Minneapolis pays homage to its heritage with the use of the original wood beam, exposed brick, and steel frame of the building.  The lobby, dressed in colors of deep blue, brown, and plaid, are dotted with velvet sofas, buttery soft leather easy chairs, and vintage books and knick-knacks that celebrate some of Minnesota state celebrities, such as Prince and Bob Dylan.  A majestic fireplace centers the room; light from the floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows added an ethereal ambiance.

Once a seedy industrial zone, the North Loop/Warehouse District, just north of downtown Minneapolis, went through a revitalization in the 1980s to become a thriving art community. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, and today is an eclectic mix of old and new, with trendy restaurants, shops, and hotels.

 

Accommodations

All 124 rooms (including fourteen suites) have one king or two double beds. The raw wood beams and exposed brick lend a rustic feel to the rooms, but the oversized bathrooms with rainforest shower and plush linens are thoroughly modern.  Our room was comfortable, with plenty of room for the two of us, but I would not call it spacious.  The bed, with down duvet and pillows, was so comfortable, we spent half our snowy Saturday in bed, having breakfast, reading, and watching tv.  Through the building is old, it was not drafty, and the custom made Hewing & Faribault woolen bed throw at the end of the bed kept us extra toasty when we did have a chill.  The room included a desk area, minibar with local sodas and alcoholic beverages, and an easy chair.

 

Dining

After a busy day traveling and a late night at the theater the day before, we were ready for relaxation, which included breakfast in bed.  The room service menu was small, yet we both found delicious options.  We set a door card out the night before with our choices, and breakfast was delivered within three minutes of our requested time.  I chose a savory brisket hash with an over-easy egg and homemade ketchup; my husband had an egg omelet with spinach.  We were apparently quite hungry when we placed our order, so a plate of buttermilk pancakes, crispy potatoes, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a large pot of coffee rounded out the order.  We (obviously) had too much to eat for one meal, so saved the leftovers for an afternoon snack while we lingered in the room watching the snow falling outside our window.

We previously made reservations at a trendy restaurant nearby for dinner, but it was a cold and snowy day, and after pursuing the dinner menu at The Hewing Hotel restaurant, Tullibee (and realizing that 10 inches were predicted for that day’s weather), we decided to stay cozily indoors at The Hewing.  I am glad we did because the (true) farm to table cuisine at Tullibee was incredible.

My husband had a glass of red wine and I had a gin & tonic made with locally crafted Spruce & Co. grapefruit soda.  The grapefruit soda added a tangy touch to the cocktail.  Appetizers included the beer bundt cake with honey butter, and a (melt in your mouth) house-cured bacon with pickled onions and orange.  Word of warning:  the beer bundt cake is orgasmic and very buttery.  Like Meg Ryan at the diner in When Harry Met Sally orgasmic.  Try to control your groans in public.

For entrées, my husband had an oven-roasted half chicken set on a bed of roasted barley and pine nuts, with a delectable chicken au jus.  My roasted pork dish, with smoked apples and fennel, was cooked medium-rare.  Both were scrumptious. 

For dessert, we shared a special ice cream sundae dessert with white chocolate ice cream and lingonberries.  The sweet and tangy lingonberries were a delightful surprise.

 

As with the rest of the hotel, the attention to detail at Tulibee’s was extraordinary.  Leather-wrapped silverware and woolen-cozy wrapped coffee glasses added an extra touch of Nordic to the restaurant.

 

 

Pros

• The rate of $143.00 per night was very reasonable for a four-star hotel.  Summer rates are higher but competitive.
• The hotel is close to many downtown attractions, including Target Field, Orpheum Theatre, and State Theatre.
• Our bedroom was on the small side, but comfortable and certainly enough room for two.
• The bathroom was enormous and the rainforest shower was a welcome treat.
• The beer bundt cake and the house-cured bacon starters were intoxicating.
• The attention to detail was exceptional.  Small details, such as the wallpaper, woolen bed throw, and desk pens were custom designed for the hotel.
• We were in the heart of the city, yet heard no road noise while in the room.
• The room was clean and well-maintained.

Cons

• The only concern we had during our stay was the price of room service.  The cost was was more expensive than we anticipated, and the food was not very warm when we received it, but it was still delicious.
• There is no coffeemaker in the room, but complementary (and quite delicious) Spyhouse coffee is available in the lobby.
• The area around the hotel is a mix of sketchy and nice.  There is a strip club across the street from the hotel, but next door to the strip club is a great coffee shop (Dunn Brothers) and there are plenty of great dining choices in the area.
• Our king room did not have an enclosed closet but had a nook to put luggage out of the way, and hooks to hold our coats.

 

Things to Know

• The Hewing rooftop bar, sauna, and the pool are supposed to have incredible views of the city, but for an additional  $25 per person fee to access the roof, we did not splurge. update:  The rooftop bar is now open to the public as of Aug 1, 2018!
• The hotel is dog-friendly with a $75 nonrefundable per stay fee.
• The hotel is family-friendly but is better for a romantic escape or girls weekend than a family vacation.
• WiFi is complimentary for guests.
• Parking is valet only for $42 per night.
• The hotel has ADA accessible rooms.
• Shopping, including a Whole Foods Market, is just a few blocks away.

Bottom Line

We love, love, loved every nook and cranny of this hotel!  We came to Minneapolis to see Steve Winwood but would return to Minneapolis just to stay at the Hewing.  I said it before, but I will say it again–this place is comfy, cozy, and elegant, one of the finest hotels in the midwest!

 

{This stay was not sponsored/hosted and was paid in full by Cork, Fork, & Passport.}

Psst.  Speaking of great boutique hotels, are you looking for a great boutique hotel in London?  The Hand & Flower Hotel is one of my favorites!

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