Hotel Review: Hotel Emery, Autograph Collection
The Autograph Collection brand is one of my favorites among Marriott's hotel brands. I love how unique each hotel’s design and architecture are and I appreciate that Autograph Collection properties express distinctive personalities that make travel experiences more immersive and memorable. I stayed at Hotel Emery, Autograph Collection when I visited Minneapolis, MN. The Emery Hotel is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, and before its debut, it was a boring building built in 1906 that housed a bank and other businesses. It was introduced to the city as a new Autograph Collection property. Hotel Emery was no exception to the brand identity, and considering its affordable nightly rate, I will even go further and say it is one of the best Autograph Collection hotels I’ve stayed in North America, With its beautiful and nature-inspired lobby and chic room interiors, it’s an understatement to say my stay was enjoyable.
Hotel Emery, Autograph Collection, is located at 215 S 4th St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
I earn tons of Marriott Bonvoy points by using my American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. It is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. Until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $20 when they spend more than $20 at restaurants each month. It earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 3X points on dining and flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X on all other purchases. Paired with Marriott’s promotions and AMEX offers, it opens doors to endless points-earning opportunities.
The Bonvoy Brilliant comes with great benefits that can substantially offset its annual fee. Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com
The Bonvoy Brilliant Card does come with a hefty $450 annual fee but offers tons of perks to significantly offset its costs. The card features the following benefits:
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, the mid-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem
$300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit that can be applied towards your room rate
$100 property credit when booked directly with Marriott and staying a minimum of two nights at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties
One free night certificate, redeemable for properties worth up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
Access to Priority Pass lounges
15 Elite Night Credits that can prove helpful for chasing Bonvoy status
Even if you don’t stay at Marriott properties often, this card is still a must-have in my opinion. It’s a true example of a keeper card that offers benefits that outweigh the annual fee.
If you’d like to apply for the American Express Bonvoy Brilliant Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSwdXp?xl=cp01
I have another Marriott Bonvoy credit card: the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business Card. It is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. Until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $15 when they spend $15 or more on monthly wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. services providers. The eligible purchases include shipping, restaurant, wireless telephone, and gas station purchases made in the U.S. The card earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 4X points on dining, U.S. shipping purchases, U.S. wireless telephone services, and at U.S. gas stations. All other purchases earn 2X points.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is the only Marriott business card on the market. Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com
The Bonvoy Business Card’s annual fee is $125 and offers decent benefits to justify the cost:
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, the low-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem
One free night certificate, redeemable for properties worth up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
15 Elite Night Credits that will help you achieve a higher Bonvoy status
As you can see the card’s benefits are less substantial than the ones from the Bonvoy Brilliant Card, but it is a great long-term keeper card due to its annual free night certificate perk. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary if you want to chase a higher Marriott Bonvoy status because it is the only Marriott business card that is on the market and will grant you an additional 15 Elite Night Credits. Lastly, even though it is a business credit card, it is very likely that you could get it approved. Check out my article on how to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor.
If you’d like to apply for the American Express Bonvoy Business Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSi04o?xl=cp01
Lobby & Check-In Review
The hotel‘s entrance was not as visible as I had imagined, but I found it without difficulty. As soon as I stepped into the hotel, I was greeted by gorgeous marble flooring and columns, and at the same time, I was surrounded by lots of plants. It was like I was in a private botanical garden, and the combination of marble, wood, and plants went perfectly.
I enjoyed seeing different types of seating options in the lobby.
One cool architectural design of the lobby was the starlights on the ceiling. They weren’t noticeable at night, but in the morning, sunlight came in and naturally made the lobby more inviting.
During the day, the starlights on the ceiling completely changed the atmosphere of the lobby.
The lobby had Spyhouse Coffee, a local cafe based in Minneapolis.
Spyhouse Coffee is locally known for serving seriously good coffee.
At the center of the lobby, an aesthetically pleasing fireplace provided warmth to the cold Minneapolis winter.
The fireplace naturally attracted guests around at night.
From cozy couches for groups and single tables for solo travelers, the massive lobby had numerous seating options available.
The expansive lobby offered a wide array of seating choices, from comfortable couches suitable for groups to individual tables perfect for solo travelers.
On one end of the lobby, there was an entertainment area with a pool table and a TV where guests could unwind.
Guests can play pool or catch a game while unwinding in the lobby.
While it was undoubtedly exciting to experience a non-traditional lobby, I did struggle to find the check-in desk. The only signage for the check-in area appeared a few minutes into my short journey in the lobby.
The color scheme of the seating options harmonized well with the overall ambiance.
The check-in desk had plexiglass barriers to fight against Coronavirus.
It is hard to see in the picture, but there are plexiglass barriers by the check in desk.
My check-in experience was effortless, and upon checking in, I was promptly upgraded to a suite, thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status. Adjacent to the check-in area was a small lifestyle shop selling local goods, ranging from t-shirts to jewelry.
The small shop by the check in desk was selling a great range of local goods.
Next to the lobby, the on-site restaurant, Giulia, was situated, serving northern Italian cuisine. Since I arrived late at night, the restaurant was not crowded, but a few guests enjoyed cocktails at the bar. The marble flooring and columns reminded me of the Candler Hotel in Atlanta, which served an excellent breakfast. Giulia was only open for dinner due to COVID-19. Though I couldn’t get breakfast from the restaurant, I was told that the restaurant is a popular dining spot in town.
Giulia serves northern Italian cuisine and is a popular dining spot among locals.
After receiving my room keys, I accidentally went down to the basement level, which had meeting rooms and event venues. Since the building used to be a bank, a few bank vault remains could be spotted here and there, adding character to the hotel.
The basement still features the remains of the hotel’s previous identity.
After exploring the basement, I went up to the 10th floor, where my room was located.
Bedroom Review
The room was a junior king suite located on the 10th floor of the hotel. As soon as I entered my room, I immediately noticed the spacious living room, highlighting gorgeous pieces of furniture. The combination of wood and green color really worked beautifully, and mood lights turned the area intimate and mature.
The living room area continued the natural atmosphere from the lobby.
The couch was comfortable, and I wouldn’t complain if I had to crash a night or two on it. The coffee table was a thick, solid piece of wood and brought a natural feel to the room.
This solid piece of coffee table was probably my favorite piece of furniture in the room.
The first TV in the room was across from the couch, and it appeared to be a bit far from my taste.
It would’ve been nicer if the table came with another chair.
A mini-fridge was discreetly hidden below the Keurig machine. I’ll take free coffee any day, but I think having a superior Nespresso machine would fit the hotel’s identity better.
For the hotel’s identity, I believe a Nespresso machine would suit better.
Between the living room and the bed, there were a decently sized table and a single chair. I wondered why it had only one chair, but I didn’t mind, as I was by myself.
The wall mounted TV was adjustable so you could adjust the viewing angle and enjoy it from the bed.
I found a hand-written welcome note from the hotel staff and two water bottles on the table. It’s unfair to compare the water bottles to macarons I received from the Le Dohkan’s in Paris, I always appreciate kind gestures from the hotel, recognizing loyal Elite members.
It is always nice to see hotels recognizing Elite members and providing attentive service.
The bed was comfortable and plush, and I really liked the aesthetics of the hanging bed lamps, which had two-level brightness adjustments.
The hanging lamps and minimal nightstands were so pleasing to look at.
Wooden nightstands were equipped with plenty of outlets and USB ports.
The wooden bedside nightstands featured outlets and USB ports, though space was somewhat constrained.
To the right of the bed was a small closet to hang clothes, and the closet door had a full-sized mirror on the outside. To the left, there was the only window in the room, and the view was nothing spectacular.
The view from the room wasn’t spectacular.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom featured a single sink vanity with plenty of space to lay out personal toiletries.
The bathroom lost the design-inspired aesthetics but was functionally great.
The walk-in shower had both a standard showerhead and a rainfall style, which is my preferred type. Unfortunately, the water pressure was below par.
Even with the rainfall showerhead, the water pressure underwhelmed the shower experience.
The communal toiletries were by Biology, and although I enjoyed the exfoliating bar soap, the rest was nothing to write home about.
The scent was very masculine for those who like neutrally scented toiletries.
The bathroom was functionally satisfactory, but I wish it had more design aspects that the hotel was known for. Other than the storage cabinet doors, the discontinuation of the natural aesthetics of the property made me feel as if I was in a different hotel.
Gym Review
The gym was located on the second floor. Even though it was technically in the same building as the hotel, I eventually had to exit the building hallway to arrive at the gym. The directions were clearly marked but I kept questioning if I was going to the right place.
The entrance to the gym was somewhat hidden.
Because the front desk told me that the gym would close at 9 PM due to COVID-19, I went to the gym around 8 PM. When I finally arrived, next to the entrance door, the closing hour was listed as 8 PM. In addition, my hotel card didn’t work, so I assumed that the hotel staff had given me the wrong information. When I returned to the front desk to discuss the issue, the staff apologized and informed me that I needed to request a single-use key to use the fitness center. Though I was not told of the information at the time of check-in, it was technically listed on the information sheet I received when I arrived at the hotel.
Make sure to read the changes the hotel made due to COVID-19.
The gym was on the smaller side but had all the modern gym equipment I needed. Right by the entrance, stacks of towels were neatly organized for guests to use. The marble flooring and the wall clock decor made the space seem as if it belonged to an upscale club.
Even the gym has some marble flooring that went great with the wall color.
On the side overlooking the downtown, two Peloton bikes and various cardio machines were neatly positioned.
All the cardio and strength training equipment was brand new.
On the opposite side, there were dumbbells and other modern workout equipment.
It would’ve been great if there was another bench for lifters.
I wish there were additional benches, but I appreciated having a Smith machine on the floor for those who like to lift.
Having a Smith machine is such a nice touch for serious lifters.
At the end of the gym, restrooms and a water fountain were available for hotel guests. Besides the gym’s awkward location, I enjoyed working out and using brand-new equipment.
Breakfast Review—Spyhouse Coffee
Due to COVID-19, there was no complimentary breakfast choice available to hotel guests. However, Spyhouse Coffee Lounge, a local Minnesotan roaster, was open from 7 AM to 1 PM on the first floor.
Spyhouse Coffee only operates from 7 AM to 1 PM so get a cup of coffee while it’s open!
Spyhouse served pastries from Black Walnut Bakery, and I ordered a small cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant. Both items were good, had the pastry been warmed up, it would’ve been divine.
The croissant from Black Walnut Bakery was buttery and flakey.
Summary
Overall, my stay at the Emery Hotel, Autograph Collection, was an aesthetically refreshing and pleasing experience. The lobby was blooming with natural plants, and the combination of marble and wood worked stunningly well. The wood furniture in the lobby continued in the room, making the room warmer and more mature. The bathroom was devoid of natural design characteristics but featured a rainfall-style shower. It was inconvenient to use the gym because of the single-use key, but all the equipment in the fitness center, including the Smith machine and Peloton bikes, were brand new. The lack of complimentary breakfast for Elite members is disappointing, but Spyhouse Coffee serves seriously good coffee if you are a coffee enthusiast. If you are looking for a beautifully designed hotel in downtown Minneapolis, I strongly recommend the Emery Hotel for your next stay. Have you stayed at the Emery Hotel before? How was your experience? Leave a comment below to share with the PointsMiler community!
