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St Paul area accommodations

glenfiddich

TravelsWithBarley.com
Every time I've visited MN/WI in summer the hummugity has been pretty high. I can sweat, but Barley can't, so I'm looking for a hotel as a backup plan just in case I need to get him into AC. At the RA in Chippewa Falls we spent much of the night soaking in the river. I realize reviews are entirely subjective, and if someone has an ax to grind they can easily make a property look bad, but it seems the hotels near the fairgrounds are either $$$ or have multiple unfavorable reviews. The Super 8 in Roseville is a case in point. Some praise it, others mention "filth" and "teenagers checking out the cars in the lot at night." However, there are several reasonable hotels 20-30 miles from the fairgrounds (Burnsville, Stillwater, etc) with excellent reviews.

Let's say I was going to stay in one of those towns. Bearing in mind that I come from a town of 3500 and we have Rush Minute, not Rush Hour, which of those two communities would give us the least stressful non-peak transit?

Or can you locals recommend a closer place where I wouldn't have to worry about the rig being tampered with, was reasonably close to greenery where Barley could be walked/pooped etc, and was less than $100 per night. Barley is a registered service dog so pet-friendly is not critical, though for a few reasons I prefer that for our accommodations.

Pete

 
I'm going to recommend avoiding anything "south of the river" (Burnsville, Lakeville, Savage, Shakopee, Apple Valley, Eagan). Crossing the river into central MSP is tough for folks who live there, much less tourists going back and forth.

Look for Falcon Heights, Roseville, Silver Lake, Maplewood, Arden Hills to be far more convenient to the fairgrounds and have a lot less traffic foolishment to deal with.

Sorry, I don't have any specific recommendations because when I lived there, I didn't need hotels for some reason:scratch.
 
I hope that we get good weather for the rally. Often we have warm days and cool nights. Here is a hotel that has not been on the list yet.
RAMADA PLAZA MINNEAPOLIS
1330 Industrial Blvd, I-35W and Exit 22, Minneapolis, MN 55413 US Not too far away, take Larpenteur Ave West to Industrial Blvd go north a few blocks and you are there. seems that the best rate is $121 a night. Not quite meeting your criteria but that is my best suggestion.

Steve Handeland
 
I hope that we get good weather for the rally. Often we have warm days and cool nights. Here is a hotel that has not been on the list yet.
RAMADA PLAZA MINNEAPOLIS
1330 Industrial Blvd, I-35W and Exit 22, Minneapolis, MN 55413 US Not too far away, take Larpenteur Ave West to Industrial Blvd go north a few blocks and you are there. seems that the best rate is $121 a night. Not quite meeting your criteria but that is my best suggestion.

Steve Handeland

That's a decent place, it's been remodeled within the last few years, too.

I would also concur with arthurdent to stay north of the river. Stillwater would be a neat place to stay, it's "touristy", but since I don't come into town from that direction, I'm not sure what traffic would be like, but it is a straight shot on highway 36.

In my neck of the woods (Coon Rapids/Blaine/Fridley) there are places like Americinn's and Holiday Inn Express, etc. You're probably looking at maybe 10 to 15 miles away at most, and traffic would be so-so if you stayed away from the typical rush hour times to head to the rally.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I'm really hoping the evenings are cool this time, but need to be prepared just in case. If the dog ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!
 
At Rush Hour times traffic to and from Stillwater will be bad. In the morning it will be worst heading to the rally and then worst heading back to the hotel. After 7 p.m. or so riding back to Stillwater would not so bad. By 8 p.m. it would be a nice ride. Lots of people live out there and work in the city proper.
Steve
 
Be willing to function on rally time rather than commuter time and Stillwater has a great deal to recommend it.

Unfortunately Lilydale, the gem of the upper Mississippi does not have any hotel rooms but just a bit south and Eagan along 35E from Cliff Rd north should not be overlooked. Several of the accommodations are in the mid price rage and well maintained. The trip to the fair grounds is not bad. 35E north to exit 104B - Ayd Mill Road. This is a little four lane with a 45mph speed limit that will take you to Snelling at Selby. A right turn and a couple of miles and you are there. Time wise actually not bad.

South St Paul, Burnsville, Lakeville, Savage are not commute to the rally friendly even on rally time.

Where ever you stay you have the potential for traffic. It is an urban rally after all.
 
Be willing to function on rally time rather than commuter time and Stillwater has a great deal to recommend it.

Unfortunately Lilydale, the gem of the upper Mississippi does not have any hotel rooms but just a bit south and Eagan along 35E from Cliff Rd north should not be overlooked. Several of the accommodations are in the mid price rage and well maintained. The trip to the fair grounds is not bad. 35E north to exit 104B - Ayd Mill Road. This is a little four lane with a 45mph speed limit that will take you to Snelling at Selby. A right turn and a couple of miles and you are there. Time wise actually not bad.

South St Paul, Burnsville, Lakeville, Savage are not commute to the rally friendly even on rally time.

Where ever you stay you have the potential for traffic. It is an urban rally after all.

I agree....in Eagan, you hope on 35E N and exit Ayd Mill Road (I think it was nicknamed, the Forgotten Freeway....take it to the end, make a right, and then a right on Snelling. Pass the main Fairgrounds entrance,and enter on Hoyt. (left).
Also there's a Holiday Inn express in Roseville, $110 Mention BMW - Accept service animals.

We agree....reviews are not always accurate. I recently stayed in a KOA that got terrible reviews, and it's great!!!
 
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/trafficinfo/traffic.html

Decide for yourself by looking at the MNDOT site during the times you think you will go back and forth.

Traffic is part of the nature of urban settings and this is an urban rally. The best suggestion I can give anyone is work on "Rally Time". Unless you have a scheduled volunteer shift, remember you are not going to work you are going to the rally. The Twin Cities have the normal commuter issues and rush hours. Have a nice leisurely breakfast in a nice restaurant and ride on in after the morning peak. Stay and enjoy the evening at the rally and ride back to your hotel after rush hour.
 
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/trafficinfo/traffic.html

Decide for yourself by looking at the MNDOT site during the times you think you will go back and forth.

Traffic is part of the nature of urban settings and this is an urban rally. The best suggestion I can give anyone is work on "Rally Time". Unless you have a scheduled volunteer shift, remember you are not going to work you are going to the rally. The Twin Cities have the normal commuter issues and rush hours. Have a nice leisurely breakfast in a nice restaurant and ride on in after the morning peak. Stay and enjoy the evening at the rally and ride back to your hotel after rush hour.

:thumb
 
St. Paul Area Accomodations

Sir:
You are more than welcome to stay at my house (your dog will be most welcome). I live in Lakeland, MN, just south of Stillwater, about 18 miles from the Fairgrounds. Excellent A/C here. Cost = whatever you wish to donate.

Dave Long
wavid@comcast.net
612-366-7460
 
Hotel availability -Important******

Just a heads up, the Holiday Inn Express still has availability that will soon be released. It's a nice property, and only 3-1/2 miles from the Rally Grounds... The rate is $110.00. They have singles and doubles, that they will be releasing soon.

>>Rooms can be reserved by calling 800.451.7258 or 651.636.5800, and asking for rooms in the BMW MOA Rally Block.<<<


We are also working on having one shuttle from several motels in that neighborhood to the rally grounds at 5:45 and returning to the hotels approx. 11:00 PM (TBD) You can leave the bikes parked and enjoy the evening entertainment:dance:dance and be dropped off back at your hotel....:drink
 
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