Inn-Town Stay: The Elliot Park Hotel
Photo by Ryan Patchin
A proper getaway doesn’t always have to involve putting many miles between you and your home. Sometimes, all you need is a neat space with different windows to look out. A chance to look at your city from a new angle—at different altitude.
For me personally, I needed a place where I could hunker down and start compiling Lavender’s annual Pride Edition—a (wonderful) behemoth of a task. I sought a comfortable workspace; I needed solitude. And food.
The Elliot delivered.
Hit 5th street if you’re coming from the south on 35W–and you’re already there. It’s named for the neighborhood it sits in, and the highway off-ramp leads you to straight the front entrance of the newly constructed (2018) property. The Elliot offers both uncovered and secured, underground parking, for a reasonable, daily rate.
I parked and made the short trip into the hotel’s lobby. Tall ceilings; a grand staircase; fine finishes; and the bar/restaurant carry you toward the check-in desk. I was introduced to Elizabeth, whose kindness and attentiveness set the tone of omni-present regard.
I was invited to experience the hygge (Danish and Norwegian word describing a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment) life, a theme I’ve seen carried throughout other Autograph Collection properties—and well executed at this one.
In a prior stay, I checked into a single suite for a night’s stay. This trip, I was booked in a corner suite—for a two-day work-a-thon.
I settled into my third-floor suite and immediately fell in love with the lack of clutter. Unlike many over-furnished hotel suites, this room had simple, necessary furniture and it had space. Good old, wide-open space.
Windows on Fifth.
The room is brought to life with a plentiful array of massive windows. Being a corner suite, you get the one-two punch of natural light and downtown people watching. The bathroom is beautifully simple—a wall-flush walk-in shower opposite an ultra-modern vanity. A full-size tub faces wall-sized, picture window.
After I settled in, I met with Elliot Park’s General Manager, Jordan Stokes, who took me on a tour of the property and showed me the versatility their spaces offer. A ballroom, meeting rooms—gathering spaces for any occasion. Many of the spaces can be transformed to suit the needs of guests. The Elliot offers a modern and elegant feel—without going over the top. It’d be a great place to take those photos you’ll be looking at for a lifetime.
The Elliot Park Hotel has a clean, better-than-most-hotels gym, and top-notch dining.
On my first night, I kept it simple: I headed down to Tavola, the in-house bar/restaurant, and ordered a wood-fired pizza. I chomped away on a few pieces while I took in my well-finished surroundings and perused the menu for my next day’s trip to Tavola.
Night two followed a full day of hygge-style work. I headed downstairs for my 7:00 reservation, already knowing full well what I was going to order. I had the New York Strip, cooked medium. My steak arrived on a curiously tasty bed of potatoes. Not mashed or fried—but good. I bit into a perfectly seared and accurately cooked steak, and it was worth the day I’d spent thinking about it.
I headed back upstairs for a second night in my comfortable, borrowed bed. I turned on, and immediately ignored my favorite garbage cable television show, and turned my attention to the downtown view. I fell asleep to the dampened sounds of the city—and for a second night, I slept well.
5100 Eden Ave, Suite 107 • Edina, MN 55436
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