I make annual visits to the University of Minnesota and this was my sixth visit to Wales House. As ever, the stay was a pleasure from beginning to end.

Kelly and Julie are fantastic hosts: they are very willing to chat and to give advice about local attractions but are never intrusive. This time my family visited with me and they had plenty of suggestions for places for my wife and daughter to go while I was working - including giving exact bus and walking directions.

The house was full when we visited - although there are parking spaces at the back of the house if these are full the on-street parking is free. You don't really need a car for most of your stay as plenty of bus routes stop within a couple of blocks of the building. The University is a short walk as are all of the restaurants, bars and shops of Dinkytown (Al's Breakfast is a must-visit: it's worth the queue).

The B&B is more geared up to longer visits and academic visitors: there is an academic feel to it and the communal areas feel much like university common rooms. However I am sure everyone would feel welcomed, and I heartily recommend staying here.

My husband and I travel frequently for pleasure and are quite selective about where we stay. Upon visiting our daughter, a student at UMN, she sought out places near her 'cozy' apt. so our comfort would be assured. Kelly, the owner of Wales House, was exceptionally forthright in allowing her to see the spaces and answer very precise questions. We could not have been happier with her decision to choose this wonderful home. From the surprise of air-conditioning which was actually cooler in the sleeping rooms upstairs to the comfortable feeling you get immediately from his wife, Julie, who gave us our keys and initial information, our experience in this residence became one of the features of our visit. We felt the warmth this family has poured into the restoration of this historic structure. See our pics below, and treat yourself to the space outside the 'box'. Join those who dare to be different wherever you travel, but stay at Wales House if you're in Minneapolis!

We enjoyed the understated catering to us by Kelly, the peace and quiet, warm atmosphere, and the tips for bicycling trails. Great location for access to the U and to Minneapolis downtown. Definitely want to return.

This was a cross country trip to drop the kids in Boulder and we decided to make a swing north to visit friends of my daughter who moved there last year. When I made the reservation I did not realize that Wales House was right across the street from where these friends lived which made it VERY convenient ! The area has a lot of student housing so I guess it can get a bit noisy at night but this was not an issue .
Wales House is wonderful accommodation. I think many of the guests are there connected with the University in some manner and some stay on a longer term basis. The owners have a very thorough book they leave in one's room explaining house policies and history of the house. The house itself is very elegant and the common rooms are comfortable and inviting . There is a very spacious kitchen in the basement where one can prepare meals if you wish and one is given a shelf in a frig to use and a large cupboard to store food. There is a room with a TV down there and a large table to have coffee in the morning and read the morning papers that are left for guests. The table has a glass top and underneath it is covered with postcards and paper money from the different countries guests are from.
The bedrooms are on the second floor and while I can only report on my own, I am sure they are all as delightful as mine was ( rm 21) The bed was very comfortable, the sheets soft. The furnishings are old but in good condition and add to the old fashioned ambiance of the place. There was ample closet space, ample lighting and a comfortable chair to sit and read in. The bathroom was very spacious and had good storage space too. The only negative was the shower head was so low that I had to duck down to rinse shampoo off my head and I am only 5'5". But the water pressure is strong and the water was hot.
There are two things one should know though about Wales House so there are no surprises and so you don't leave undeserved negative reviews !!!
One- you must remove your shoes upon entering the house and leave them at the front door. I did not find this a problem and I think that if one was very squeamish about walking barefoot or in stocking feet that you could talk to Kelly about keeping a pr of slippers or something at the door to put on after taking off outside shoes- but don't quote me :-)
Two- Breakfast provided consists of coffee and hot water for tea, a limited selection of dry cereal and some bread . But , if one wants a big breakfast, one can bring in food and leave it in the kitchen or go out to one of the fantastic places near by. The lack of a prepared breakfast did not in any way detract from how lovely Wales House is or how friendly and helpful Kelly -one of the owners- is !
I enjoyed my stay very much and would definitely return!