I've stayed in a number of higher end hotels in Minneapolis, others would include Graves 601, Foshay Tower, and Hyatt Regency.

The room at the Radisson was comfortable, with a nice bed, and decent sized TV. Compared to Graves and Foshay the room did lack personality; no unique features, no unusual furniture or decor, no mini bar, and the view from the 14th floor was essentially obscured by the Marriott hotel across the street. In each of the other hotels I had a far more impressive view.

Housekeeping forgot to replace robes in the room on one occasion but was otherwise decent. At the time I stayed the Internet was very unreliable, although unusually for hotels in this category the Internet was free. Frankly though, I'd rather have paid for it and had something more reliable. As it happened, I had to complain about it three times, and incur overages on my cell phone data plan.

But despite these niggles, the hotel really is excellent. The final gripe is kind of a double edged sword. In other hotels I've stayed in this part of the city valet parking can cost $30 a night easily. Plus tip. Valet is cheaper here, but there is a very convenient and much cheaper self park option. You literally drive right under the hotel and take an elevator to the lobby. So on the up side, you can save money. On the down side, it can be hard to find a valet if you actually want to use that service. So I guess if you are a fan of the self park, this isn't an issue. If you're a fan of valet, you might have to wait around a little, or go inside and find the concierge person.

All that said there is a massive upside to this hotel. The location is fabulous. So many things to see and do right within walking distance, and great public transport availability too. I can't even count the number of shopping and dining options within walking distance of this hotel. And despite a very central location I did not have any issues with traffic or noise during my stay.

The staff I interacted with were polite and courteous, professional and attentive. They even put free bottled water in the room each day and didn't pull the drink me for $5 scam of so many hotels.

Finally there's the restaurant and bar right off from the lobby. It's called Fire Place and it may be some of the best hotel food I've eaten all year! I really could not believe I was eating in a hotel, because this restaurant could surely stand alone. A decent selection of American food options, well prepared and not outrageously priced. Even a specials menu of seasonal items. Despite the vast array of other nearby eating options, I found myself staying in the hotel more often than not to eat here. And I believe that this restaurant is also responsible for room service. So if you're too lazy to take the elevator to the restaurant, you can have the same excellent food come to you.

So overall a few minor annoyances and a slightly boring view and room. But all this more than compensated by attentive service, an excellent restaurant, and no feeling of being ripped off. When you stay in a nice hotel, pay a decent price for the room, it's a bit of a slap in the face to spend close to $50 a night for Internet and parking as is often the case with similar hotels in this area.

I would certainly recommend this hotel to any traveller who needs a convenient central location and good value.