Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis: The Best Luxury Hotel for Families

What makes the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis one of the best luxury hotels for families in the Twin Cities?

From the moment our family of 6 walked through the front doors, we were greeted like honored guests at this brand-new Twin Cities hotel.

One thing about traveling with small children is that everything is more difficult. You have to bring all kinds of extra gear with you, pack for people who can’t pack for themselves, deal with kids who are out of their routine and probably need a nap and find a way to feed the whole family away from home.

That’s why we love luxury hotels when we travel with the whole family. Convenience and comfort help us all relax a little bit more, and that’s what the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis does so well.

Whether you’re going for a weekend getaway in downtown Minneapolis, or you’re spending a week exploring the Twin Cities with kids, making the Four Seasons your home base for the duration of your visit will be the best decision you ever make.

As a mom of 4 and a seasoned travel blogger who has stayed in her share of hotels over the years, I’m going to share what really stood out to me that makes the Four Seasons Minneapolis the top choice for luxury family travel in Minnesota.

Disclosure: We were hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Rooms

We had the opportunity to stay in the River View Executive Suite. It’s a studio-style suite with a king bed, a living room setup with a sectional sofa, floor-to-ceiling windows, a full bathroom with a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, heated floors, and a pull-out sofa bed if needed.

Our room was not exactly connected to our kids’ Premier River-View Room with 2 double beds, but there was a hallway that connected the 2 rooms with the option to close and lock the door to the hallway so it felt like 1 large apartment for our family to share.

Both rooms had stunning views of the Mississippi River, and our entire family spent a lot of time standing at the windows soaking in the Minneapolis Skyline.

Premier River View Room (Four Seasons Minneapolis)

A few things to note:

There are drapes to cover the floor-to-ceiling windows that you can close with the press of a button.
The bathrooms are very spacious, and the soaking tubs are incredible.
You’ll find child-sized and adult-sized Four Season's signature robes awaiting you for maximum comfort and maximum cuteness in your photos.
Because the hotel is so new, you’ll notice that the outlets have USB port options in addition to normal outlets. You‘ll also notice that the lights have options from bright, to dim, to nightlight.
The seating area had space for our whole family, and there was a flat-screen cable tv in each room

Each room has a tablet from which you can order room service, order your vehicle from the valet, chat with the front desk without making a phone call, or have your room service cart picked up.

This was the height of luxury to me because we were able to take care of the logistics of our hotel stay without interrupting the fun and relaxation we were having as a family.

As is the tradition in Four Seasons Hotels, each room has a Nespresso machine which is so easy to use and makes the best coffee. I always bring a small bottle of creamer from home when we road trip, but I was delighted to find small creamer cups in the drawer beneath the espresso machine.

There was so much space to relax and spread out, so if you’re like us and have a bigger family, both the River-View Executive Suite and the Premier River-View Room will provide the square footage you need for a comfortable stay (794 sq. ft. and 615 sq. ft. respectively)

Location Overlooking the Mississippi River in the Heart of Downtown Minneapolis

Whether you’re flying or driving into the Twin Cities, Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis has the perfect location to base your stay.

The distance from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to the Four Seasons is a mere 20 minutes, and the hotel is within walking distance of Nicollet Mall, the Mississippi River, and the iconic Stone Arch Bridge.

The hotel is also connected to the city’s 7-mile skyway system, so you have indoor access to countless restaurants, the Target Center, the flagship Target store, shopping, and more!

This is the perfect solution for families looking to burn off some of their kids’ energy when the weather outside is cold or rainy.

If you have a car with you, you’re within driving distance of popular points of interest like the Mall of America, TCF Bank Stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, the Guthrie Theater, the Minneapolis Convention Center, the capitol building in St. Paul, and tons more.

Best Family-Friendly Amenities

Room Service

What’s more kid-friendly than staying in your pajamas for breakfast? We loved the room service option at the Four Seasons Minneapolis, and made use of it for both mornings of our stay.

They have delicious kid-size Belgian waffles, eggs cooked your way, pastries, toast, and cereal!

I’m always a fan of coffee with a view, so sipping my room service coffee while taking in the Mississippi River vistas was one of the top moments of our visit.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to go anywhere for lunch or dinner, either. We ordered chicken tenders for the kids and Margherita pizza for the grown-ups for dinner from the room service menu.

On-Site Restaurant Options

If you’re going stir-crazy and want to leave the room, there are options for that, too! Several on-site dining options will help add some variety to your day.

Mara is a Mediterranean restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel, adjacent to the lobby. The decor is stunning, and we learned during our stay that the cylindrical details behind the bar are reminiscent of the flour storage containers used in flour milling, something Minneapolis is known for.

As with many of the details in the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, the decor and design reflect the community, which is something the property is very intentional about.

Though there is not a kid’s menu for this restaurant, there are plenty of options that I think kids would still enjoy.

Riva Terrace

At the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, they call the fourth floor the “Fun Floor” for a reason! Not only is it where both the indoor and outdoor pool are located, but you can also find the Riva Terrace for some Italian food and beverages year-round.

The ground has a snow melt system, and there are outdoor heaters to make it a pleasant experience to dine al fresco even in winter.

I always prefer dining outdoors with my kids, because it doesn’t feel quite as stressful if they are loud or just behaving as kids do.

This is the perfect place to grab some appetizers or dessert with drinks as a family.

Socca Café

If you’re planning to be out and about exploring the city, be sure to stop at Socca Café on your way out for coffee and a pastry.

The cafe is accessible from Hennepin Ave and is more of a casual ‘grab-and-go’ option.

Aside from pastries, you can also find salads, sandwiches, and bowls for a healthy and easy lunch option.

Indoor Pool and Hot Tub

Back to the “Fun Floor”! Since it’s chilly in Minnesota for the majority of the year, you can still enjoy a swim in the indoor pool.

We loved the floor-to-ceiling windows so we could still enjoy views of the city while splashing around with our kids.

There are lots of lounge chairs if your kids are independent enough to swim by themselves, but since we still have a toddler, we did not make much use of those.

There’s also a spacious hot tub, luxurious changing rooms with another hot tub inside, plus a snack pantry where you can grab fruit, water, or crackers for the kids.

They thought of everything when it came to their indoor pool!

Outdoor Pool

We visited on the first weekend of October, and believe it or not, it was almost warm enough for us to use the outdoor pool!

The sun was shining and the temperature hit 70, so we had to at least try a dip in the outdoor pool.

It’s a resort-style pool with lounge chairs lining the outside with stunning views of the Minneapolis skyline.

You better believe other hotel guests were making use of the hot tub in this amazing weather! There's also poolside food and beverage service, so on a warm summer day this would be the place to spend an afternoon.

Fitness Center

The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness center for guests to make use of. They have every kind of workout equipment, including TRX and Peloton equipment, so you'll find something in there no matter what type of workout you’re used to doing.

Because our stay was so brief, and because we had 4 children with us, we, unfortunately, didn’t get to use the fitness centre this time around. But I love a good lifting session, so maybe next time!

Free Wi-Fi

Like most luxury hotels these days, the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis does offer free wifi. As someone who uses the internet for work, this is extremely important to me.

I never had an issue with internet connectivity and was able to take care of emails, blog posts, and research online after the kids went to bed.

We even noticed that there is an option to stream TV shows or movies from your phone or device to the TV. So we were able to open up one of our streaming apps and play the kids’ favorite show when there was nothing they liked on the cable channels.

Parking

There is valet parking available for an extra charge per night. As I mentioned above, it was easy to schedule valet pickup through the Four Seasons app on the in-room tablet.

Our Family’s 5 Favorite Things about the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis

Ok, so now that we’ve covered all of the technical aspects and amenities of this gorgeous, luxury Midwest hotel, I want to share our family’s personal take on what we loved.

As a travel content creation family, we get the chance to stay in many different hotels of all budget levels, and we usually find something to enjoy about each of them. But after a while, a hotel just becomes a hotel.

That means when we stay somewhere truly unique, and we can’t stop talking about it for weeks on end, there must be something special about it!

So here’s what we loved about the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis:

The heated bathroom floors. I think only the suites have this feature, but as someone who lives in a cold climate with constantly cold feet, this was life-changing. I spent so much time in that bathroom just sipping my coffee and enjoying the view with warm feet. The kids were loving it, too, especially after we got back from swimming. It’s the perfect spot to warm up!
The snack bar by the indoor pool was such a thoughtful touch. The kids were so happy to grab a snack after expending all of their energy splashing in the pool, and as a parent, I’ll add that it made the transition from swimming to going back to the room seamless. There was no complaining because they were so excited to get a snack!
The “Imagine” sculpture in the lobby was fascinating. The kids marveled at how the top block looked like it was about to fall down but never did. I also love the message behind it, that any big undertaking starts with imagination. It’s a sentiment we often share with our kids, but I think it’s so important for adults to keep in mind, too! My entire family travel “A Mom Explores” brand, the Four Seasons Hotels, and every business or product you see when you’re out and about - none of it would exist without the seed of imagination in someone’s mind.
Free lobby coffee. It’s a small touch, but a thoughtful one. While it’s nice to have that luxurious cup of coffee from your in-room Nespresso, there are also situations where you have to be out and about early. And as parents of little ones, we can always use that extra jolt of caffeine on the go.
The views. I cannot overstate how amazing it was to overlook the city and the Mississippi River with floor-to-ceiling windows. That’s something that anyone of any age can enjoy, and why we enjoyed our coffee and most of our meals from our room. Why go anywhere else when we can take in the sunrise or sunset right from the comfort of our room?

As you can probably tell, our family of 6 had the best time spending a weekend at the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. From the spacious guest rooms to the location near city center, almost every detail made it the perfect stay for families.

The public areas were decorated for the season, the staff was incredibly friendly, and the way the hotel looks to reflect and embody the spirit of the Minneapolis community were all details that made us fall more and more in love with this property.

We are so thankful to be hosted by them, and will hopefully get a chance to go back and enjoy more of the city and more features of the hotel someday.

Next time you plan a getaway to the Twin Cities with kids, check out the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. It's one of the best hotels we've stayed at, and you will not be disappointed.