What to expect: Hyatt Place Minneapolis/Eden Prairie is 10 miles from downtown Minneapolis and 12 miles from the Mall of America. Contemporary in both feel and function, it offers an open, free-flowing area where guests can mingle and order food and drink selections 24 hours a day.

Amenity highlights: Guests enjoy complimentary parking and complimentary newspapers. The fitness center offers cardio equipment with television monitors.

Insider tip: Eight miles away, Southdale Center is the first fully enclosed shopping mall in the United States. First opened in 1956, the mall now houses 130 retail stores and restaurants, including Marshall Field's, J. Crew, the Apple Store, and the Cheesecake Factory.