What to expect: With convenient enclosed-skywalk access to the convention center and most downtown attractions, the Grand Hotel Minneapolis attracts guests seeking classic ambience and boutique-style amenities. The 58,000-square-foot Minneapolis Life Time Athletic Club is practically a destination unto itself. The lobby features a soaring atrium.

Amenity highlights: The Minneapolis Life Time Athletic Club, with 58,000 square feet of fitness space, is complimentary to hotel guests. An indoor lap pool, running track, racquetball and basketball courts, fitness classes, and myriad fitness equipment are provided, as are a sauna and eucalyptus steam room. Spa treatments (surcharges) are available in the LifeSpa Salon and Spa. Wireless Internet access is complimentary throughout the hotel.

Insider tip: Eight blocks from the hotel, the Minneapolis Warehouse District is the hub for numerous restaurants, bars, live music clubs, theaters, galleries, and other attractions.

What to expect: Business travelers and style mavens in town for theater, shopping, or dining are drawn to this hotel, a union of contemporary design and current technology. Low leather sofas are scattered through the lobby-adjacent bar, and Grecian marble floors and Indonesian paldao-wood walls are featured throughout. Electronic music is piped softly into public areas and lighting is low. Separate banks of elevators serve the public areas and guestrooms.

Amenity highlights: Graves 601 Hotel's 24-hour business center has two computer stations and fax and copy machines. The roomy fitness center offers treadmills, stairclimbers, and a flat-screen TV. Massages, facials, and other spa services are available at the hotel. Amenities also include a concierge desk and translation services.