New Year’s Eve at Minneapolis Marriott Northwest

What are you doing New Years Eve? At the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, we’re planning a night of delicious food, live music, and a midnight balloon drop. Come over with friends and family and ring in the New Year with us! We have two available dinner seatings, one at 6:30PM and another at 9:00PM. Whether you want to enjoy the live jazz in the Great Room starting at 6:30 or get concert tickets for the Boogie Wonderland concert in the Northland Ballroom that begins at 9:00, the evening is full of entertainment.

If when the night comes to a close at 1:00 AM you think you’d like to spend the night, which we highly recommend that you do (no driving!), we have a variety of packages for you to choose from.

The 70’s Disco Celebration $184

Guest Suite

Two Boogie Tickets

Four Drink Tickets

The Grand NYE Celebration $249

Guest Suite

Dinner for two in Wadsworth/Great Room

Two Drink Tickets

Champagne Toast

New Years Day Breakfast Buffet

The Ultimate NYE Celebration $299

Guest Suite

Dinner for two in Wadsworth/Great Room

Four Drink Tickets

Champagne Toast

New Years Day Breakfast Buffet

Two Boogie Tickets

We also have ala carte pricing, as listed below:

Suites beginning at $149

5 Course Dinner $66 prix fixe

New Years Day Breakfast Buffet $16

Boogie Wonderland Tickets $35 in advance, $45 at the door

Advance purchase Boogie Wonderland Tickets available here $35

Reservations for dinner can be made through the restaurant at 763.536.3337. Room reservations and package purchasing is done through the front desk at 763.536.8300 or at our website at www.minneapolismarriottnw.com .

Christmas Day Brunch at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest

Do you have family in town over Christmas? If you’re already going to be cooking up a storm for Christmas Eve, let us take care of Christmas Day. Join the Marriott Minneapolis Northwest for a festive and delicious Christmas Day Brunch. All of the flavors and dishes you hope for in a brunch, along with many of our most popular entrées and holiday desserts. Come join us for some quality time with the family and leave the cooking to us. Our buffet features a wide variety of hot entrées, cold dishes, desserts, and kids’ options, including (but not limited to!):

Mixed greens, Caesar, Waldorf, or Sliced Tomato and Mozzarella Salads

A shrimp and crab claw display

Make your own omelet station

Make your own waffle station

Sugar baked ham with white raisin sauce

Turkey medallions with smoky wild mushroom cream sauce

Pork medallions with lingonberry demi

Macadamia nut crusted walleye with fruit salsa

Pumpkin and pecan pie

Yule Log

Assorted Christmas candy and cookies

Kids buffet: Fruit Cups, Mac & Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, Chicken Fingers, Fries, Assorted Candy and Cookies, Assorted Milk

Christmas Day Brunch is $36 for adults, $9 for children 15 and under. To make a reservation, please call us at 763.536.8300.

Ring in 2013 with Minneapolis Marriott Northwest and Boogie Wonderland

Your New Year’s Eve just got funky. The Minneapolis Marriott Northwest is celebrating our $24 million makeover of our all-suite hotel by hosting the biggest bash in town.

Join us to ring in 2013 with Boogie Wonderland–the Midwest’s premier  disco tribute band. This six piece group plays 70’s music with plenty of funk. The Twin Cities-based legend has a reputation for fun, high-energy shows. We’re thrilled to have them in the house for a night of music and celebration. Reserve your tickets for Boogie Wonderland: $35 in advance, $45 day of show.

But the night’s not just about the music. Wadsworth will host an elegant five-course dinner, featuring a fried calamari appetizer with chili aioli; spinach salad with orange cranberry and candied walnuts and a raspberry poppy seed vinaigrette; Nebraska Hereford tenderloin or pan seared halibut; butter roasted potatoes with truffles and braised fennel; and for dessert a gold leafed chocolate truffle with zabaione cream center, chocolate gelato, and caramelized hazelnuts. $66 prix fixe.

There will be live jazz in the great room, cocktails, a champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight, and a festive and fun vibe everywhere. We hope you’ll come out for the evening, and when it’s over, take the elevator home and stay the night in one of our spacious and newly-renovated suites. We’ll have a breakfast buffet in the morning to get your day–and your year–started right.

Packages for the evening include:

Boogie Wonderland tickets–$35 per person (advance)

The 70s Disco Celebration–$174 per couple

• Guest Suite
• 2 Boogie Wonderland Tickets
• 4 drink tickets

The Grand NYE Celebration–$249 per couple

• Guest Suite
• Dinner for two in Wadsworth/Great Room
• 2 drink tickets
• Champagne Toast
• New Year’s Day Breakfast Buffet

The Ultimate NYE Celebration–$299 per couple

• Guest Suite
• Dinner for two in Wadsworth/Great Room
• 2 Boogie Wonderland Tickets
• 4 drink tickets
• Champagne Toast
• New Year’s Day Breakfast Buffet

Boogie Wonderland tickets can be purchased here. For more information or to book any of the dining and suite packages, go to www.minneapolismarriottnw.com and choose January 31 as your check-in day.

Safe Winter Travel Tips

Over the river and through the woods, everyone! The next few months will undoubtedly put all of us on the road and in the air, en route to our loved ones for celebrations. It’d be nice if those celebrations *didn’t* occur during some of the most difficult weather months, but since November and December have a pretty permanent lock on the holidays, all we can do is be prepared, be flexible, and be ready with a Plan B when the weather throws a curve ball.

Travel by Car

Prepare.  Make sure that your car is in good condition and you know your route; pack enough water and snacks; and schedule rest stops to refuel, use the bathroom and stretch your legs.  Make sure you have jumper cables, a shovel, a flare or a flashing light, an ice scraper and a cell phone along with its charger.

Thanksgiving with the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest

This Thanksgiving, take the stress and worry out of your holiday. Join the Marriott Minneapolis Northwest for an elegant meal complete with all the traditional flavors, and a few delightful surprises. Relax, enjoy your loved ones, and let us prepare your holiday feast. Our Thanksgiving buffet features:

Chef Carved Roast Tom Turkey

New York Strip Loin

Grilled Salmon

Pork Loin

Omelets prepared to order

Waffles

Scrambled Eggs

Apple Wood Smoked Bacon

Sausage

Au-Gratin Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce

Sage Stuffing

Roasted Brussels Spouts

Green Bean Casserole

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Tossed Greens

Cranberry Waldorf and Broccoli Walnut Salad

Fresh Fruits

Assortment of Cheeses

Shrimp and Crab Cocktail

Pumpkin Pie

Turtle Cheesecake

Pecan Pie

Chocolate Cake

Selection of Mousses

Petit Fours

Mini Cheesecake

Kids Buffet including, Fruit Cups, Scrambled Eggs, Mac and Cheese, McDonald’s Cheese Burgers, Chicken Fingers, French Fries, Cookies, Assortment of  Candy
$36 for adults, $9 for children 15 and under. For reservations, please call 763.536.8300.

Unveiled: The Ultimate Wedding Planning Event

photocredit: walcoo

This Sunday, November 11, we’ll be at UNVEILED: The Ultimate Wedding Planning Event at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Over 100 other wedding experts will be on hand to help you plan your perfect day. While you’re there, check out the latest trends in  flowers, decor, fashion, and entertainment, and award-winning designs from New York Fashion Week and TrendSpot Fashion Show. The Minneapolis Marriott Northwest wedding staff is committed to  making your wedding unique, personalized, and effortless. Whether you’re planning a reception, a rehearsal dinner, or want a venue where your guests can enjoy all-suite accommodations, please find our booth this weekend at UNVEILED and let us help create your perfect wedding.

Planning a Holiday Trip to the Twin Cities

For some people, holiday shopping is like a treasure hunt—it’s a challenge to find that perfect gift that will make a loved one’s eyes light up.  They love to think and mull over and brainstorm and window shop until—aha!—they pinpoint the ideal gift.  For others, it’s a “must do” and they want to simply buy those presents and be done already.  Whatever your shopping style, you can turn holiday shopping into a special occasion by combining shopping with other holiday activities in the northwest Twin Cities.

The Minneapolis Marriott Northwest is located near two premier shopping hubs that have the added bonus of a plethora of diverse dining options.

Great Shopping

Arbor Lakes.  Head three miles west to the Arbor Lakes area for tons of great stores, such as Anthropologie, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Talbots, Teavana, Nordstrom Rack, Main Street Chocolates, Gymboree and The Gap—and those are just the beginning.  There are stores of all types, from home furnishings to clothing for women, men and children; electronics; arts and crafts—you name it.  It’s also a great place to shop because the area itself is modern but has character and a “downtown” atmosphere as you walk from store to store.  Dining options include Mexican, Italian, steak houses, Japanese, barbecue and fast food.

The Shops at West End.  Head south down 169 and then go east on 394—it’s 11 miles to the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park.  Stores here include Lululemon, Creative Kidstuff, Hot Mama, Republic of Couture, Charming Charlie, Primp and Parmida Home.  Restaurants like Toby Keith’s, Crave, Rojo and Figlio are great places to refuel.

Seasonal Activities

It’s the Holidazzle parade’s twentieth season.  From Nov. 25 to Dec. 18, Thursdays through Sundays at 6:30 pm, bundle up and head downtown (13 miles).  Arrive early for some shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth, Neiman Marcus (before it closes in July of 2013) and Macy’s.  There are dozens of great places to eat after the parade, from fondue at the Melting Pot to steaks at Murrays or teppanyaki at Ichiban.

The Twin Cities is a great place for the theater and music, and every place in town puts on its holiday best this time of year. From the perennial favorites like A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie and Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy at the new Cowles Center; kid classics like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Children’s Theatre and Elf, the Broadway Musical at the Ordway; and irreverent independent shows like David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries by Frank Theater and Miss Richfield 1981 at Illusion Theater.

And of course, you can always head back here to the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. We’ll welcome you with warm hospitality and a fantastic new menu at Wadsworth, and get you checked into your spacious renovated suite for a night of relaxation.  And then you can head back out the next day refreshed and ready to finish off that shopping list.

There are tons of ways to blend fun, good food, a festive show, and your holiday shopping.  You get the joy of finding those “just right” gifts while sneaking in a little fun for yourself at the same time.  Perfect.

Minneapolis Marriott Northwest will be at the Perfect Wedding Show

flowers: Jenny Burtt Florist

Planning a wedding? Need some great ideas? We’ll meet you at the Perfect Wedding Show this Sunday, October 28, 2012 at Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center.  Learn more about the Minneapolis Marriott NW venue, our Fairytale Wedding Package, and everything we have to offer you for your perfect day. Dozens of other vendors will have everything else you need for your wedding. Buy your tickets to the show here to take advantage of the buy-one-get-one free special.  We hope to see you there!

Planning Your Perfect Holiday Themed Wedding

Every year when we decorate our Christmas tree, I fondly hang my ornaments and admire those that symbolize important eras or life memories.  Gold car keys from the year I turned 16.  A glittering ring from the year my husband proposed.  A green ornament from the year my sister got married.  Her Christmastime wedding was beautiful, sparkly, magical—and thankfully blizzard free.

There are many ways to make your wedding special and personal. Here are some wedding planning tips especially for those couples whose weddings fall near a holiday.

Halloween cake toppers. Photo credit: EmbracingChaos

Halloween Weddings

I’ve heard of brides who are huge Halloween fans having costume parties for their wedding.  If this fits you, great–go goth!  If not, you can always go subtle.  For example, you could choose nontraditional colors for the bride’s dress and groom’s tux.  Or the bride could wear a sash of a different color or accent her gown with some antique jewelry or a unique veil.

Rather than traditional flowers, you could use pumpkins, gourds, colored “Indian” corncobs, crab apples, even bundles of grain; orange and white candles and strands of Halloween lights for décor.

You could have a special punch served out of a cauldron or bundles of Halloween candies for favors.  Have the deejay play a few Halloween songs, such as the “Ghostbusters” theme, “Thriller” and “Monster Mash.”

Christmas wedding favor. Photo credit: Brides

Christmas Weddings

One nice thing about a Christmas wedding is that if you have the ceremony at a church it will already be decorated for the holidays.  For color palettes you could go with red and green, but also combos such as blue and silver or white and silver.  For decorations you co  uld incorporate snowflakes, poinsettias, holly, red cranberries, pine boughs or twinkling white Christmas lights.  Incorporating holiday beverages can be a nice touch—think eggnog, spiced wine and hot chocolate.

One cute idea I saw online is to provide props for fun photos of guests, who can try on Santa or elf hats, reindeer antlers or candy cane hair bands.

You can have favors of Christmas ornaments or bunches of Christmas candy canes or chocolate peppermint truffles.

If your wedding day falls near a holiday, you can go in fully and embrace the theme or add subtle touches.  It’s your special day, and you can choose to incorporate holiday themes as much or as little as suits you. At Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, one of the top wedding venues in the Twin Cities, our team will work with you to take your vision to the next level and help you create your perfect holiday wedding.

Meet our Minneapolis Marriott Northwest Meeting Planners

While hosting a large event can at first feel stressful, the top-notch staff at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest makes it as easy on you as possible.  From the facility’s beautiful, newly renovated décor to its premier chef, people who’ve hosted conferences, galas, reunions or weddings can’t believe how wonderful their event turns out.  The meeting planners are warm and personable yet detail oriented—absolute experts.

Lisa Medici, senior event planner

Lisa loves to collect all of the details and see an event come together successfully as planned.  Whether she’s working with the chef on a specific menu request, talking to the audio/visual expert or asking advice about implementing a creative décor concept, she gets great satisfaction out of her job.

“Thanks to our new renovation we have an excellent product, and we also have the quality to back up that product,” Lisa says.  “Our chef is extremely experienced and our staff bend over backwards to help you.  We definitely make our clients feel at home—we make an effort to find out their special needs or likes and dislikes, we pay attention to the little details.”

Lisa went to the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and has been in the hospitality industry for her entire working life.  She’s worked at a variety of country clubs and hotel facilities and has been in the industry for eight years.  She also loves developing relationships with her clients and making the process fun for them.