Where to stay in Minneapolis: the best neighbourhoods and hotels

Downtown Minneapolis is built around Nicollet Mall, a mile-long pedestrian and bus street of shops, restaurants and office towers. Several of those towers are 1920s Art Deco beauties that have been turned into hotels, and they're among the most characterful places to stay in the Midwest.

Everything connects. The Skyway puts the convention centre, Target Center and Target Field within a climate-controlled walk; the football stadium and the Guthrie Theater are a short stroll or tram ride away. Big full-service hotels have pools, spas and steakhouses, and the smaller ones trade on period detail and good cocktails. In January, you may not step outside until you leave.

On the western edge of Downtown, Hennepin Avenue is lined with grand old theatres, the Orpheum, the State and the Pantages, and a block away is First Avenue, the club that Prince made famous. Target Center and the Twins’ ballpark at Target Field are a few minutes’ walk further on.

Just beyond is the North Loop, a district of brick warehouses that has become the city's best address for restaurants, cocktail bars and independent shops. Hotels follow suit: a timber-beamed warehouse conversion with a pool and sauna, and stylish newer places steps from the ballpark. It's the liveliest part of town to stay in, and still joined to the Skyway.

Minneapolis grew rich grinding flour, and the Mill District, on the Mississippi at the eastern end of Downtown, is where it happened. The ruined mills are now a museum and a backdrop for gleaming new architecture, taprooms and a popular farmers market. The Guthrie Theater is here, the riverside paths are lovely, and U.S. Bank Stadium is close enough to walk to on Vikings Sundays.

Cross the river and you are on the University of Minnesota campus, where a playful, college-themed hotel sits a short walk from the Gophers’ stadium. Both areas are a little calmer than the core of Downtown, with younger, more design-conscious hotels.

Bloomington is the suburb south of the city that contains both the airport and the Mall of America, and the second is a destination in its own right: hundreds of shops wrapped around Nickelodeon Universe, a full indoor theme park, with a SEA LIFE aquarium downstairs. For children, it is hard to beat. For adults, there is no sales tax on clothes.

Two smart hotels connect directly to the mall, and dozens more sit within a few minutes, most with indoor pools and free shuttles to the shops and the terminals. The Blue Line light rail runs from the mall past the airport to Downtown, so you can do the city by day and be back for the roller coasters.

St Paul is the state capital and the more reserved of the Twin Cities, with a domed capitol, a hilltop cathedral and a compact downtown set on bluffs above the Mississippi. It has its own skyway network, a clutch of theatres and museums, and the Xcel Energy Center, where the city's ice-hockey obsession is on full display.

Hotels are concentrated downtown: a riverfront tower with sweeping views over the water, and newer places across the road from the arena. Evenings are quieter than in Minneapolis, and many visitors prefer it that way. The two downtowns are about a 15-minute drive apart, or a ride on the Green Line light rail.

Eagan, just across the Minnesota River from the airport, is home to the Minnesota Vikings' headquarters and training ground. Beside it stands the area's standout hotel, a Nordic-inspired resort with a spa and indoor pool that makes a fine place to hole up in any season.

The rest is easy suburban comfort: all-suite hotels with kitchens and free breakfast, next to the Twin Cities Premium Outlets and about ten minutes from both the airport and the Mall of America. The Minnesota Zoo is close by too. Good for families with a car, and for anyone who finds Downtown prices a bit steep.

Roseville is a northern suburb wedged between Minneapolis and St Paul, about ten minutes by road from each downtown and close to the University of Minnesota. There is nothing much to photograph, but it is a canny choice if you plan to see both cities: hotels have indoor pools and hot tubs, parking is free and there are plenty of restaurants and shops close at hand.