Parking near the Westin?

I%26#39;m coming to Minneapolis mid-April and am staying at the Westin while at my convention. I%26#39;ve done lots of searching for parking options near the hotel. The only thing I have read is that there is a valet lot at the hotel which charges $28 per day! Is there anyone who can give me some cheaper options nearby for the 4 days while I%26#39;m there? I%26#39;m not opposed to walking a couple blocks!!!

Thanks in advance!

Parking near the Westin?

Yikes. I can%26#39;t stand valet for hotels. You pay a premium to have no immediate access to your car if you want to leave things in it and get at them. And you feel like you need to tip the guy who runs to get it for you.

There are at least a half-dozen ramps open to the public nearby the Westin. No ramps I%26#39;ve parked in (although I check the rate board before going in to make sure) were more than $13 maximum for one day. The rates are lower depending on arrival and departure, and there are a bunch of lots that are $5 all day on Sunday.

Find the one that%26#39;s most convenient to you.

On Marquette between 5th and 6th streets.

On 6th Street betw. Marquette and 2nd Ave. S.

You can find these on the pdf map of downtown Minneapolis easily enough. Basically, in the area of the Westing (6th and Marquette are) you can find a lot of ramps. But again, check the rate board to be sure.

Parking near the Westin?

Thank you so much! I hate valets too, and I knew there had to be something else... I just didn%26#39;t know where to start looking and I wanted to have a clear idea of where there may be some ramps before I got there. I really appreciate your input!

Yep, MN had some good suggestions. I%26#39;ve not been one to do valet if I can avoid it, though that may have more to do with my ';I can do everything myself'; attitude I often take on.

Quick additions...Google ';Downtown Minneapolis Parking';. It will pull up a lot of the parking downtown on a map, and give links to the companies that operate them. Some websites for the companies are more helpful than others, but you can get an idea of location and probably could look up phone numbers to call ahead of time to get an idea on cost.

You may also want to call the hotel itself and ask about self-park options. The Front Desk should be willing to at least try to offer you as a guest some ideas. Of course, they would prefer you use the valet service they can overcharge on, but if you ask should try to help you. Frankly, that is their job...

Finally, assuming you find a self-park option, call ahead and ask the hotel if you can pull up on the street to the door for a minute, unload luggage, and then go park. You may end up offering a bellman a tip of a few dollars, but still less expensive than valet and far less hassle than dragging luggage all over. You may have thought of that already (and my apologies if you did, no insinuations here...), but a hopeful helpful idea.

I think the closest would be the government center

ci.minneapolis.mn.us/parking/gov-center.asp

probably 10 bucks a day, but the pull you car out when the meters don%26#39;t run - 6 p.m?

Or, if you really want to be thrifty, park your car somewhere along the light rail line south of Minneapolis, where it would be free, and just take the light rail into town to the Westin.

metrotransit.org/rail/Hiawatha_mapfreq.pdf