St James Hotel

St James Hotel has been on my list to visit for years. Finally booked a room and spent only one night. I enjoyed our room, reading the history of the room name and the items and pictures in the room. The cozy soft robes were wonderful as well as the tasty piece of decent chocolate delivered to us before bedtime. I enjoyed wandering around the hotel looking at all the fun surprises. I am a quilter and was very surprised to see the large quilt hanging in a stairwell area. Thank you for putting the history of the quilt by the quilt. I spent time in the quiet room containing the beautiful pipe organ reading a book. We went to Jimmy’s Pub and enjoyed a good dinner (wild rice soup the best I’ve ever had), drinks and a decadent chocolate dessert. So nice to have a few drinks and not even think about driving, or dragging winter coats with us. Good breakfast at Verandas. I could have stayed here for a few days and never left the hotel. My husband and i look forward to another visit.

Beautiful hotel. Our room was fabulous with great view and spacious and comfortable. check in was slow, but that was the only downside. food in 2 restaurants was great. Very cute town as well, enjoyed our stay.

Beautifully appointed classic old hotel with real history in charming red wing, MN. As you would expect in a small Midwest town… everyone associated with the hotel is as nice as can be. They don’t know what bad service is.
I stay in the hotel often and the only slight gripe I have is there is a significant variance in room comfort. From newly renovated to 5 years past their prime. Not uncommon in the age and size of the hotel. Just ask what room you will be staying in

Nice, clean hotel with lots of character. Beds are very comfortable and the complimentary internet is fast. Our room overlooked the river. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Would definitely stay here again. Located within walking distance from several small shops and cafes.

Checking out the historic building alone was cool, but the chocolate martinis from the bar downstairs made it even better! Multiple places to eat and drink inside this hotel. I look forward to heading back another day to try their food.

If you’re looking for that old-​charm feel, the St. James Hotel is the place for you. It’s historical look and background fits right in and the staff is wonderful.
I was there on business but I would definitely stay there again on vacation!

As soon as we walked from the veranda stairs to the host stand inside, Tameka welcomed us with a big smile! Her presence throughout our experience was very impressive. She was always engaging the guests, and her positive energy was absolutely contagious. I have worked in many restaurants over the past 15 years, and Tameka made a huge impression on me both my colleague and myself. She was an absolute gem. The food was great! Perfect service. We will be back!

Usually ulterior motives bring me to a destination. In this case the MS foundation was hosting a dinner and education event. When I found out it was here I informed my husband we had a chance to go. It was lent so I called ahead of time to let them know we would need a fish preference. I think we were the only ones with a special request. The salmon was huge, crispy, and tender, in other words perfect. The event was on the third floor next to the bar/​restaurant. So they put on a great banquet. We spent the night. I always request a handicapped room for the bathroom facilities. I love the layout of the room, and you do get a TV, which is necessary for us even in this historic setting. Service at the front desk is great. Only complaint of discomfort was the mattress, ugh. One of the most awesome things was the room faced the train station, the sounds and lights were magical. Compared to the TC hotels, this place is cheap. Get it on your bucket list and go.

I have no negative comments to write. My entire experience was fantastic! Lots of great restaurants and shopping both in the hotel and nearby. Room very clean and unique.

The building is old and overflowing with character and charm. The dining options are better than adequate: the Sunday brunch is awesome. Many historical notices are posted through the hotel, providing insight to the earlier years of the St. James Hotel.
The shops are so-​so; nothing special. The service was mostly excellent, the exception being one lady at the front desk. She was rude. She may have been having a bad day, so I’ll let it slide. This time.
If you’re looking for a great weekend getaway, this is it. We’ll be going back again soon.

Staying here has changes my viewpoint of what service can be like at a hotel. The manager was so very good at his job. They provided services I have never known existed. Offering late check out so we could have accommodations until our train left was amazing. His company and the genuine nature of all staff were refreshing. I’ve paid way too much at big overpriced resort hotels to know value when I see it. We had a great time in a comfortable room that was clean and had a super huge jacuzzi tub. It was quiet and non intrusive. I only know that they have ruined it for every future hotel I will stay at!

I enjoy coming to the St. James about once a year. It’s a charming weekend getaway with plenty of dining, shopping & entertainmnet options.
Positives: Super comfy bed! Jimmy’s Bar is gorgeous, great taps and entertainment on Friday night. Veranda Restaurant for breakfast was excellent. Never ate at The Port but it looked like a decent spot for dinner. Coffee shop on main floor with free refills on Starbucks coffee :) Cute shops and Spa. Lot’s of fun shops & restaurants within walking distance of hotel. Great views overlooking the bluffs. Casino nearby if you want to gamble an hour or more. Harbor Bar across the river is kinda cool if you want to get your drink on. It has as a reggae dive vibe to it. Def not for conservative types. Found a fun Mexican Restaurant called Fiesta Mexicana about a mile from hotel that had great food and fun vibe.
Negatives: Only 1 out of the 5 men at front desk seemed to be able to answer questions about downtown Red Wing. They were smug and seemed put off by any questions we had. Only one of them was helpful and friendly. No valet or help with baggage. You are on your own. I did ask about valet when we first arrived and the young male at front desk replied with, «Define Valet?». Young hostess at The Port very snotty so we left. Some of the staff need serious training. Guess you can blame that one on management.

This hotel is a beautiful old hotel with a grand lobby and staircase. The checkin process was simple and quite friendly.
Our room was small, but cosy. There was a little dust on the non-​essential items, but that was easily overcome by the quaintness of the room and hotel.
Jimmy’s bar is a lively place, but has some of the most beautiful woodwork I’ve seen in a bar. The fireplace is a great place to relax.
The library in the lobby is the perfect spot to have a nightcap before bed. Even at –17 degrees outside, you will feel snug as a bug in a rug in this gem.

During my work-​related travels, I’ve dined at many high-​end restaurants. I believe the dinner my husband I had at the St. James Hotel in the rooftop restaurant behind the hotel was the best meal I’ve ever eaten. The stuffed haddock (gluten free) was superb. I had planned to give my husband a bite of the fish, but it was so good I ate it all myself. I would order it even if I wasn’t gluten free. It’s that good. My husband said his bison-​elk burger was outstanding as well. His sweet potato fries were a little soggy, though. Service was also friendly and very efficient (thank you to Elliott, our server). I highly recommend this restaurant.

Last week we held our annual work retreat at the St. James Hotel in beautiful Red Wing. We always try to find a unique place that is accommodating and special, which we found at the St. James. I worked with Ashley, who did a fabulous job of setting everything up and taking care of all last minute requests. I work with a group that is very high maintenance, so it was great to have such an attentive staff serving us. The food was also wonderful. All meals received positive reviews from those who were attending. The hotel even catered a dinner and drove us out to Falconer Winery, which was also amazing. We were very fortunate to have a beautiful sunny crisp fall evening on their patio. It has fabulous views!
After dinner we were shuttled back to the hotel and ended the evening in the tavern in the basement of the hotel for some wine. This bar was fun and the atmosphere was great. It had stone walls and was warm and cozy. If you live in the area, I would recommend hanging out here.
The sleeping rooms were very nice. I was lucky and had one of the large deluxe rooms. It was very comfortable, although I did not get much sleep since our group likes to stay up late and put away wine like nobody’s business!
This hotel would be a great romantic getaway too, or for a fun girls weekend just an hour from the city. There are a lot of great bars and restaurants in the area to explore as well.
Thanks St. James Team for making our event and stay with you wonderful!

This is a nice small town location if you are wanting to stay within an hour or so of Minneapolis or are visiting Red Wing. The building has some history and character but some of the furnishings and fixtures are a bit worn out given its years. The bathroom was large but the sink cabinet was a fake wood laminate that was peeling and looked terrible. The beds were a bit soft. It was a hot day and the AC worked great in our room!
They have an old entrance with high ceilings and a baby grand piano that room would be great if turned into a bar — that could really drive traffic to this place.

This review is of the upstairs restaurant. Smallish but well-​executed menu, elegant dining (for the area), and a choice of indoor or outdoor (in good weather) makes this a great place for lunch or dinner.

My wife and I stayed at the St. James this Saturday night, on a bed & breakfast package that she received from her employer. The building is full of 19^th century charm which makes it fun to just simply walk around. I especially enjoyed the portraits of the mustachioed and bearded gents that apparently had importance to the original hotel (investors perhaps?). The front-​desk staff was friendly, and I saw that they even cater weddings on location.
Our room had a huge vaulted ceiling, and wallpaper that I imagine must have been commonplace a century ago, but still included all the amenities of a more modern establishment. The bed was amazingly comfortable, although I wish the windows had «blackout» blinds, because light poured in come morning.
The only thing that did not mesh with the hotel was their restaurant, the Veranda. The service was quite poor, and the food was not much better. My omelet looked like something I would make at home (I’m not a good cook btw). Oh well, at least it was included in our package, but my recommendation would be to go elsewhere.

The St. James never disappoints.
The only issue is one of our shades did not close and it seemed that it was a long-​standing issue.
Might be time to invest some of the premium prices for those rooms into some updates.

Ate in the «Port» aka the basement restaurant. Strange for MN menu and equally strange food.
I wanted to like it a great deal but ended up just mildly happy about the food. Desert and coffee were great but the Filet Mignon was overpriced and it under-​delivered.
Great, great service. But …