I gotta start with the fact that I kinda hate all hotels, even nice ones. When I stayed at the Ritz…read morein Chicago or the Parker Meridien in NYC, despite the high design and luxurious touches, they still just felt like hotels. Meh. That said, the South Pier Inn was a remarkable surprise. To be fair, we sprung for one of the large rooms that was adjacent to the Aerial Lift Bridge. The room wasn't cheap, but there is nothing like looking at your window and seeing a thousand foot tanker sailing by a stone's throw away. Amazingly, the rooms are so well insulated from noise you could miss the whole thing. Fortunately, the hotel offers ship spotting calls, even in the wee hours of the morning so you don't miss a passing vessel (if that's your thing). The front desk staff was a textbook example of Minnesota nice. Such lovely people! And the simple continental breakfast (which I also usually hate) included wild rice cranberry bread made at an 80 year old institution. We even had the misfortune of booking a room when the small parking lot was being redone. However, the hotel managed that escapade very well, providing off site parking and a shuttle service to our car. It was such a treat to be able to walk over the bridge into the canal district, for a quick dinner without a drive, and to have such a well kept home base for our Minnesota adventure. Thank you for a lovely stay. I sincerely hope we get to return.

What a stunning surprise in our cross country trip!!! A wonderful staff provided us with comfort…read moreand welcome. The bed had the most amazing sheets!!! So soft and comfortable I didn't want to leave and the jacuzzi tub had a 3D view of the channel. It was an amazing wonderful stay. My husband and I have stayed at 5 star hotels all over this country on the 4 month journey and I can honestly say this is the only one I could come back to.

Easy check in process! Room was super cute and well equipped with toiletries. Check out the bars…read moreattached. Lots of restaurants and shopping nearby. Hidden gem! AND you can take drinks from the Rathskeller to your room. SO COOL

We are completely satisfied with our stay at the Oliver Inn. We knew when booking that some rooms…read morewere 'hostel' style and that the property was accessed with codes and such. Even after reading bad, outdated reviews, we decided to give it a go. So glad we did! Snively's lounge on the first floor is cute and pleasant. We enjoyed our 2 for 1 beer credits included with our room. This is a historical building, there will be noise. But, we weren't disrupted. The Rathskeller speakeasy down stairs is too cute. They weren't playing any jazz (which is common I guess) during our stay, which was fine by us. My hubby and I were celebrating our anniversary, and we loved our choices. Parking is simple enough, across the street in a secure ramp for $12 a day. If you read any reviews that there is a stinky Japanese restaurant on site.....that is outdated info. We stayed in room 3, two twin beds, lower level, shared bathrooms (2)....both have showers and we never encountered both being in use at once. Beds were comfy and the bedding was soft. We will definitely be back. Personally, I like no windows; I prefer to sleep in a cave. Lol. The elevator was a nice surprise. I need my knees replaced; stairs are not my friend. Lol.

Super clean hotel! The room I stayed in was extremely spacious, and the staff were so kind to me. I…read moreusually try to stay at Marriott brand hotels, and I do have to say this specific Fairfield has had the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in while traveling! Typical fitness center for a Fairfield (some treadmills, elliptical, two benches, dumbbell rack, exercise ball). Indoor pool is right next to the fitness center. The quiche that they served for the free breakfast was FIREEE but I know they change up their breakfast every day so it's not always available. I will absolutely be staying here again next time I come to Duluth.

This location is on the far west side of Duluth close to shopping but not much else. The front…read moredesk customer service was good though a bit confusing when I asked about an upgrade as a platinum member they said they were booked so no luck but... it turns out they gave one to me when I reserved. The room was very nice, larger than a typical FI space and in good shape since it felt like a newer property. We were pleased that the mini-fridge had a freezer compartment but alas it did not freeze anything! The breakfast was standard fare. Overall a solid stay.

Love this place! Last year my friend and I decided to take a quick weekend trip from Minneapolis to…read moreDuluth....during prime fall color season. Everything was booked, but thank goodness we found a room here! It's a great location, you can see the lake on the deck and there is a bus stop nearby that takes you downtown.

I reserved a room that sleeps 4 from May 13-19 2022 a few months prior with a $300 deposit and $610…read moreremaining balance due at the time of our stay. At the time of booking, I also stated that I have a Registered Service Dog that would be with me as well. The week before our trip, my mother had a stroke and was hospitalized. Not knowing what her future prognosis was, I contacted the Inn and spoke to Julie attempting to cancel and hopefully get at least a portion of my deposit refunded. Nope. Apparently, the cancellation policy at The Inn has no room for family emergencies. She blatantly told me that, not only would I not be refunded my $300 deposit, BUT If she could not book the room to someone else, I would also be responsible for the remaining balance. She than gave me one other option of switching my dates to the next week but that was the only time she would give us because the rates go up after Memorial Day. I was so irate and overwhelmed, I told her I would call her back in a few days once we found out more info on my moms health. After 3 days in the hospital, my mom was up and moving and her doc said some fresh air could do her some good. So I phone Julie again and let her know we would be keeping the reservation. (Not really any other options or I would be out $910. Get to the Inn the afternoon of the 13th and as I am checking in and paying, I see that my balance due is now a little over $700 and I question Julie about it. She gaslights me and tells me that's the amount I gave you over the phone when we spoke. Which is not true, because I wrote the remaining balance down in my planner. So I'm going over the receipt and I see that she has charged me $15 a night for my service dog. "The ADA and the state of Minnesota prohibit public accommodations from charging a special admission fee or requiring anyone to pay any other extra fee or cost to have a service animal with you". So I asked Julie if she were really charging me for my service dog and her response was she would have to clean up after him. Strike two. We park, get out of my vehicle and look UP UP a huge steep set of stairs which lead to The Wolves Den which is our accommodation for the week. My mom just had a stroke. Her body isn't even working at 75% and now we have to go up and down these stairs the whole week! WTF?! Trying to stay positive, my husband and I unload everything and help my mom up to the room. Open the door and oh good lord. ‍ There's no separate sleeping area so all 4 people that the room supposedly sleeps, are right next to each other. Awkward but again willing to make the best out of it and maybe a good idea to be so close to my mom in case anything happened. The bathroom folks...in 5'2 and small. You can't open the doors and go in to sit on the toilet without opening one door, sliding in sideways closing the other door than moving over to the toilet and closing the second door. My husband is 6'2. He was miserable. He couldn't even stand up fully in the shower. On a positive note, they have supplied you with dishes, silverware, coffee pot, stove and mini fridge and a microwave from the year I was born (1974). I was bound & determined to make this late Mothers Day trip a good one and hope that it helped my mom heal up from her stroke. In the middle of the night on Monday May 16th my mom had another mini stroke. Terrified, we contacted her medical team and threw everything on my vehicle and took off for home and the hospital. I messaged Julie and let her know the situation and that we had to cut our stay short to rush my mother home and I asked if she could or would consider compensating us with a refund for the two remaining nights we had left on our reservation. Her response was that she would "figure out a rain check for us to use at another date" I have never in my life felt so defeated and disregarded by another selfish human in my life. I understand a business needs to make a profit, but where is the humanity? The empathy or basic human compassion? Thanks but no thanks to your offer of a rain check. I will not EVER stay at your establishment again. My mother ended up having to be taken by ambulance to Fargo to have Carotid Endarterectomy surgery. I live 2 hours away and have had to drive both ways each day. I could have really used the refund so I could've stayed closer to my mom in Fargo. I am SO angry with this establishment and disappointed in the behavior of its owner. I love supporting small local businesses but this one completely ruined that for me. P.S. the pancakes were good.

The inn on Gitche Gumee was the most welcoming experience my family has ever had as lodging guests…read more Butch and Julie welcomed us with a warm Minnesota smile and it just got better from there. The cabin is comfortable with all rustic decor including a canopy style bed made completely of lightly varnished walnut rough cut. The kitchenette is fully furnished with pots, pans and dish-ware. At least one morning the owners will bring a delicious fresh breakfast directly to your door. We enjoyed omelets and blueberry pancakes. The view outside is directly looking at Lake Superior. We could also see the lake perfectly from our ground floor living room. The sunsets and sunrises are perfect from the little table and chairs outside the front door. Wifi is available and cell reception was fine. The inn is situated just 5 miles north of Duluth on 61. Don't let this understated gem pass you by! Thank you Butch and Julie for the wonderful stay!

Overall, I really enjoyed this stay! You can't beat the location for the price. We stayed in Room 2…read moreand it was a way nicer than I expected based on the pictures. The main building also looks a lot less creepy than the photos (lol) but here's what you NEED to know if you're going to stay here: Parking is so, so convenient. We're talking 1 free pass right in front of the building with (paid) parking literally everywhere else if you're bringing a second vehicle. Location is 5 stars!!! Very walkable!! We walked up Superior Street to Duluth Trading Co, a very cute shop called Hucklebeary, Fitgers, and Portland Malt Shoppe, then all the way back to the inn. And do not miss Duluth's Best Bread!! It's so easy to venture around Canal Park and even the aquarium is walking distance (use the Slip bridge just past Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory). I loved the layout of the room. The bed and pillows were so comfy, and there was a cute bar seating set-up looking out the windows - although could be awkward if people are on the patio. There's a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker with a pitcher-thing of water. You get two BOGO beer coupons from Fitgers as well, which is a fun treat. The only downside is that it's the last hotel/inn on the hotel row, right behind a public beach and lakefront walk, with a public bathroom adjacent to it in a small "park" (grassy area). This meant that unfortunately yes, the other reviews are true and there are some skeezy looking people specifically loitering in the bathroom area. My boyfriend and I sat on the front patio for breakfast, walked the lakefront walk during the day and evening, but felt that sticking to the inner road (Canal Park Drive) at night was best as a precaution. We kept the blinds closed in the room whenever we weren't there but never felt unsafe in the first floor room. Like any other city, just be aware of your surroundings especially at night and you'll be fine! There is a sauna (we didn't use it because it's outdoors on the side patio and just felt weird), cornhole, and a small fire pit with chairs looking out towards Superior. The building is old, so we heard our neighbors walking and talking upstairs. With the tv on it wasn't bad, plus the inn has "quiet hours" 10pm-8am that everyone surrounding us followed. You do have to be pretty self-sufficient to stay here. Everything is key code access, no physical keys or cards. There aren't staff or front desk or even common areas (besides the outdoor fun spaces) on-site so if you need help you have to call/text them between 8am-8pm. Our a/c didn't work the first night (and the windows don't open), and when I texted about the issue the following morning the issue was quickly taken up and solved within a few hours by the manager on duty. Thanks Kristin!! If it wasn't for the sweltering hot first night and the sketchy park people, definitely would have given this stay 5 stars!!

Lovely small hotel in Duluth in easy walking distance to everything you could want to do. Key code…read moreentry makes check in a breeze, and the free drink coupons are a great add!

This was my first B&B experience and was exactly what I picture when I think of a B&B. We visited…read moreat Christmastime so the house was lavishly decorated with decorations and garland and trees! It was the picture of a Christmas B&B. The house is built very traditionally with a foyer, dining & kitchen area, large living room and sitting room on the first floor and a large staircase to the upstairs where the rooms are located. When we visited, the only source of heat was from the fireplace which made things a tad chilly on the coldest nights, but was never unmanageable. The owners, Angie & Tim were welcoming and friendly. They were able to recommend nearby restaurants and were always very accommodating. The only thing we thought odd is that we stayed there over 2 years ago and never received any sort of follow up or further communication/invitation back! Perhaps this is their business model - not to overrun customers with marketing emails and promotions, however it was odd never to hear anything from them again.

Disappointed. Being #1 on Trip Advisor in Duluth and having…read morebeen to some outstanding B&B's in other cities, we had high expectations. Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day and our first one here was so sugary and starchy we actually went out for breakfast the second morning. The menu was French toast with blueberry sauce, harvest muffin so sugary it was inedible- and I am known for my sweet tooth!, and cheesy potatoes. Carb overload. Because our breakfast basket had been delivered to a different room and had someone else's name on it I assumed it was vegan or something. It was not. Angie said she typically serves vegetarian. I imagine it makes her job easier, but we are active young people and need a protein source. How about eggs??? In any form. I guess they occasionally do serve a quiche, so we just lost the roll of the dice. Phooey. On a positive note, we stayed in the Mayor's Chamber room which was as lovely as the photos. The tub was wonderful. The house is beautiful and the patio out front was bursting with amazing, pretty potted flowers. Also loved walking the neighborhood with it's huge historical homes. One last thing. I love to come into my room after it has been cleaned and the bed is made exactly as it was when we arrived. They did not do that. The sheet was tucked in, but none of the decorative pillows or coverlet had been put back on. Because the cleaning basket had been left in our room, maybe someone left before finishing? We'll never know. The housekeeping glitches and menu problems could be a fluke, hence the 3 stars instead of 2. We have experienced much better. p.s. I mentioned in the on-line registration form that it was our anniversary and they never mentioned it during our stay or did anything special. I read about all the extra nice things they did for couples in our room memory book. Another fluke or glitch?

We went up here on the "off" season for skiing and stayed in one of these fabulous villas which are…read morelike octagon shapped treehouses in the middle of the woods with all the comforts of home. It was truly one of the best family get-aways we have every had because the setting was perfect and it had a big jacuzzi tub and plenty of private bedrooms and also a nice little kitchen and fireplace --- If you plan on visiting Duluth for any reason I would much rather stay here than any old commercial hotel/motel. The prices were decent too....although I suppose they get a little more during the winter months.... Driving to town was not a big deal either.

What a nice place The people running this place are ultra…read morenice and accommodating. The cabins are well appointed and comfy. Not upper class, but totally nice for a family It is close to spirit mountain, close to Duluth, and right off 35W. Beds are good, kitchen is stocked, towels are provided. The office has games and DVDs to borrow and the cabins have WiFi. Very enjoyable