St James Hotel

Although our room had a standard hotel layout, it was nicely furnished, and had a great view of the train station and Lake Pepin, with all their comings and goings. We had first seen the St. James from the windows of Amtrak in 2019, and were intrigued with the idea of staying there and exploring Red Wing, which we found to be a delightful, walkable little city. We had my birthday dinner on the terrace of the Scarlet restaurant. The Swedish meatballs were delicious, and our server (sorry, I don't remember her name - she's a student in the musical instrument program at MSC) was friendly and made every effort to make us comfortable.

Our room faced north towards the river. It was a great view, made even better by the view of the train tracks and depot. We saw two Amtrak trains and several freight trains. The train noise was not a problem at all. The dining room was not open on Tuesday but we were able to order take-out from the bar because it was thundering outside and we did not want to walk to a restaurant. The staff was pleasant and helped us navigate the twists and turns of the hotel.

It would have been nice if the restaurant was open for dinner but we can understand that it is not busy on Tuesdays and might be difficult to staff.

The sheets were so soft and the bed was very comfy! The location of the hotel is great! Walking distance to shopping and dining! The Port downstairs was a great hang out for a nightcap as well. Staff and the front desk and the scarlet restaurant were very friendly.

It would have been nice to have a small refrigerator in the room or even a microwave. Our windows faced what it looked like was offices and that was disturbing only because we felt like we had to keep our shades down or hide from the windows.

This is a beautiful, historic hotel. It speaks for itself but the staff was also phenomenal right on through from Bill in housekeeping, Oliver and Madelyn front desk and Bri our waitress. We wanted the whole classic experience of the old-timey era and we got it! Wondeful experience, beautiful rooms, delicious food, and insanely soft sheets. A 'worth the stay' place.

The blend of the past with modern amenities. The decor was embellished with artifacts from history in the area. comfortable common areas. We cherished the quiet retreat in the library w/gas fireplace. Dinner and breakfast the following morning were both delicious. We even benefited by using the business center for guests.

We weren’t exactly sure when to park for registering in when we arrived.

A beautiful, historic hotel right in downtown Red Wing. It’s nice to have a restaurant and a bar right at the hotel. The sheets on the bed were super soft and luxurious. The Port Bar downstairs was amazing.

The A/C unit didn’t really work properly so the room was a but too warm, but the front desk gave me a nice oscillating fan to use overnight.

I liked our room on the Mezzanine floor. It was cozy, clean and pretty. Mark Twain Room. The robes in the bathroom were an added touch even tho we didn't use them. The bed was very comfortable. We enjoyed the ski jumping exhibit on the Mezzanine floor. My husband ski jumped as a teen so he loved seeing it. We liked that the hotel was right downtown and near everything. We also enjoyed seeing the Philosopher's Room with the old organ & classic old Steinway.

The reception women seemed busy when we checked in, although we were the only ones standing there, She told us how to get to our room so quickly that we had to ask her to repeat herself Otherwise, everyone else was super helpful & personable. We had our anniversary dinner in Scarlet Kitchen that night. Good food but I like my meatballs fall apart tender and these had to be cut with a knife & fork. Our server was gracious and comped us a piece of raspberry/chocolate cake that was scrumptious!

Welcome desk workers were happy, greeted us very well.....Our room was small, but ok for the night. It was spick and span clean! THe bed was comfy, and the sheets were wonderful! Room service was offered, as the kitchen was closed. Food was delivered quickly, hot and very good! Robes were a nice touch. We were attending a near by wedding. Had lunch and a bloody Mary ---both were excellant! Service and food both great! On site parking was nice to have!

Cannot think of anything. All was very nice!

The Saint James is not a cookie-cutter chain hotel. Not that there’s anything wrong with chain hotels, we have some favorites that we frequent. But the Saint James is something very special. When my husband and I walked through the front door, I thought I was going back in time, into a luxurious, opulent era. I asked the desk clerk if the property had ever been featured in a Hollywood movie, because it’s that beautiful. Our room was well-appointed and the bed was very comfortable. Being our 25th wedding anniversary, we opted for a room with a whirlpool tub. The room was immaculately clean, as was the entire property. I highly recommend the Saint James. We’ll definitely be back.

We always enjoy our stays at the Historic St. James. The space, the rooms, amenities, restaurant and bar, the history is captivating. We were visiting a local winery and there were others who were staying at the St. James talking about the vibe and spirits that are rumored to be on site. As a person who is highly sensitive to my environments, I was able to confirm that the St. James is very much alive. The feelings that I get every time I am there is that the hotel loves to entertain and there are some who wish to make sure that things are keeping up with the expectations for a high level of service. The view from the main dining room is always lovely and it is nice when you can get a window table like we did for dinner.

It was way too hot to enjoy sitting on the patio's. I look forward to coming back in the fall when it is easier to enjoy sitting on the patio or the Riverview balcony. I wish I had gotten the contact information for the lady we met.