Water Street Inn of Stillwater
Hotel · Stillwater ·

Water Street Inn of Stillwater

Hotel · Stillwater ·

Victorian inn with river views, pub, & historic rooms

great location
onsite restaurant
friendly staff
dedicated parking
rooftop restaurant
irish pub
riverfront patio
live music
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null
Water Street Inn of Stillwater by null

Information

101 Water St S, Stillwater, MN 55082 Get directions

$$

Free Wi-Fi

Information

Static Map

101 Water St S, Stillwater, MN 55082 Get directions

+1 651 439 6000
waterstreetinn.us
@waterstreetinn

$$

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•Free Wi-Fi

Last updated

Jan 19, 2026

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The Best Place to Celebrate Christmas in the Midwest

"For holiday fun, I head to the free outdoor ice-skating rink overlooking the lift bridge (bring your own skates), and I stick around for breakfast buffets with Santa." - Iona Brannon Iona Brannon Iona Brannon is a journalist with a love for food and travel. Her work has appeared in Afar, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Business Insider, among other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/stillwater-minnesota-christmas-11868511
Water Street Inn of Stillwater

Shar0nT

Google
We spent the night at the Water Street Inn and the hotel is wonderful. Old building but kept up very well and the room was beautiful and a comfortable bed. However, we purchased a dinner/breakfast package which was not so good. The dinner appetizer, shrimp, was excellent and the salad was fresh. We all had the steak, because we had it there previously and it was excellent. This time was different, the meat hardly had any flavor and my sister-in-law had one that was most fat than meat. We mentioned it to the waiter and he told the chef and they took our drinks off the bill. The package for the two of us was not cheap and we all felt that the meal wasn’t worth what we paid. In addition, at the end they gave us a bill for tax and a mandatory 20 percent gratuity . That was not mentioned anywhere before we purchased the package. The breakfast was a different story, it was excellent and our waitress was great! I would stay at the hotel again but would not purchase the dinner package.

Molly H

Google
Stayed for Harvest Fest weekend! The room was a bit pricy, but was worth it for the convenience of being right on the river and within walking distance of everything we wanted to do. Super close to all the shopping and restaurants and the festival activities. The view from the balcony was amazing and it was nice to sit out there. The room was nice and clean. The bed was a bit too firm for me. The bathroom door was super strange. It was a VERY heavy sliding door with the tiniest handle to grip on to. We weren’t able to close the door all the way. The TV made an awful high pitched whining sound while it was on 🤷🏻‍♀️. Staff were friendly! I’d stay here again!

Laura K.

Google
This hotel is centrally located with a beautiful entrance, but that’s where it stopped. We stayed in a suite on the third floor and had noticed that the pictures really did not depict the true state of the room. The drop ceiling was stained and the connector pieces were loose. The wallpaper and paint were in need of tlc. The caulk and cleanliness of the bathroom were appalling. I know that the water was hard, but the room looked neglected and dirty. There were areas of the carpet that were not vacuumed in months and I stepped on some old gummy candy on the carpet. We loved the building and the front desk staff was kind, but seemed like they had no help and had to do everything, including bring us an additional blanket and verify that we were guests on an intercom to get into the parking lot. We felt bad for them! It felt like someone was just ticked off that they had to take care of this building and did the bare minimum to make it functional. This place could be wonderful with professional maintenance, design and cleaning.

U914RDjimc

Google
My wife & I ONLY go to Charlie's for our meals in Stillwater. We much enjoy the indoor veranda seating. Alongside the water facing windows. Love their menu & servers! Now (as of 10/5/25, I know they have a rooftop restaurant. By checking those hours, we happily anticipate enjoying meal(s) and views there, too.

Pauleen W.

Google
What a great experience! The room just blew me away! It was so spacious and well decorated. Customer service and location was excellent. I would stay here again: what a quaint and neat place!

A666GCdavidw

Google
The location is great, with plenty of water and bridge views and super close to restaurants and bars. The rooms are a good size as are the bathrooms, and everything seemed clean and in working order. Another nice thing is an onsite restaurant and bar. Front desk staff were friendly and efficient. The hotel has a dedicated parking lot across the side street. ||A few things I did not like:||- There is no bar soap or conditioner available||- The rooms are not cleaned daily and towels are not changed||- You can’t turn off your bedside lamp from the bed. You literally have to get out of bed, walk to the entryway, and remove the room card from the switch. Then you have to make your way back to bed in the dark. Funny thing is, most other lights in the room are not controlled by this mechanism and can be turned on and off manually. This seems very odd and needs to be corrected.||- It is a little noisy from street sounds outside, but I did not find it to bee too bad. ||- The downstairs bar closes at 9pm, which is way too early if you want a nightcap before bed after returning from dinner out.

Heidi L.

Google
Really liked the convenience of the location and the parking! We parked on the first day and didn't use our vehicle again until we left 2 days later. Loved the historic feel and having a restaurant and rooftop available. Only reason for the 4 star on Rooms, it would have been nice to have a little refrigerator in our room. I'm not sure if more expensive rooms have refrigerators or not. We really enjoyed our stay and will stay again!

Timothy Kisling (.

Google
My husband and I had our wedding here and it was truly a memorable and special experience for us and the small group of guests we had in attendance. We chose their Commander package which was perfect for our size which provided the perfect room to host the ceremony and have drinks+dinner afterwords. Food, drinks, and service was excellent. We also stayed overnight in one of the rooms with a balcony looking over the river and bridge. What a view! The location also made getting some wedding photos down by the river super convenient.

Jo Ann H.

Yelp
Booked a room through Expedia, for $163.87. When checking in I asked Kandy if she had an upgrade to two beds. Was told $25 and I agreed. Was billed $136 for additional bed. Talked to desk clerk who said he wound have manager call back. No call. I called and was told by Kandy she never said $25. Asked manager to call back. Never heard back. Sent 3 emails and never heard back. Poor s

Antonia F.

Yelp
Cancel 7 days in advance, or you will not get a refund. Instead, they keep your $ for a future stay. I have never heard of such a ridiculous policy, and the person on the phone was defensive and snappy. How are they still in business? No flexibility, no apologies, nothing. Horrible way to do business, especially in the tourist industry. From the sound of other reviews, the place is run down and other staff are just as rude, so I don't have high expectations about that future stay.

A S.

Yelp
I sent this email to them and I never heard back: Hi - my girlfriend and I stayed at the Water Street Inn May 6 and 7, 2025 - we choose to pay more than we usually do for a room - and we were not given a choice of a room on the river side or street side - we automatically got the street! Anyway, we left the room May 7 for the day and came back and found that our room had not been made up - telling the front desk that evening - we were asked why we didn't put the sign out?? We did not have any sign - and when we left our room in the am the cleaning cart was at the room nextdoor. Why did the cleaning people not check with us??? We were extremely disappointed - needless to stay we will not be staying here again.

John R.

Yelp
Recently stayed at this hotel. We had a two room suite. The carpet was sticky, the chairs on the balcony were both broken, no refrigerator and the TV was difficult to view from the bed because they had an old frame with the four posts that one of them blocked the TV screen. The rooftop restaurant had nice views but the service was awful. I do not recommend this place.
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Jeff R.

Yelp
Our go-to in Stillwater. Charlie's is what makes it so special, for so many reasons ... Server Tyler is great! This was the first staying during the World Snow Scupting Championships. AND ... never again. It was great fun, but way toooooo busy and hectic for what we enjoy about Stillwater and the quaint and relaxing town. I do recommend seeing once however.
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Trina V.

Yelp
We stayed in one of the historic rooms and it definitely has an old timey (albeit a bit creepy) charm. Our room is the first room in the historic portion, and you can tell that the new side was added on because we still had the windows (although blocked by walls and closed shut). There was a tub in our room, although we didn't use it and some of the towels provided were frayed. I did like that our room came with a balcony that had a table and chairs. Overall, i'm glad I stayed for the experience, but next time, I might try for a room in the renovated side or in a different location. Employees were lovely, though!

JR E.

Yelp
We asked to check in about 1 hour early & asked about parking. The front desk person was rude, unhelpful, and terse with us. We did Not pressure her in any way, we planned to walk around town till 4 pm. She didn't even check if rooms were open & snapped at us for asking. I regret staying here and will not return. The rooms are quaint in the old part of the hotel, but also run-down and in need of upgrades. Look elsewhere for lodging.

Dennis H.

Yelp
Samantha Bristol was able to work with a large group and ensure that we were taken care of with incredibly short notice! She is an all star and is supported by a wonderful staff. The view overlooking the river is second to none! This is absolutely a place that I would recommend.

Stephanie V.

Yelp
Would give 0 stars if possible. Insanely rude staff and owner. Owner kept interrupting me while I was talking and kept raising his voice to talk over me when I asked questions

Abigail L.

Yelp
My biggest complaint is there Is no refrigerator in the room. You have to call down to the desk to get one. I need to keep my insulin cold. They were prompt bringing up the frig. My complaint is that I have an ice pack that needs to be frozen to keep insulin cold for traveling. They have freezers buy, cannot keep a guests ice pack in the freezer due to health concerns. I travel quite a lot and have never had anyone refuse to freeze my ice pack. They offered to give me ice (which will melt) and will cause an issue for security at the airport. Also, There is no safe in the room to keep valuables. One dresser drawer is not useable because they store linens in it. So, you get two small half drawers and one small drawer. I would not recommend this place at all!
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Lance C.

Yelp
We were really excited to try this hotel but disappointed with it overall. The rates were nearly $400 per night but the rooms were dated, the wallpaper was damaged, there was no need for the dirty jacuzzi tub in the bedroom, not sure why only a queen bed in the huge bedroom, no refrigerator in the suite. The balcony and view were awesome, but otherwise, feel this property lives on its location and view without delivering the expected overall experience.
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Holly B.

Yelp
Upon check in the staff were unsure if the room was acceptable for guests as according to their words "housekeeping isn't the most reliable".   In fact one of their front desk staff needed to go up to the room before our entry to make sure it had been cleaned. This raised flags with us but we were only there for a short period of time and I wasn't going to make a big deal about it.    The room was freezing upon entry,  the jacuzzi only sustain only luke water for a short period of time,  no towels for the jacuzzi and no toiletries for the jacuzzi. The room was very old and run down. Looking at my bank statement that following Monday i saw two charges for the hotel. When i reached out to management they said housekeeping said there was smoking in the room. I immediately let them know that couldnt be true and i wanted to see there evidence. They refused to produce any evidence and then stop responding to my request for a refund. This is very disappointing to be charged for something that we didn't do. Then to charge a person's card without saying anything or giving us reciept with why the charge was done. After I inquired with management they covered themselves by sending a receipt, days after the charge. I feel like I've been taken advantage of and this border line fraudulent. Worse customer service ever.

Richard M.

Yelp
We stayed at Water Street Inn the last two days of a week long trip visiting family and friends. Huge mistake! I've never gone out of my way to review a bad experience, but this time was different. The beds were the worst we have ever "tried to sleep on". The hallway carpeting was gross throughout the facility. the biggest problem with the place is the management. For a state with the friendliest people I've ever met, they were the rudest most unresponsive staff ever. The cleaning staff was polite and helpful. Maybe they should take over management. The waterfront at Stillwater is a beautiful place, and the hotel could be much more than it is. Don't let the views fool you. There are plenty of other lovely places to stay.

Stephanie E.

Yelp
We had our wedding and stayed at the Water Street Inn for two nights, along with many friends and family. We visited Charlie's & Papa's multiple times, so we had contact with nearly all workers throughout the facility. I will start with the wedding, then the hotel & restaurants. Wedding: I can't recommend a wedding at the Water Street. Menu pricing is subject to change under their contract, which was non-negotiable. There are too many unknowns in a wedding - and not knowing how much we would pay for food left me stressed for a whole year. This was a decision made by the owner of the Water Street. Water Street advertises that an event coordinator is included when you book a wedding. The coordinator we dealt with was Julie Rademacher, who had two jobs: event and sales manager. I don't have the best things to say about Julie, so I will just say - it was super stressful from signing the contract to the wedding day. If you're in love with the location like we were, consider hiring a wedding planner & day-of coordinator. We had many great vendors who handled COVID, communication, pricing, and contracting differently from this venue. The main issue is customer service and unfortunately this is an issue from the top-down. There's other venues out there if you want a stress-free day. Hotel: We stayed in the bridal suite (#304) on the historic side and in the Tower Suite (#327) on the renovated side. We loved the rooms and the views. The historic side could use some renovation and there's creepy paintings on the walls, but it's also a little charming. Plus, the historic rooms have jacuzzis. Cons: Overpriced for the quality. The blinds fell down on the sliding glass door to our Tower Suite on our wedding night. I called front desk for help, and I was told they could not help. No one would come check it out and there was no one to call either. This was confusing to me, and the front desk person understood my frustration - but there was nothing he could do. There must be a staffing issue(?). We put a plastic garment bag over the window so people wouldn't see into our $439 suite. Charlie's: Breakfast was really good. We received $5 discount per entree with the room stay. Service is a little slow, but friendly. Lunch was fine. Charlie's also did our groom's dinner, and the food was OK. I don't recommend the back room for groom's dinner because Charlie's service staff is constantly passing through your event to get to the kitchen. Papa's: Service is slow, menu is limited, view is spectacular. I don't think management cares to improve the service issues, so you get what you get. Come for the views. To summarize the Water Street - great location, but they're not delivering in service. They should be featured on the show, "Restaurants on the Edge." My advice to ownership is to bring in / promote people (Alex & your millennial kids) who want people to have a great experience. Not everything needs to be sales-oriented when you already have a location that sells itself. Update: The blinds I referred to were from the *porch door, not the sliding door, to room 327 (the tower suite on the renovated side). They fell down, and we were told no one could help by the front desk. It was 1 AM, which is late, but we were staying in their nicest room and had higher expectations. I attached a picture of the contract we signed - prices were subject to change, with no amount of days before the wedding mentioned. I asked for this to be changed, but the request wasn't met. If they now have a clause for 60 days, that's an improvement and that's good. We didn't receive our final invoice until the week before the wedding, which is why I say a lot of stress from contract signing to the wedding day. A month beforehand, the invoice had the wrong appetizers & late night snacks, despite many emails about our selections. Also, we were double taxed on several invoice items. Luckily my husband caught the error or we would have paid hundreds extra. Water Street said this was a computer system error - which left me wondering, how many other events have been double taxed? I'm a type-A personality, so I will own the bridezilla title. However, I am not heartless. I feel terrible if I made the coordinator cry. But... I also cried. The owner's reply says it all - I was treated like I was the worst bride the coordinator had ever worked with. No one deserves that on the best & most important day of their lives.

Erin B.

Yelp
It was so bad! The room was outdated. The bed was broken and probably the most uncomfortable bed too! When we called they said there was nothing they could do about it. When the neighbor turned on their Jacuzzi tub our entire room started vibrating with a loud noise. This went on for well over an hour early morning. The toilet was broken and wobbly. We are super disappointed in the money we spent and the hotel for not compensating for the horrible experience. The only thing the hotel has going for it is the location.

Andrea W.

Yelp
We had the pleasure of staying in this historic hotel. They were so accommodating!!! We will definitely be back!!

Rachel J.

Yelp
WARNING: there is a 7 day cancellation policy and the staff are extremely inflexible about it, even in emergency situations. If you book, be sure you don't have any unforeseen circumstances within the full week before your stay.
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David E.

Yelp
Beautiful location. Ok view. Clean. Very basic accommodations. Room was a little rundown. Definitely not what I expected for what I paid for the room. In a small town in the Midwest if I'm in the $250-300 price range I'm expecting something much nicer.

Denise C.

Yelp
I live the view, the drinks are always good, AND they offer Smithwicks ale on tap, one of my favs. Food has always been good and the view is spectacular from the patio. It overlooks the St Croix at the lift Bridge. I love Charlie's. The live music is fun, too.

David B.

Yelp
We have stayed, eaten, and attended several events here over the years. The food is always in excellent and presented beautifully. Service by servers, bartenders, housekeeping, and front desk has always been gracious and responsive. The Water Street Inn is convenient to downtown shops and you can't beat the views of the river and lift bridge from the patio or the rooftop.

Sandy F.

Yelp
I would suggest the following improvements: Replace pillows (the ones in our room were so bad - extremely hard to sleep on). Clean/descale Keurig (ours looked like it had never been cleaned and we didn't use it). Fix bathroom door that won't stay shut (I saw this in another review and we had the same issue with ours). Extras that would have been nice are a microwave in the room (there's a fridge) and better seating (there's only 1 small chair for sitting - could add a love seat or addl chair to make room more comfortable for couples). Complimentary coffee/water in the lobby would also be nice. Location is great, overall hotel is good, but price is high and we expected more based on comparison to other places we have stayed.
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Erin B.

Yelp
I never take the time to write reviews, but this experience was so bad I felt a civic duty to do so. I booked two suites to accommodate a large party. When I booked, I listed and paid for 4 guests per room. Upon arrival, both rooms were set-up to accommodate 4 guests (murphy bed and couch bed both made and pulled out). My friend sat down on the couch bed in one room and fell all the way through the bed to the ground. Luckily, she is young and able-bodied was not hurt. I brought the broken bed to the attention of the front desk staff on duty. They acknowledged that the housecleaning staff had known the bed was broken, and they had "rigged" it for the night until a replacement arrived. The maintenance man arrived quickly with 2 large planks (I have pictures) and asked for our help lifting the mattress to place the planks under the mattress. He then warned us to "be careful because the bed was not sturdy." Because of the state of the bed, we had two guests that had to sleep on the floor. We paid a premium price for the room ($400 per night) and I think given the state of the room and the staff's knowledge that the bed was broken in advance, we should have received a full refund for that room. I was happy to pay the full price for the room that did not have a broken bed. I spoke with the manager the night of our stay, twice on the phone, and emailed her several times following our stay in an attempt to rectify the situation. She NEVER contacted me back or addressed my complaint.
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Danielle K.

Yelp
Rooms smell moldy and here was mold growing in the shower. The people above us were stomping and partying non stop for hours, despite several complaints from us and other rooms to the front desk. Was woken up at 3 am by other hotel guests who were clearly on drugs and screaming. On top of that, the smoke detector went off randomly at 3 am. When my husband and I reported a burning smell to the front desk, they couldn't have been more unconcerned and did absolutely nothing about it. This place is a complete dump and an absolute waste of money. Probably one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at.

Allison L.

Yelp
Wanted to eat here tonight but there was a massive dumpster in ALL the handicap spots. Utterly ridiculous! Stillwater is a terrible spot for handicap spots to begin with and this dumpster takes spaces that people NEED. Why couldn't this dumpster have been put in regular spots? There are handicap vans that need 8 extra feet for ramps.
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Kevin Z.

Yelp
What a pathetic excuse of a restaurant!! We sat on their patio to enjoy a perfect evening outside. The patio had a few tables; nothing like it is on a nice weekend when it is packed. We thought this would translate into prompt and high-quality service. Oh boy, we were wrong. We sat down and were greeted by our server. She left us a drink menu and disappeared for 10 minutes. When she finally came back, we ordered our drinks and our entrée at the same time. We weren't in a rush, just had a sneaking suspicious that it would take forever for everything to come. Even though we expedited our ordering, the food still took forever to arrive - 45 minutes! All the while we waited for our food; the server never came back until two minutes before the food arrived. She asked us how we were doing and at this point we were hungry, the sun had set and we were getting chilly and still no food in sight. The only thing we could do is give a snarky response in hopes that anyone would pick up on it and gives us adequate service... nope, didn't happen. The food, let's please talk about the food. ATROCIOUS. I ordered a chicken buffalo sandwich. Apparently that translates into a piece of chicken jerky on a stale and damaged bun. I know that sounds dramatic, but look at the picture. The chicken was paper-thin and had deep gashes in it. The bun had a thumb stuck into it and the lettuce had sat under a heat lamp so long that it began turning brown. We also ordered a basket of sweet potato fries on the side and they came out cold and smothered in powdered sugar. Such a pitiful performance. We will never be back. Stillwater has so many great places to offer, go find one of those. To the manager, I would love to discuss my experience with you. This was unacceptable.

Debbie N.

Yelp
A girlfriend of mine and myself went to Stillwater and stayed at this hotel on a Wednesday through Friday night. We were told there was some construction near the suite we were staying in but we had no idea how terrible it would be. There was heavy machinery, very loud noises that shook the room each day starting at 6:30 AM. It sounded like something was scraping the side of the building right by our room. This went on until past 630 at night. I emailed the General manager and got no reply. The three nights cost over $1100 and it was no way worth even half of that. I expected it to be an older hotel, and knew the building was 100 years old. That part of it was OK, but the lack of lighting and places to put things, such as our toiletries in the bathroom was ridiculous. Honestly it seemed pretty run down. The house cleaners were very pleasant, and we appreciated that and tipped them well. I'm very disappointed that the general manager did not return my email. I told the lady at the front desk when we checked out. She told me there was nothing they could do and gave me the General Managers business card. I won't be staying there ever again.
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Jasmine B.

Yelp
Pros: -Location, location, location. -Large rooms. -Good options at brunch, fresh omelet bar, plus bottomless mimosas. -Bathrooms were updated enough to be acceptable. -On site parking. Cons: -Desperate need of updating. -Zero noise barriers, you can hear everything in the hallways, and since the ceilings are high, the noise echo's throughout. -Incredibly uncomfortable beds, particularly the pull out sofa. Another group in our party had a Murphy bed and it received equally as terrible comfort reviews. -Bedding had holes and looked like what my Grandma had in the 80's for the kids to use at sleepovers (so, it's that old). -Way overpriced, a suite with one queen and a pull out sofa was $400 for three people. Regular room with one queen was $250. -Poor lighting. Overall - if you don't want to airBnB, this is your only option. So, stay here if you must, but I would say at least explore other options.
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Jennifer R.

Yelp
So....my husband and I rented a room over the 4rth. We wanted to be close to activities and AVOID traffic leaving the city post fireworks. Our experience was pretty identical to the gentleman who posted explicitly on the "ambiance" as average at best. We too stayed in the Vault Room. It had a "love tub" on one side (kind of grosses ME out), and a fireplace on the opposite. It's an old historic building- think extremely victorian. I'll also post the photo of our room. Too victorian for me personally....but some folks may love that!! King bed is probably 150 years old, and the mattress and box spring reside on SLATS. Not a quiet sleeping experience. ....mattress is comfortable - just don't ummmm-"move too much". Room is huge. Bathroom is clean (old. Bad lighting). Staff warm, patio amazing, right on the river - music twice a week. If victorian B&B is your style- may be the place for u. Me? Not my taste.
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Chris M.

Yelp
Pathetic excuse of an establishment. Bad experience here... def try other hotels in Stillwater before staying here. Old nasty stained chairs in the room... "double jet spa" is an old tub with the caulking pealing off into the tub... they don't keep up their rooms and yet charge $150 a night... give me a break. Hallways & our room smelled like weed for the first night, and when we checked in front desk girl reeked of smoke. Overall, I was expecting to pay for a nice hotel getaway at a semi luxury hotel and it was more like stopping at a motel 8 during a road trip.

Kevin B.

Yelp
These were problems in the room I was given. Door lock is not aligned. Near the door is a chair with a broken back that wobbles. No WiFi. Whirlpool tub has a poor functioning plug. Whirlpool tub has an inefficient cold water handle and the spigot drips. The whirlpool tub is obnoxiously loud. The sconce by the fireplace has a flickering fluorescent bulb. One of the chairs near the fireplace has little support in the seat. The settee is not comfortable; like sitting on a slanted board. The window shades are raggedy, and one does does mechanically work. The street noise is audible. The bar noise is audible. The commercial fan that turns on occasionally is loud and distracting. Toilet handle sticks, and the toilet will run. The sink drains slowly as though there is a clog. The hair dryer has little power. I emailed the hotel twice and no one has responded.
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Kyle A.

Yelp
My wife and I stayed here 1 night over the weekend and loved it! The staff was super friendly and welcoming as soon as we arrived. The hotel itself is pretty old, which is part of the charm. We didn't notice anything in poor condition though. We had a very nice room that came with a Jacuzzi and had very high ceilings which gave it an elegant feel. My personal favorite part was the Sunday brunch buffet we had. They had dozens of different dished to choose from including scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, pesto salmon, and lasagna. Not to mention the made-to-order omelets and dozens of desserts like cheesecake cupcakes and cake. They also included bottomless mimosas in the price (only $15!). We'll definitely be coming back, definitely recommend it.
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John G.

Yelp
A historic dump. Our room was in desperate need of updating. A shower that didn't function well, no towel hook, a shelf under the mirror that was coming loose, a TV from the 90s, HVAC that made weird noises, and a couch so old and decrepit you couldn't even sit on it comfortably. Add to that the rudest customer service I've ever received at a hotel, denying us the free breakfast we were promised in a very disrespectful manner. Stillwater deserves better. I won't be back.

Krystal S.

Yelp
Accomodations: 1 star Service: 3 stars Food: 4 1/2 stars My husband and I came here for our first night sans-children since the birth of our last child. The newer, updated front of the hotel is very nice. There is a long Starbuck's-esque windowfront desk that looks over the main parking-lot which has 4-5 chairs and productive space but no power outlets that I could find. Check-in was fast and courteous. But then we got to our room. Our room (#219) seemed to be a room they may have started to clear out to renovate or use for storage, but in the middle of that decided to utilize for guests without making sure things were back up to standard. For example, the doors of the armoire in the room were missing, just broken off. There was a mirror stashed on the ground behind the broken armoire. There was no bedside lamp, the only light in the room was from the wall lamps until we requested a bed-side lamp. The small sitting table in the room was held together with zip ties, and one of the chairs lacked seat support, so my husband sort of sunk into it when sitting, to the extent that repeated sitting would destroy the chair. There was no couch or anything to actually sit comfortably at. The one mirror in the room (other than the one hidden behind the broken furniture) was directly across from bed, which only felt slightly wierd given its size. The artwork decorating the room seemed mismatched and may have been obtained from Goodwill given that some of it was missing the glass. I was, however, able to obtain a mini-fridge for storing breastmilk rather quickly, so points for that. We went to Charlie's Irish Pub for dinner. The food was pretty good: my husband order to the Rueben and was thoroughly satisfied, though substituting fries for bagged chips cost $2 extra. I ordered the scallops. The parmesan risotto was decent, though lacking in visual appeal, but the scallops were cooked perfectly. We went back to our room after dinner to enjoy the double whirlpool only to find that there was no hot water. We called down to the front and were told that they didn't know of any issue but would call maintenance. An hour later we were told that maintenance was working on the central water heater but by that time we were headed to bed. The bed and linens were very comfortable. We were woken up by an extended conversation in the hallway around 4am and then a couple times from hearing footsteps above us, so bring your white noise machine. We took advantage of the Sunday brunch, which we felt was a good value with the two $10-off coupons which were included with our stay. The brunch was delicious and went a long way to make up for the lack of hot water from the night before. We headed back to our room and requested a late check out so we could actually use the hot tub and we told we would be charged $15 an hour. We explained that we thought there was a service-recovery opportunity here as we had been unable to use the tub the night before and honestly, how much would anyone pay for a room with no hot water? In the end we were able to check out one hour later without an extra charge and received 30% off the cost of our night's stay. Overall the service was decent, the food was great, but the accomodations made the place feel cheap. It seems like management or owners could take a bit more pride in the lovely building with attention to some small details. I don't know that we would stay here again. Though we might come back for the brunch.
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Kelly F.

Yelp
What an absolutely perfect romantic getaway!!! Stillwater as a city has worked very hard to celebrate and maintain its historic atmosphere, and the Water Street Inn fits right into this beautiful tradition. We arrived in the early evening and were directed to their private parking lot and told we didn't need to worry about restrictions--whew! We asked for some recommendations for dinner and the front desk worker suggested a number of places within walking distance. Our room, 220, was *perfect.* A four-poster bed in the smaller portion of the room with a view into the huge living portion of the suite. We had a view of part of the city and a fantastic view of the river and the Lift Bridge. The room was outfitted with Victorian-style furniture, a whirlpool tub, a fireplace, and a tv. The bathroom was very nice-sized and was modern. After dinner, we walked through Charlie's, the Irish pub attached to the Inn. A true Irish band was playing and the place was about half full--and everyone was laughing, dancing, shouting, and smiling----true Irish people! The band played for several hours and took very few breaks. The hotel is very centrally located--we spent Saturday walking around the main street, visiting the local breweries and wineries, shopping, and exploring the architecture. We didn't use the car all weekend, preferring to take full advantage of the hotel's location. What you won't get: -- A 200 sq inch plasma tv -- A template, forgettable, cookie-cutter hotel -- Waited on hand and foot. What you will get: -- A cozy, romantic sanctuary for you and your significant other -- Beautiful views of the city or the river -- A prime location for shopping, dining, touring breweries/wineries I didn't want to leave, and we will be back!! Thank you, staff of the Water Street Inn!!
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Susi A.

Yelp
We stayed during Lumberjack Festival which was fun but our room was awful. The bed was loud and uncomfortable, terrible pillows, old blankets and towels that looked like they were from a locker room. No updates have been made and not in a cool historic way. The room was so depressing we almost left in the middle of the night but had paid $285 for the night. We travel all the time and this was the biggest disappointment I have every had in a hotel to date. They must take in a fortune but none of it goes back into the renovation of this place. It could be incredible but someone seems to just not care or know better. I would suggest the owners get out and look at other historic hotels to see what could be possible.

Dennis B.

Yelp
We were there for Easter Brunch, food was cold, serving dishes were empty much of the time. People had to wait for plates and dishes to be filled. We were there Mothers Day last year which was excellent, something happened over a one year span and it took a big dive. Not going back as there are too many choices in Stillwater .
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Karmen B.

Yelp
Good location, that's it. Very overpriced for what they offered. TV was stuck on Nick and could not change the channel, however volume did work 18 inch Tube TV, something you couldn't even give away. Burnt out light bulb. Dust. Etc. I understand the history and atmosphere, as my husband and I are very much into antiques and restorations, but a business does need upkeep to maintain a positive customer base. This place did not offer that.

Jennifer B.

Yelp
I posted a review about a month ago, but it was removed? We had a very unpleasant stay at this hotel. We were placed in a suite directly above the bar with loud, live music playing late into the evening. Our special night out of town was ruined and has gone unsolved despite numerous times contacting the staff/management in person and via email. No apologies from anyone. Very awful customer service or care for guest satisfaction or making things right. Never again!!!!!!

Dale K.

Yelp
Beautiful view from the outdoor covered deck. Problem? we were there at 3:00 PM on a day when the kitchen was scheduled to close at 8:30 PM. We placed our order and looked forward to our Reuben rolls--our poor waitress came back to us about 15 minutes later, telling us that the kitchen staff had "left for the day" without telling the waitstaff, and that we would have to suffice with our drinks. Again--beautiful day on their outdoor deck/patio, but...who is running this place? If you decide to go here, confirm that they are actually open and that the kitchen is open...
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Liz P.

Yelp
We popped over to this hotel for my husband's birthday weekend. The first room we were brought to was dark, had broken furniture, garbage and dust behind the bed (which we noticed because there was a large screw protruding from the headboard), had a stained and old tub in a room with essentially nothing else, and was generally dismal. We called down to ask if there had been some mistake and if we could see another room. We were taken to another room which was in much better shape but did not have the amenities we had come to the hotel for: no tub and no fireplace and had a view of a gas station. We called down again (because the clerk had not taken us to the room at all to be sure it was a good fit for us) and he came up to show us to another room which he said was less old that the first room but had a fireplace and tub. At this point, he did gift us some champagne (you see, we had moved our own bags three times at this point and had yet to hear any apology). We decided to just order some dinner and make the best of it. The bed was so uncomfortable, the lamps were covered with dust, the heater which blew directly onto the bed was also dusty, the tub was in an encasement with chipping paint, the furniture was in terrible shape, the tv was blocked by the bed posts, the bathroom was old and dingy...it just was not good. I sent an email to the hotel. I heard nothing from them. I called and asked to speak with a manager in the morning and when I told her we needed to check out due to the conditions, she never apologized or even asked about our experience. She did not refund that awful night either. We are so surprised and very disappointed in this experience.

Allison F.

Yelp
I am writing this review strictly based on the hotel's cancellation policy, which has prevented me from staying there twice now. My husband made a reservation for us about 3 weeks ahead of time in 2020. 4 days before our check in date, Covid restrictions and mandatory shut-downs went into effect. Because this meant we would not be able to enjoy many of the things we had planned for our trip, I called them to cancel. I was informed that our one night deposit was not refundable because we did not cancel within their 7 day policy. They instead issued me a gift certificate, which I guess was an acceptable solution, given that's their policy, but you would think they would have been more accommodating during Covid, as nobody could've possibly predicted major restrictions to be mandated just days before. Fast forward a year later, I decided to use my gift certificate to try to book again. When I called, the front desk was able to look up my name and confirm that I did indeed have the one night credit, however I was still required to make another deposit for one night when booking because they needed to have the "physical gift certificate in person" They let me know that the credit would apply when I checked in, however the cancellation policy was still 7 days or else they would again keep my deposit. Huh? So even know they could verify that I had a credit, I would STILL need to make ANOTHER deposit and if something were to happen were I would have to cancel in less than 7 days, (it is flu season and Covid is still very much around!) I would have ended up paying for 2 nights when I didn't even get to stay there for one? Makes no sense.. Needless to stay, I decided to not move forward with the reservation as the vast majority of other hotels have a 24 hour cancellation policy. Again, I understand that's their policy but I do not at all understand why I would have had to make another non-refundable deposit if they could verify that they already had my money from last year's cancellation. I was really looking forward to trying this place but it's very unlikely that it will ever happen now because of this policy. It's unfortunate that my $150 gift certificate will go to waste..
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Katherine N.

Yelp
Room smell like mildew. Could use some major updates while maintaining its historical beauty. Food was just meh and service was crappy. Would recommend Lowell Inn over this joint.
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Michele M.

Yelp
View is great, of course. Who doesn't love the St Croix River and bridge? Service is slow. Food is meh. Drinks aren't tasty. Bartenders are too busy to be concerned with you. Umbrellas don't bend so if you plan on sitting on the patio during outdoor weather you better hope you get an interior table or else the setting sun will roast you. And you get one anemic piece of walleye with your fish and chips. There are lots of amazing places to eat in Stillwater. This isn't one of them. Take a hard pass.

Nick H.

Yelp
Do not book a room here. A month ago my fiancé and I booked a room for the night Tuesday November 22nd, before we would be traveling to my family's place for Thanksgiving in Mankato the next day. We prepaid for the room, parking, and pet fee, a month in advance. My sister has been suffering from cancer for 12 years. On Monday November 21st, the night before we were set to arrive at Water Street Inn, my sister informed us that she needed to go to Mayo Clinic for an urgent appointment on Wednesday the 23rd. We decided to forego our night at Water Street Inn so we could attend to my sister's medical emergency and so I could take her to her appointment. We've been fighting this cancer for 12 years so dropping things like this due to cancer issues is nothing new to us. I called Water Street Inn about getting a refund or even a credit for a stay there on different night. The person who I spoke to on the phone kept citing policy policy policy saying I could not get a refund; essentially they were just going to keep my money I prepaid if we didn't show. I offered to get documentation such as a letter from my sister's cancer doctor detailing the medical emergency. It did not matter, they kept citing "policy". So keep this in mind, unforeseen medical emergencies such as cancer or other unplanned life events happen, and The Water Street Inn does not care; you show up for your reservation or they keep your money. I asked for the email address of the GM of the hotel, Sam Rose of Morrissey Hospitality. I was given the email address sam.rose@morrisseyhospitality.com and I also emailed info@morrisseyhospitality.com. The info email address never responded. To Sam Rose's email I attached time stamped screen shots of texts of when my sister notified us that the Mayo Clinic called her and said they needed to see her right away and again offered to get a letter from my sister's doctor, and again offered to get a credit for a stay on another night instead of a refund. Someone from the front desk of Water Street Inn called and said they spoke to Sam Rose and the best they could do was a partial refund. They refunded $160 of the $280 I paid in advance. They kept $120 because I had a cancer related family emergency. I emailed Sam Rose again and the only response I got was a short "sorry about your sister" email and again citing policy. I'm so disappointed and disgusted with Water Street Inn, Sam Rose, and Morrissey Hospitality. I no longer even want a credit for a stay on another night. I want a full refund. I've given them every chance to do the right thing and they failed on every chance. I hope the $120 you got from me was worth it because I'm going to write this review on every platform I can find to show who you people really are and I hope it costs you way more business. Worst customer service ever. Policy over people. Get bent

P R.

Yelp
Terrible experience. People partying above our room all night. The front desk did nothing. Never again. I will sleep in my car before i stay here.
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Phillip Y.

Yelp
Mehh, this is advertised as a B&B in Stillwater but felt like a hotel. Sure, the rooms are all different and interesting layout. Also, the plus would be that there is a restaurant on the main level. However, this is really a B&B in a hotel which kind of defeats the purpose. The one good thing going for it is the location which you can't beat. It is right on the river so you do get a good view. If you had me choose, then I would certainly say that this inn would be good for weddings. However, if you want that intimate B&B experience, then I would recommend Aurora Staples Inn.
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Barb G.

Yelp
I love the idea of a historic Hotel, but this one smells, has very dirty carpeting, and is in need of cleaning. The plants should be thrown out, they are so neglected. I really hope they renovate the entire building, I would love to stay there again.
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Don S.

Yelp
We attempted to check in early on Friday afternoon. Informed by front desk of $60 early check in fee. FYI, check in is at 4 p.m. We attempted it 2 p.m. $60 for two hours? We'll pass. Front desk personnel was overwhelmed with people checking in and inquiring on reservations for restaurant on main level and roof top. Eventually, after dinner checked in to a newer room, half the property was recently renovated. The old side will save you $$$$, but it's not worth it. Rooms are old and need updating in a bad way. Our room faced the street not the river, which was fine. However, awoken on Saturday by trash disposal truck and food service delivery truck. Trash truck, okay. But, Cisco truck running for 45 minutes up and down ramp was ridiculous. Hotel offers breakfast with room. Don't fall for it. The restaurant on main level was slammed with 1 cook on duty = 1+ hour to get our food served. Great location, central Stillwater near everything, but service and food need much improvement. We will not return.
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Jacque U.

Yelp
Overpriced for what we got. Everything seemed very dated. I get that it's a historical place and they're trying to preserve that, but seriously - you can't update a bed or do something with that front room? Hubs surprised me with an overnight stay here for my birthday. We ended up getting a street view room with a hot tub in it. You enter the room from the hall to find the bedroom right away. The bed was large and old and the pillows were pretty much flat. The mattress didn't seem to even fit the frame correctly. When you walk into the next room, you are in a "sitting room" with a hot tub, fire place, murphy bed, and a few chairs. Oh, and a huge empty space. They don't even have a sofa that faces the fireplace so you can relax and enjoy it. We did hop into the hot tub but we were extremely grossed out when we turned on the jets and all this dust mixed into our bath. I would not spend the money to stay here again. Note: We did look at some other rooms since doors were open for cleaning when we left and a few of them are nice and worth while. Our was not.