Hotel Landing Wayzata Review: Is It Worth It?

The short version: I’ve stayed here more times than any other hotel, and it’s a 6.5. Both of those are true. Hotel Landing is a boutique, very Minnesota hotel on Lake Minnetonka, in the affluent suburb of Wayzata. It’s quiet, well built and friendly, with good restaurants a short walk away. It’s a 4-star hotel, light on amenities, and it’s a drive from downtown Minneapolis. Come to visit family or for a quiet few days on the lake, more than as a tourist.

I stayed at Hotel Landing most recently from October 5 to 15, 2026, when I went back to Minnesota to visit my parents. I’ve stayed here several times over the years, in fall, winter and summer, which is why the photos below jump between the seasons. I paid for the stay myself, and nothing was comped.

Pros

• A boutique hotel with a strong local feel, Minnesota art everywhere
• Very soundproof and well built. You never hear other guests
• Friendly, fast, no-fuss service. Minnesota nice is real
• Wayzata is safe, clean and peaceful, with good restaurants 5 to 10 minutes’ walk away, right on the lake
• In winter, Christmas lights, outdoor dining igloos and skating on the frozen lake

Cons

• A drive from downtown Minneapolis, about 20 to 25 minutes, and not much for tourists to do nearby
• Light on amenities for a hotel that charges a $35-a-night amenity fee
• One restaurant, American, and the sides add up

Arriving

Hotel Landing is in Wayzata, an affluent suburb on Lake Minnetonka, right by downtown Wayzata. It’s a bit of a drive from the airport, about 35 to 40 minutes. It’s not in downtown Minneapolis either, which is 20 to 25 minutes away if you rent a car or take an Uber.

The lobby is a normal size, clean and well kept, and check-in is simple and smooth. There are sometimes conferences on the second floor, but you never hear them.

In the winter months, they light the hotel up with Christmas lights and put up little domes out front where you can eat outside. It has a nice Christmas feel to it.

The room: 6.5 out of 10

I had a king room, number 424. It’s a standard size and a pretty standard upscale 4-star room: modern, clean, and everything works. The best thing about it is how soundproof it is. You really never hear guests in the hallway or in the other rooms. The hotel is very well built that way.

The bed is pretty big and comfortable, with four pillows, though the sheets are on the lighter side. My view was over the rooftop terrace, not the lake.

The bathroom has a walk-in shower with subway tile and a big round lit mirror. One thing I appreciated: the water is softened, which is a big deal in Minnesota because of how dry it gets, especially in winter.

One thing to know: every so often you can hear the train blowing its horn, often in the morning, around 8. It’s not frequent, and it’s random, but it’s a loud horn, and it may well wake you up. I don’t think you can avoid it based on which room you pick.

The food: 6 out of 10

The food is decent. There’s one restaurant, Belle & Grey, off the lobby, and it’s American, so don’t expect a range of cuisines. It’s a nice setting that feels a little European, kind of like the Sacher in Austria, and on weekends they sometimes have live music. There’s no buffet, and breakfast isn’t included in the rate.

When I go down for breakfast, I like to get the steak and eggs. (Full review: Belle & Grey.) Right across the street there’s also Sushi Fix, and Sakana is a short walk down Lake Street. 6Smith, right on the lake, is at the far end of it, and CōV, with the best lake view in town, is on Lake Street at the back of the lake. For lunch or dinner, I get the steak frites, and the gem Caesar is pretty good too.

One thing about the pricing: the sides add up. A small piece of salmon on the side is about $21.

Upstairs there’s a lounge and tasting room with a library. It looks cozy, and they sometimes hold small events there; a group was using it during my stay. I didn’t go in, since I don’t drink.

The setting: 7 out of 10

It’s a nice, quiet setting, and the hotel leans into where it is. Sprinkled throughout is a lot of local artwork, like gazebos overlooking lakes. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, and a gazebo with the water at the end is a very typical Minnesota feature; if you grew up here, you’ve sat in a lot of them. It’s nice to see. It feels like a locally designed hotel, down to the names, like the Läka Spa.

The Läka Spa

I didn’t try it, but I looked in. It’s Nordic-style, bright and relaxing inside, and it’s open to the public. A 50-minute massage is $160 and an 80-minute is $205, plus a 20% service charge, which is a little high in my view. There’s no discount for guests, and it has nothing to do with the $35 amenity fee.

The gym

The gym is small but appropriate for the price level: treadmills, some bikes, dumbbells and one of the larger machines, with chilled towels and a water-bottle filler with glasses. Two things I’d fix: a couple of the treadmills weren’t working when I was there, and there are no ellipticals.

Service: 7 out of 10

The service is pretty good. In Minnesota there’s a term, Minnesota nice, meaning Minnesotans are nicer than the average American, and as a Minnesotan, I think it’s true. It’s certainly true here.

The best example from this stay: they gave me a very nice extended-stay rate, and they let me check out at 4 p.m. on the last day. It wasn’t free, $75, but they made it easy. And by the end of 10 days, the server at Belle & Grey knew my breakfast order and, a little cheekily, that I’d be asking for a table with an outlet so I could work. That counts for a lot.

The everyday stuff is fast and no-fuss too. One time the AC wasn’t working, I called, and they fixed it quickly. Another time I asked for a dental kit, and they brought it right up.

It’s not personalized the way the true 5-star hotels are, and I wouldn’t expect it to be. For a 4-star, the service is a real strength.

What it cost

All prices here are for one person, from my folio. This stay was 10 nights, October 5 to 15, 2026, in a king room, and it was just me.

The total came to $5,241.99, which is $524 a night all in, for everything.

That breaks down to:

• Room: $3,770, an average of $377 a night before tax. That was an extended-stay rate. The first three nights were $476, and once the longer-stay rate kicked in, the rest ran between about $293 and $353.
• Destination amenity fee: $35 a night, $350 for the stay. I don’t know what it’s supposed to cover. The only real amenity is the small gym, so it seems odd to charge it. Either way, it’s effectively part of the room rate, so count it.
• Late checkout: $75.
• Food: about $555, mostly Belle & Grey, eight visits over 10 days, so roughly $55 a visit, plus $10 from the minibar.
• Taxes: about $407.

Room, amenity fee and their taxes come to about $447 a night. Without the extended-stay rate, rooms run between $300 and $500 a night depending on the season. Breakfast isn’t included.

Value: 6 out of 10

Fair: a 4-star room at 4-star prices, no more and no less. The service is friendly, there’s a restaurant and a lounge in the hotel and plenty nearby, and you’re in a very nice, affluent area. It’s a lot less than the Four Seasons downtown, so for a regular trip back home, it’s a very reasonable stay. The $35 amenity fee is the one thing I’d grumble about.

What to do nearby

Within 5 to 10 minutes’ walk, you’re in downtown Wayzata, right on the lake. It’s a family community, and a peaceful one. The main street is lined with restaurants, with people walking along the water, and sometimes a fancy car going by, so if you like cars, you can car spot. There’s a little area with water features that little kids like to run around in. There’s also an old train station you can visit, with mini trains outside and a nice little garden with places to sit and read.

It’s also a place with a lot of memories for me. I went to middle school nearby, and this is where people hung out in high school, especially the Ben & Jerry’s, which is still there, and still full of teenagers. I came here a lot with friends and family growing up, and still do. It’s especially nice in the evenings.

In summer, there’s James J. Hill Days, a lively festival downtown that I went to and recommend.

For dinner, there are many restaurants.

• Makanda: Asian and Latin fusion, along the lake. I strongly recommend it.
• CōV: new American, also along the lake. Recommended.
• Sushi Fix: a good Japanese restaurant nearby.
• Sakana: casual sushi across from the lake, quick and fairly priced. The toro is the standout.

In summer, you can get a boat and go out on the lake, and there are the docks downtown.

In winter, you can skate on the frozen lake downtown, and the trees are lit up. A fun fact: in winter, if you rent a car, you can actually drive it on the lake. It’s perfectly safe, because they measure the thickness of the ice, and you can drive around the lake and over to the little islands on it. I love doing this with my family every winter; you can see a car out in the distance in one of the photos below.

Vs. staying downtown

If you’re a tourist who wants to do more, I’d probably recommend a hotel downtown instead, like the Four Seasons Minneapolis, where I just reviewed Mara, one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I haven’t stayed downtown myself, so I can’t score those. If you want the suburban Minnesota version, by the lake, I’d recommend Hotel Landing.

Who it’s for

It’s for a relaxing stay if you’re visiting family or want a few quiet days on the lake. If your family lives in the western suburbs, this is the hotel. It could also work for a staycation or for couples, though there’s not a lot to do.

It’s less suited to business travelers, because of the location, or to a family trip with kids who want to see Minneapolis. For those, you probably want to be downtown.

Tips if you go

• Rent a car. Downtown Minneapolis is 20 to 25 minutes away.
• Walk into downtown Wayzata for dinner. Makanda and CōV are both on the lake. Ben & Jerry’s after, if you have kids, or if you grew up here.
• Get the steak and eggs at breakfast, or the steak frites later in the day. Go easy on the sides; a small piece of salmon is about $21.
• Breakfast isn’t included, so budget for it or walk into town.
• Staying a while? Ask about an extended-stay rate. Mine dropped from $476 a night to about $300–350.
• Budget for the $35-a-night amenity fee on top of the room rate, and $75 if you want a 4 p.m. checkout.
• In winter, book a dome out front for dinner, go skating on the lake, and if you have a car, drive out on the ice. They measure it.

Verdict: 6.5/10

For most people, it’s a 6.5: a comfortable, quiet, well-built hotel in a nice area, with friendly service and good restaurants nearby. It’s not a resort, and it doesn’t try to be.

But if your family lives out here, it’s the hotel.

Would I stay again? Probably, yes. Whenever I visit Minnesota, this is where I’d look first, though I might try another suburban hotel at some point for comparison.

FAQ

Is Hotel Landing worth it?

Yes, for a relaxing stay in a nice 4-star hotel in a very nice area, at $300 to $500 a night plus a $35 amenity fee. My 10-night stay came to $524 a night all in, with an extended-stay rate. If you’re a tourist who wants to see Minneapolis, stay downtown instead.

How far is Hotel Landing from downtown Minneapolis?

About 20 to 25 minutes by car or Uber.

Is Hotel Landing quiet?

Yes. It’s very soundproof, and you never hear other guests. The one exception is an occasional train horn.

Does Hotel Landing have a pool?

No. There’s a small gym and the Läka Spa (massages from $160 for 50 minutes, plus 20%).

What’s the best restaurant nearby?

Makanda, for Asian and Latin fusion, and CōV, both along the lake. For Japanese, Sushi Fix, or Sakana for something quicker and more casual.

Is it good for families?

It works for visiting family. For a family trip with kids, there’s not much to do nearby, and you’ll probably want to be downtown.

How much is the Läka Spa?

A 50-minute massage is $160 and an 80-minute is $205, plus a 20% service charge. It’s open to the public, and there’s no guest discount.

Does Hotel Landing do late checkout?

Yes. They gave me 4 p.m. on my last day, for $75.

Does Hotel Landing have a Michelin Key?

No. It’s not in the Michelin Guide’s hotel selection.

Would you stay again?

Probably. It’s where I’d look first when visiting Minnesota, though I might try another suburban hotel for comparison.