MINNeSTAY — Local services in Richfield

Don't do business with this company. They are dishonest.

I've been corresponding with this company all day via email. I asked a simple request - your terms/conditions for a stay before I paid for anything. I just wrote my 9th email to them - this time telling them to ignore my initial request. All emails were replied to asking me for information and/or to pay before I got requested information which seemed very odd.

In my second email I informed them I was a fraud investigator and was hesitant to pay over their website since it was not working. The links to the terms and conditions did not work. The Captchas on their page did not work. There were fees that were not listed. I then reminded them again of my issues with submitting a payment through an insecure site and was told to pay over the phone - terms and conditions still not provided.

At this point I was suspicious and started digging around. They charge multiple different rates on muliple different sites - which at first may not strike a person as odd as long as you landed on the correct site. Although it is against the Robinson Patman Act to do such things intentionally and I noticed anywhere a person would go to rent a hotel, resort, or accommodation with some sort of discounted price was hundreds of dollars more than at their direct site. They may say due to third party fees - but the sheer amount of discrepancies between sites did not leave this impression. It appears more they are hoping that a more uneducated person that is lower class and looking for a discount will only look at places like Hotel.com, Expedia, AirB&B, Vrbo and they will be able to charge these individuals a lot more than someone that has had the time and frame of mind to do their research.

Not to mention that most of their good reviews appears to be written professionally, and their bad reviews - were really, really* bad. I urge people to do their homework. Myself I will be filing formal complaints because I believe the world has enough sketchy businesses and fraud taking place and one thing I'm not doing is wasting my money to go somewhere on my birthday just to end up ticked off by my own misgivings.

Do your homework. Sometimes it can be a headache, but worth it in...

My wife and I were looking forward to staying several nights at this property while we closed on purchasing a house in the neighborhood. It is classic South Minneapolis architecture with finished wood floors, ornate woodwork and a lovely sun porch where one can sip coffee while watching the morning activity. There is nothing like that in our home city of San Diego from where we are relocating. Our visit gave us a chance to experience the neighborhood's unique restaurants and convenient cafes. The house is close to downtown, the urban lakes and parks and the extensive "Greenway:" trail system. The Greenway allows biking, skating, running or walking on a dedicated, paved path that runs along the old railway right-of-way that used to service the grain mills of early Minneapolis (Mill City). It runs uninterrupted and free of motor vehicles for many miles to the outer suburbs. Trendy Uptown, just a few blocks away, offers more bars, restaurants and Lunds, a specialty grocery store. The Walker Art Center is just down the street from Uptown and we walked its' outdoor sculpture garden that sprawls beneath the edge of downtown. The property is on the city bus line and freeway access and exits are just around the corner. However, no freeway sound was noticeable. Access to the airport is easy from this location. The beds were very comfortable and there was plenty of space for each resident to choose individual activities without disturbing co-lodgers. The gas stove was a treat and the full size fridge would serve the needs of a long stay. The host created an entertainment guide that was comprehensive, listing favored restaurants and lots of things to do. It was well presented to assure guests that they easily find the myriad of entertainment opportunities available in...

Gideon's Retreat was one of the most comfortable and well appointed homes I've ever stayed in. My 3 college friends and I (next year is our 50th reunion) so enjoyed the furnishings, how well the home had been cared for and renovated, and honestly, we all felt at home. The kitchen was perfect for the private chef we hired - she enjoyed cooking there as much as we enjoyed her meal. There was every kind of pot/pan/utensil we could have ever needed. The 6 burner gas stove was a joy to use. Walking to downtown Excelsior was easy. The proximity to the lake was great and while we didn't use the kayaks, it would have been easy. We were there during a particularly warm week so we didn't use the sauna - but wow - it was so nice. The instructions told us the basement was cooler - and it was - but that worked out great for the one member of our party who is "hot" all the time! It would have been nice to have a bathroom in the basement and a mirror down there - but those were minor things. Having the laundry available (basement and 2nd floor) made packing light easy! Everyone loved the primary bedroom with it's large bathroom and storage closet. The other main bathroom upstairs was perfect with its double sink and vanity. The other bedrooms were cozy and spacious at the same time. Honestly, it's a beautiful home and we really enjoyed being there. Three of us were from out of state and we'd come back again. The MN friend is already booking another stay! Thanks so much for a wonderful week in your...