St. Paul's Holiday Party Destination

If you're looking for the ideal location to host your company, organization, or family's holiday party, search no further! Cork's Irish Pub and the Embassy Suites St. Paul - Downtown are the ideal holiday event destination.

From our friendly, experienced event staff to holiday centerpieces and your choice of colored linens, let Cork's and the Embassy Suites take care of all the details, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the wonder of the season. Plus, when you host your party here, you don't even have to worry about anyone getting home safely, since you can offer our special holiday "Take the Elevator Home" Group Rate to your attendees.

With a variety of menu options and several choice dates still available, we ensure your holiday party is an event to remember. We'll even throw in a Gift Certificate for your employee holiday raffle!

Plus, right now we're offering meeting planners an extra special bonus for entrusting their holiday parties to us. Book now and receive a FREE Kindle Fire*!

The choice is clear when you choose Cork's Irish Pub and the Embassy Suites St. Paul - Downtown for your holiday party.

For more information or to reserve your date, please contact our catering department at 651-379-5061.


*Kindle Fire bonus available for parties with a minimum of $4,000 in food and beverage.

Happy Halloween - Embassy Suites St. Paul Facebook Photo Contest

With Halloween right around the corner, we decided it was high time to host another photo contest with our friends, the Embassy Suites St. Paul! This time, we're making the contest even bigger, though. Instead of just one winner, we decided to have two! Winners will each receive a one-night stay certificate to the Embassy Suites St. Paul.

Entering the contest is easy too! Simply snap an in-costume photo of your friends at a party this weekend, or your kids trick-or-treating next week, or even your cat dressed up for Halloween, and post it to the Embassy Suites St. Paul Facebook page's Wall.

Just in time for any pre-Halloween parties tonight, the contest starts today and runs through next Sunday, November 4, 2012. Capture your friends or even your kids all decked out for a spooktacular Halloween. Then, upload the picture to the Embassy Suites St. Paul Facebook page's Wall. (Easily accomplished from any smart phone).

Once your photo is uploaded, use the share feature to encourage your friends to Like the Embassy Suites St. Paul on Facebook AND your photo. Our two winners will be chosen as follows: The KID photo and the ADULT (not in content, just in age) photo with the most 'Likes' will each win a one-night stay at the Embassy Suites St. Paul, (which you know includes the delicious cooked-to-order breakfast and nightly manager's reception).

One final rule, though, please keep ALL photo submissions family friendly. We work to maintain a welcoming community on our page, and any inappropriate photos will be deleted immediately and disqualified from the contest.

That's pretty much it. Like the Embassy Suites St. Paul on Facebook and have a happy Halloween. We can't wait to see you all in your BOO-tiful costumes!

The Fine Print: Contest rules and ultimate winner remain subject to the discretion of the management team of the Embassy Suites St. Paul. Participants may share as many photos as they like; however, it may not increase their chances of winning. By posting a photo to the Embassy Suites St. Paul's Facebook Page, participants are agreeing that their image may be used by the Embassy Suites St. Paul on Facebook to promote this specific contest for its duration. In the event of a tie, a winner will be picked at random from all tying entries. One night stay is valid for any room type or night, excepting New Year's Eve. Photos must be uploaded and voted on during the specific contest period (Friday, October 26, 2012 - Sunday, November 4, 2012) to be considered a valid submission. Additionally, management reserves the right to delete any photo submissions of an inappropriate nature at their discretion. Any deleted photo submissions are deemed disqualified.

MEA Looms - Stay Over With the Kids

With the teachers away at conferences this week, the kids have an extra early start to their weekend. If you're worried about what to do, why not bring them to stay? 

With a pool on-site, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, and the fun of watching our ducks enjoy their run of the atrium, the Embassy Suites St. Paul Downtown is the perfect spot for a mini staycation! Let us worry about making the kids breakfast and the beds, and you can enjoy some much deserved fun. 

With our close proximity to most of the downtown attractions, hours of fun await. From the Science Museum of Minnesota with Tornado Alley showing in the Omni Theater to the Minnesota Children's Museum with all the hands-on fun, there's something for kids of any age. Add in all of St. Paul's unique restaurants, interesting parks, and boutique shopping and you've got yourself quite an adventure. 

Then, after a long day of adventures and exploring, head back to the hotel for some R & R. Relax by the pool (or in the jacuzzi) while the kids splash around and let Cork's Irish Pub whip up some dinner. If you'd like, you don't even need to leave the comfort of your suite. We can deliver room service while you catch up on your favorite show or even the latest family blockbuster. 

Sounds pretty nice, right?! 

Plus, if you're a fan of the Embassy Suites St. Paul Downtown on Facebook, the deal gets even sweeter, because Facebook fans get an extra 10% off standard rates. To book using the Facebook rate, simply Like us on Facebook, and then CLICK HERE to book through our special Facebook Fan booking window.

Whether you stay with us or not, have a great break! 

Top 10 Things to Do in the Twin Cities - Fall

Fall has arrived, and in a hurry no doubt. From the rapidly changing colors to the sub-freezing overnight temperatures, it's that time when we, as Minnesotans, buckle down and prepare ourselves for what we know is coming, the big S-word. Snow.

However, before those flakes fly, it's the perfect time to get out there and take advantage of some of the best our Twin Cities have to offer in the fall. We've kept you posted on a few of them, but make sure you round out the season with the rest of our list. That way, you won't feel guilty hibernating those dreary, cold winter days away.

Top 10 Things to Do in the Twin Cities - Fall Edition

1. Check out the gorgeous fall colors. From Afton State Park on the beautiful St. Croix River to Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis to the phenomenal landscape offered at Mounds Park, foliage viewing is plentiful. Given our state's commitment to natural resource preservation, we'd be willing to wager that there is some good park space for leaf watching near you!
2. Cheer on some runners. (Or even get into the game yourself already!) From the world-famous Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon to Minnesota's own costume-encouraged Monster Dash races, October is the season for some good running. Watching the winner of a marathon cross the finish line or the outfits that some people can run an entire half marathon in are both equally entertaining. 
3. Head back to the Fair. The Minnesota State Fairgrounds host more than just the Great Minnesota Get Together. From car shows to book festivals, swap meets and auctions, there are often quite a few fun (and occasionally free) events to check out. 
4. Get your shop on. From Grand Avenue to the Mall of America and everything in between, fall is a great time to get a jump start on that holiday shopping. Beat the crowds (and the weather) and enjoy the peace of mind of being ahead of the game. 
5. Celebrate learning new things. Both the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota Children's Museum are located in close proximity to one another in our beautiful capitol city. With Tornado Alley showing in the Omni Theater at the Science Museum to crawling around in an "ant hill" at the Children's Museum, two entire afternoons of fun await your whole family! 
6. Apples, apples, apples! Visiting the apple orchard has to be the quintessentially Minnesotan fall activity. From hayrides to getting to pick your own apples, visiting the apple orchard is a fun way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. Then, you can use your freshly picked bounty to create a homemade apple pie, apple crisp, or even just some baked apples. Think of how great your house will smell as that pie finishes baking during the Vikings game. 
7. Skol Vikings! Speaking of Vikings, they're really on a roll aren't they?! (Knock on wood, of course). Catching tickets to a game at Mall of America field and tailgating the time to kick-off away is another fun fall activity. 
8. Zoo it up. From St. Paul's very own Como Zoo and Conservatory to the Minnesota Zoo, a visit transports you worlds away from Minnesota. Both zoos have tropics exhibits, where the warm humid air and brightly colored animal residents will have you forgetting all about winter's approach. Plus, visiting during the fall months means not only are there less crowds, but the animals are often more lively since they're not hot and sleepy as in the summer months.
9. Embrace the arts. We're so lucky here in the Twin Cities to have so many great art museums in our community. From the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to the Walker with its outdoor sculpture garden (Cherry on the Spoon ring a bell?), our art community is first-rate! Another great art museum is the Weisman on the U of M Campus. Make a day of it or have a scavenger hunt and try to find much-loved pieces at each site.
10. Enjoy a meal out. Now's the time when most restaurants are transitioning to their new Fall/Winter menus, highlighting the best the season has to offer. Look for more root vegetables and lots of delicious pumpkin, butternut squash, and spiced options. (Note: Also look for Cork's new menu in the next few weeks too!) 

We hope our list gives you a great starting point to a fabulously, fun fall. Make sure to let us know in the comments section if we've left anything out! 

Twin Cities Marathon Fever

It's that time of year again, when marathon fever descends on St. Paul. This weekend marks, "The 31st running of The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America®." Over three decades in the making, the race features an entire weekend's worth of activities.

Beginning on Friday, October 5, the Health & Fitness Expo takes over the lower level of the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Not only can race participants pick-up their race packets, but there are also product exhibits and sales, visits and talks from famous athletes and experts, and even product demos and samples. Then, on Saturday, a 5K, 10K, and family races take place on the State Capitol Grounds. (The Expo continues as well if you didn't make it on Friday).

Then, Sunday, October 7 is the big day! With the famous Medtronic TC 10 Mile kicking things off, the 'Shortcut to the Capitol®' circumvents most of the Minneapolis portion of the race, heading down the Mississippi before crossing into St. Paul from the race's start at Mall of America Field. Spectators come from all over to position themselves along the way, cheering and encouraging runners.

The full Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon participants start less than an hour behind the 10 Mile gun, also at Mall of America Field, but their 26.2 mile journey brings them down through Minneapolis and around the Chain of Lakes before heading back to St. Paul. Both race courses boast a picturesque final descent from Summit Avenue to the finish line on the State Capitol Grounds. The elite marathoners are so fast that they finish the full marathon and cross the finish line before all of the 10 Mile participants finish. It's an amazing sight to behold.

If you're headed downtown to race, cheer, watch, or even just check out the Expo, stop in and see us! It's supposed to be a chilly weekend, and we're happy to warm you up with a hearty meal and friendly service.

Post-race on Sunday, feel free to stop in and celebrate too! We'll have $5 Bloody Marys all day and a build your own Bloody Mary Bar from 11am-4pm. Couple that with our famous brunch and that's a meal worthy of the champion you know you are! 

A hearty s'lainte and our best well wishes to all of the participants this weekend!

For more information on the The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America, feel free to visit their website: http://www.mtcmarathon.org/.