 The Main Mall at Terminal 1-Lindbergh.
Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) recently named Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) as having the Best Airport Retail Program of any large airport in North America.
ACI-NA is the airport industry’s leading trade association, representing airports throughout the North American continent. The ACI-NA Excellence in Airport Concessions Awards recognizes the most innovative and outstanding airport concessions.
As part of ACI-NA’s annual concession awards program, airports and airport concessionaires provide detailed award submissions that include design and layout descriptions, sales and service goals, and branding information. ACI-NA then announces the winners at its annual conference and exhibition.
“It’s important to find the right mix of local and national brands, unique specialty retail, and passenger services to satisfy the tastes and needs of people from all over the world,” said Eric Johnson, director of commercial management and airline affairs at the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “The retail program at MSP International is reflective of Minnesota and the region so that even people just catching a connecting flight at MSP Airport have some sense of the area.”
The ACI-NA concessions award comes less than two months after MSP was recognized by ACI World as the Best Airport in North America in its size category and by SkyTrax for having the Best Airport Staff in North America.
Two MSP Airport venues also won first place in their respective categories.
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• Locally–owned Angel Food Bakery and Donut Bar, which opened in 2016 on Concourse E at Terminal 1-Lindbergh, won Best New Food and Beverage concept in the quick serve category. |
 • Explore AFAR, which opened in 2016 on Concourse C at Terminal 1, won Best New News and Gift concept.
Over the past year, MSP opened 47 new retail (33) and restaurant (14) venues as part of a two-phase overhaul of its concessions program. Find a listing of them all at this website.
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The first hotel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was commemorated recently with a concrete-pouring event near the construction site along the access road to Terminal 1-Lindbergh.
The hotel project -- which is a partnership led by Minneapolis-based Graves Hospitality and Intercontinental Real Estate Corp., based in Boston – will be a 12-story building with 291 rooms and its own TSA security checkpoint.
The new InterContinental Hotel will have a sky bridge providing guests direct access to the airport. Other hotel amenities include two restaurants, a penthouse-level observation bar, a conference facility, a business center, fitness center and a world-class spa.
A video showing what the finished hotel will look like can be found at this link.
 The InterContinental Hotel under construction at MSP.
The event near the construction site featured leaders of Graves Hospitality, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and other key businesses supporting the development of the hotel.
“We know that the InterContinental brand is the perfect fit for this high-profile airport location,” said Benjamin Graves, president and COO of Graves Hospitality.
Brian Ryks, executive director and CEO of the MAC, said that the InterContinental “will provide a great mix of style, comfort and convenience that will be a great reflection on the airport – and on Minnesota – to visitors from across the globe.”
 The hotel was designed by RSP Architects, a Minneapolis-based firm, and is being built by PCL Construction. Exterior finishes include stone and wood encasing a glass curtain wall. Local material used on the project includes Kasota stone and Cold Spring granite.
Pictured: Jim Graves, chairman and CEO of Graves Hospitality, left, standing; Benjamin Graves, president and COO, seated; and Brian Ryks, MAC CEO, right.
The hotel, which is set to open in the summer of 2018, is being built as MSP is undergoing a wide range of capital investments to improve the airport experience for travelers. A new 5,000-space parking ramp and auto rental facility will start construction soon near Terminal 1-Lindbergh’s existing Blue and Red ramps.
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 A new exit plaza for auto traffic will open this summer as well, and the airport is in the early stages of a multi-year program to expand and modernize the ticketing and baggage claim levels of Terminal 1.
Pictured: Hotel construction workers at the concrete-pouring event.
Four new gates recently opened at Terminal 2-Humphrey, and the concession program at the airport is in the midst of a large-scale makeover with 50 new retail outlets and restaurants already opened or planned, and more in the works.
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 Sports MN has opened at Terminal 1-Lindbergh in the Main Mall in a high-visibility location across from Stone Arch restaurant and bar.
Sports MN will offer a variety of sport jerseys, hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts featuring Minnesota sports teams. The store also offers drinkware, socks, backpacks, children’s apparel and accessories.
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 JetSet News recently opened its newly renovated location on the tram level of Terminal 1-Lindbergh.
The convenience store carries magazines, beverages, snacks, sundries and a limited grab n’ go cooler with sandwiches, yogurt, and other pre-packaged foods.
The location serves a high-traffic area for customers headed to and from the terminal and transportation options.
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Another concession that opened recently is The Chiroport cart at Terminal 2- Humphrey.
This is The Chiroport's third
location at MSP. The first two are located at Terminal 1 on Concourses C and F.
The
Chiroport offers chiropractic services including adjustments and muscle work.
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