Minneapolis will soon get a new hotel that its owners are describing as "industrial schoolhouse chic," USA Today reports. Noble House Hotels and Resorts says the new Commons Hotel, scheduled to open in October, is inspired by its ties to the University of Minnesota and the industrial history of the Twin Cities. It embodies "a sense of inner geek in a chic setting," the company said in a press release.

The 49-year-old Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis will close in mid-December and reopen in April. Once the renovation work is officially complete in mid-June, Twin Cities Business writes each guest room will feature a plasma television, high-speed Internet and a mini refrigerator. Millennium's current restaurant and bar will also be replaced.

The Vice President will be in Minnesota to help Sen. Amy Klobuchar raise money for her re-election campaign. Guests invited to the private fundraiser at the Hilton Hotel are being asked to donate up to $25,000 each.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. is buying the 216-room Comfort Suites hotel in downtown Minneapolis and plans to give it a $20 million face-lift, Business Journal reports. Meanwhile, The Hotel Minneapolis has also changed ownership.

The new “smart” meters that accept credit cards that now regulate about 75 percent of the city’s paid parking spaces have led to fewer parking tickets and increased revenue, the Southwest Journal reports. The city made about $7.5 million from parking last year, up $1 million from 2010, when the new machines were first installed.