​​Tribal-owned hotels in St. Paul temporarily close over safety concerns

Two downtown St. Paul hotels owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe temporarily closed Sunday, citing safety and security concerns, according to MPR News. The DoubleTree St. Paul Downtown and the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront suspended operations after the Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures Board of Directors voted to “temporarily suspend” hotel operations. Guests received letters Sunday morning notifying them their reservations were canceled.

According to MPR News, the two properties account for more than 600 rooms. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said her office has been in contact with Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures to determine what support the city can provide and said the city supports steps taken to protect hotel workers during the closure. The decision follows public questions raised by some tribal members about whether federal law enforcement agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, had stayed at the hotels.