Minneapolis draws its biggest crowds in summer, when the lakes sparkle and Theodore Wirth Regional Park's 750 acres fill with walkers. But winter has its own appeal — if you plan for it. The city hosts the Lake Harriet Kite Festival and the Great Northern Festival each cold season, and hardier visitors can snowshoe or ice fish at Lake of the Isles. The trick is having somewhere warm to come back to, which is where a hot-tub-equipped rental earns its keep.

TravelAwaits has rounded up seven Airbnbs across the city that make a frosty trip genuinely appealing, and the range is broader than you might expect.

The standout for amenities is a three-bedroom in Northeast Minneapolis that hides a hot tub and a two-person sauna behind a plain exterior, plus a finished basement with a game room — it sleeps up to ten, so it works well for groups. Families with young kids might prefer the six-bedroom Enchanted House, which has an enchanted-forest bedroom with a tipi, a themed game room, a small movie theatre, a covered hot tub, and even an EV charger.

For something with character, the penthouse room at Historic 300 Clifton is a mansion-style B&B decked out in Gilded Age furnishings, with communal areas that feel like a period drama set. The catch: the outdoor hot tub nook costs extra at $49 an hour. Elsewhere, the Lowry Treetop is a two-bedroom in a 1916 home in the leafy Lowry Hill neighbourhood, walking distance to Lowry Park and a short drive from the Chain of Lakes, with a shared hot tub and sauna.

Downtown types have two options: the Central Downtown Flat, a two-bedroom with skyline views and access to a rooftop lounge, indoor pool and gym (parking included), or the 5-Star Condo, which adds a private balcony, rooftop pool, game room and movie theatre — though note this one has no hot tub. Budget travellers should look at the 3BR Home near Victory Memorial Parkway: it sleeps up to sixteen and is among the cheaper hot-tub options, though it sits a little further from the downtown action.

Why bother with Minneapolis in winter at all? The city leans into the season rather than shutting down. Free festivals, groomed trails and frozen lakes mean there's plenty to do — and stepping into a steaming hot tub after an afternoon on the ice is half the fun. Big groups and families get the most value here, since several of these rentals sleep ten or more and cost less per head than a downtown hotel in peak summer.