Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis temporarily lays off workers for renovation

The Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis is temporarily laying off 87 employees while the facility is closed for renovations this winter.

Layoffs are expected to start on Nov. 4, according to a WARN notice the hotel recently filed with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. All affected employees have been notified. Most or all of them are expected to return to work in March for training.

“Remaining open during this time would be too disruptive to our guests and hotel operations. ... An update on reopening will be provided at a later date,” the Millennium Hotel said in a prepared statement to the Star Tribune.

The 321-room Millennium Hotel is at 1313 Nicollet Mall at the southern end of downtown Minneapolis.

The project budget has not been disclosed. In its letter to the state, a hotel representative described the project as a “complete refurbishing.” The website of Hospitality Minnesota calls it a “multi-million dollar renovation project.”

Two unions, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 70 and Unite Here Local 17, represent some Millennium Hotel employees while others are not represented by a union.

Affected jobs include banquet server, cook, house attendant, housekeeper, kitchen steward and laundry attendant.

Temporary layoffs are uncommon, but many businesses took those measures in response to the economic impact of the COVID pandemic.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts is a global company based in Singapore.

The Millennium Hotel previously closed for a few months for a $22 million renovation, completed in 2013.