About
Bentleyville holiday mingle in the lobby with hot cocoa and warm family fun this season
4-7pm December 6, 12 and 20, 2025
Nestled in the heart of Duluth's historic Canal Park, The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza offers more than just a place to stay — it's a welcoming retreat with thoughtful amenities designed to make your visit as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. Whether you're traveling for business, a romantic getaway, or a family vacation, our hotel provides a range of comforts to suit every traveler. Discover the newly renovated spacious suite-style accommodations with full kitchens. Enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and a heated indoor pool, we're here to help you feel right at home while enjoying everything Lake Superior and downtown Duluth have to offer.
Where Rails Meet Water
The Duluth headquarters of Marshall-Wells was unique in that ships loaded with hardware from the factories out east might moor right alongside the structure to unload. After employees inventoried the shipment they would load rail cars within the building and send them off to the farthest reaches of the Great Northwest. The company was indeed located “at the ZENITH where rails and water meet”. To this day, all native Duluthians know their city as the “Zenith City”.
The Buildings
The current buildings where restaurants and the Suites are located were built in 1889. The Douglas Fir timbers you can see coming from the State of Washington. The large column timbers you can see in the restaurants are 24″x24″x20′ and cost $12.66 each, delivered. The original building was 8 stories tall and had an identical one just to the west. The west building was torn down and the top 5 floors of the existing building in 1967 by Marine Iron & Ship Building Company, the second and current owner of the property. When the two warehouse buildings were built, they were the third largest in the world.
