MSPeconomist

FYI: This hotel is undergoing renovations, expected to be finished by summer 2015. They're still open for business but check the website or call for details regarding potential noise and other disruptions. Rates often look very reasonable.

born sleepy

Wish I'd known this when I checked in yesterday. The bakery/cafe is gone, the entire lobby is partitioned off and Colette is temporarily downstairs. Top two floors are being gutted and despite being nearly empty based on the parking lot occupancy, no suite upgrade. Only one elevator is working. Hot water was really iffy this morning.

I checked out and am now at the Le Meridian Chambers for the rest of the week, but I do look forward to the finished product because it's a great location in relation to where my customers are.

Until then I would stay away unless you need a cheap mattress run (and the Four Points Richfield is cheaper for that anyway and is a really nice hotel; I stayed there last week).

MSPeconomist

For location, try the Westin Edina Galleria. It's a wonderful hotel. It's a bit closer to downtown Minneapolis than the Sheraton Bloomington, but should work well for you. Alternatively, (as you know) the Four Points is located along the same expressway (I-494) but much closer to the airport.

SubzeroMSP

I stay in the Bloomington once a month, with or without the construction. The location is solid and an easy drive to and from the airport. Chambers is my SPG backup, but the rates are way higher there during most of the work week. Same with Westin Edina.

I will agree last time I was there I was not offered an upgrade, even though the place looked mostly empty. I will say whenever they have mix-ups they do a good job of cleaning up the situation. Missing a make a green choice, fixed the day of. Missed my bfast in room request, provided goodwill points. Will stay there again next week ... but I think I'll give some of the other downtown properties a shot.

MSPeconomist

IMO the downtown choices (Ivy, Westin, LM Chambers, W Foshoy, and aloft) are all good, but none have a lounge. You generally must pay for parking. OTOH the Westin Edina Galleria and the Sheraton Bloomington in the southern suburbs both have excellent lounge food offerings and free parking, including in a ramp/garage connected to the buidling via a (heated) underground passageway in the case of the Westin Edina Galleria.

born sleepy

The Westin Edina is stupid-expensive for some reason. It always trips the corporate scold so I've never stayed there.

At the LM you can park in the city ramp next door for $14/night.

But I think the best SPG value around MSP is the 4Pts Richfield. It's a nice hotel (you wouldn't know from the outside), has a good restaurant, free parking, and there's plenty of food options nearby. It will be my new MSP default vs the Sheraton, I think.

born sleepy

Bump. Anyone know if they are done with the construction? I have another trip thataway towards the end of the month.

uspcommuter

I was there two weeks ago. The place is still under construction. Basically everything below the second floor. You still enter in at the temp entrance in the back of the hotel. I do think they are trying to become the place to have a wedding or conference. The gym and lounge is relocated to the ground floor....kinda spooky to walk through at night, you will see what I mean.

MSPeconomist

I was told a couple weeks ago that the lobby won't move back for a couple more months. IMO the worst thing is the horrid-looking stupid temporary canopy (can it stand strong wind or are cars at risk of damage?) over the temporary main entrance that blocks access to most of the parking lot whenever anyone is loading or unloading luggage.

thecoldhandoftechnology

Front desk indicates construction is virtually complete except for a few meeting rooms and the atrium. Lobby, Front Desk, and approach are complete. Trades are still on the job running their punch lists, but I heard no significant noise.

Club is up and running in its final location (though with temporary signage). Can't speak to evening offerings, but breakfast was quite good with a nice poached egg hot main instead of the typical scrambled eggs, small but good fruit selection, pastries and cereals. Arrived too late to try the restaurant, though the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 10s at many of the tables looked cool.

The Sofitel had, IMHO, pretty good bones so the remodel turned out better than many Sheratons, but it is quite a change from the Sofitel's decor; the staff indicates it is being met with mixed reviews.

Standard King room had a small sofa bed and chair in the seating area that would have housed the second bed, it felt quite spacious for a standard room.

Didn't have time to visit the gym.

Staff was exceptionally friendly and efficient. Fine location, good update to a decent existing property.

MSPeconomist

The local Fox TV affiliate had a feature this morning about this hotel. They showed a regular king room and then a "Presidential" suite, #630 on the top floor, and said that Obama spent the night here during a recent visit to the Twin Cities.

The feature also included pictures of the lobby, restaurant/bar, and a small function room set up with a boardroom table. The independent tenant restaurant Lela's manager was on TV as was their (French sounding name and accent) chef. It's meant to be an urban restaurant in the suburbs specializing in steak, pasta, and crudo. The food looked good, including some huge brunch offerings.

motytrah

I've stayed at this property a couple times now. The most recent using "The Club" for breakfast and happy hour.

"The Club" is modest sized. It looks like they combined four rooms to create it. I was upgraded because of status but some colleagues were offered access for $20/nt rate upgrade. Others were not offered at all.

It has a self service buffet with three hot offerings that rotate. Some cold items, fruits, cereals, fresh bakery items. Coffee is an automated machine that grinds fresh beans for each cup. During happy hour they put out a very nice selection of meats, cheeses, crackers. Smaller space than a number of SPG properties, but I think they are trying to be a bit better on quality.

The Restaurant (Lela) is quite nice and is better than any of the offerings of other nearby full service hotels. It creates a bit of an decision point for breakfast. The buffet style offerings of "The Club" are fairly typical hotel stuff. But the Restaurant breakfast offerings have things like Crab Cake Benedict.

There are bars in the lobby and the restaurant. Drinks are high end in terms of spirits, vermouth, bitters selections. Most of the other full service hotels in the area are setup more like Fast Casual chain (similar to Applebees, Fridays, etc.). This was definitely going for the kind of mixology program that's more common in the downtown Minneapolis bars. The premium for the high end drinks was only about a dollar more than other properties.

Things to watch out for:

One of my colleagues had a standard room above "The Club". It opens early and the noise from the doors opening and closing was bothersome.

SPG Keyless did not workout. The check-in request didn't process until a day into my stay. Front desk staff indicated Club Level access seems to be the most problematic.

MSPeconomist

During happy hour, their good wines by the glass are half price. It's a good deal.

However, it's a bit frustrating if you want a drink from Lela's to combine with a snack in the hotel's lobby bar, which closes early because they say that there were noise complaints from the atrium view rooms.

Lela's offers several special events every month: usually a special tasting menu, dinner seats viewing the open klitchen, and a wine dinner. If you arrive and discover that there will be a wine dinner tonight, ask and you can probably still get a seat.

kevinflyaway

Very good sale going on at the moment. Rates seem to be 50% off. Had a cash+points booking and quickly changed my reservation.

Going to stay at the end of February.

MSPeconomist

This morning I got an email that Lela's restaurant is closing for an indefinite time period due to COVID-19. AFAIK the hotel lobby bar (with snacks in the early evening and a light cold breakfast offering with good coffee), lounge, and room service are run by the hotel while Lela's is a separate entity (tenant), although a long term staff member seems to work in both Lela's and the lobby bar at times. Also, when the club lounge has been closed, I've been given an appetizer voucher for Lela's. YMMV.