James Luckard

Opened yesterday:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat...ropertyID=4013

Across the street from the former Sheraton Bloomington, which is now a DoubleTree.

MSPeconomist

Good, although this property and the Westin Edina are both too far to serve as airport hotels (and at least the Westin doesn't provide shuttle service, so it's a pretty expensive taxi ride).

Rolling Stone

This is great news. Now I'll have another property to get points at other than that nasty Four Points when the Westin Edina Galleria is full. I hope they're keeping the French restaurant at the Sheraton - it has great food.

That seems like an odd comment to make. I don't believe either hotel has ever billed itself as an airport property.

born sleepy

Cool, a reasonable alternative to the awful, dank Sheraton Minnetonka. Will probably stay there next month.

jkingsle

Anyone have any recent stays?

born sleepy

I am staying there five nights starting Sunday. Will update then.

bsdstone

I'm staying there Sunday night as well...in very late, and out very early...keep it down, I need my beauty rest!

MSPeconomist

As a Sofitel, it was pretty nice and had a good French restaurant.

born sleepy

Still has a pretty good French restaurant (Colette) which was inherited from Sofitel. The hotel looks old and dated outside but is quite nice with a large atrium lobby. I was upgraded to a huge suite which had a mix of the usual Sheraton stuff and I guess left-over Sofitel furniture. Very quiet and facing into the atrium so no sunlight waking me up early.

Downside is it's fairly isolated and eating anywhere besides Colette means a car trip. But Colette is good and I ate there 4 of 5 nights. Checked out today and will be back on Sunday.

I would prefer Le Meridien Chambers but it is too much of a drive to my customer from downtown and traffic here is pretty awful both ways; the notion of a reverse commute in Minneapolis doesn't really exist anymore, and if there's any snow it becomes stupid-slow.

MSPeconomist

Yep, Colette was it, but there was both a fairly formal French restaurant and a more casual French bistro when it was a Sofitel.

Have you tried the Westin Edina Galleria? It's on the same side of downtown, just a bit north (roughly at Highway 62 rather than roughly at I-494) of the Sofitel. It has a McCormick and Schmucks seafood restaurant in the lobby (and also doing its room service). In addition, it's attached to a fancy indoor shopping mall with some restaurants, several of which are interesting. There's free covered parking.

bsdstone

Agree completely with this assessment. I stayed here last Monday night and was satisfied with the hotel. It's in a strange transition that still has some french touches, but mostly has Sheraton feel to it.

The club lounge is on the mezzanine level and seems to be an afterthought/temporary location. I stopped in for breakfast and made a latte and had a quiche type dish...both of which were very good.

If I'm back in the area, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.^

born sleepy

Yes, that is temporary. I only ever got coffee there. Unsure when/where the permanent location ends up. The coffee shop in the NE corner has decent stuff and some drop-dead-decadent dessert things.

Back again tomorrow for another week. I'd check out the Westin Edina but this property is too close to my customer to consider changing, and they're storing some of my property over the weekend anyway that I might want back

tstad

Does anyone know if they still have the small bakery too, or just the main retaurant Colette? They used to have great French pastries.

heraclitus

Man, I hope Colette stays... it is one of my favourite hotel restaurants. Excellent bang for the buck too.

MSPeconomist

Yes and the bakery has a few tables, cafe style. There are also some outdoor tables.

The bakery makes French-stype desserts for Colette and sells them too, in addition to croissants, pain au chocolat, etc. but I didn't see any evidence of brioche in the hotel.

Evening snacks in the lounge include a variety of bite sized versions of desserts (from the French bakery) such as fruit tarts, chocolate dipped fresh strawberries, etc. Very impressive.....but surprising that cheese isn't offered, nor does the lounge serve alcohol, not even glasses of wine either as an honor bar or available for purchase when the lounge attendant is present. [I guess you could order wine from the room service menu, but I didn't ask.]

There's a large and rather unusual gift shop on the lobby level. It specializes in French stuff, including specialized Paris guidebooks, soap from Provence, kids' books, wine accessories, home gift things.....a strange collection but interesting.