My Wife, my 8 yr old daughter, and myself were in Bloomington for 5 days for a Mall of America and Valley Fair trip. Crowne Plaza is perfectly situated between the two, with only a few minutes' drive to either. It's close to everything you'd need, really. Plenty of shopping and food choices within walking distance.

The place is very quiet. You don't hear the nearby freeway at all, you don't hear noise from the pool, you don't even hear people in the halls. The rooms are spacious and clean, the wifi is free, the TV is large with lots of channels, and the beds are very comfortable. My daughter loved having her own double bed! The hotel is well maintained, very clean, and had pretty much every amenity I would expect from a 3.5-star hotel. The pictures on their website are accurate. The decor is very up to date, so much so that they were still completing some of the renovations while we were there. I was very impressed with how the renos did not disturb any part of our stay in any way. If you didn't actually see the workers pass you in the hall, you would never have known they were there.

The pool/spa area is super clean and well maintained. We spent the beginning and end of each day here, and were thoroughly relaxed. Hot tub is large, has good heat and strong jets. Showers and towels at pool-side. There's not a lot that is specifically for kids at this hotel, but my daughter was here for Valley Fair and 'The Mall', even the pool was a bonus for her.

We only ate at the restaurant once during this stay. Food was great, a good kids menu, staff were friendly and accommodating, and the funky decor in the restaurant is really interesting.

We never used the room service, or the shuttle.

This is a very nice, clean, and quiet hotel with friendly and helpful staff at the front desk, lounge, restaurant, shuttle drivers, and cleaning staff. The pool is huge and inviting, bed and pillows are wonderful. I highly recommend this location in spite of the confusing entrance location. We had a great time!

When I booked this hotel I was under the impression that I would be within minutes of the MOA. I went to the hotel to check in and was told I was in the wrong hotel! I was confused as was the person right behind me! The hotel I reserved was 7 miles down highway 494! Both say Bloomington and a person unfamiliar with street names would not know unless they look at the exact distance at time of booking.
When I got to the place I did reserve there was a person at the front desk who was also confused and thought she was near the airport.
With that said, I must say the hotel management tried to be accommodating. Even tho it was 8:00pm, they were willing to cancel my reservation no charge and even found me a room at the other hotel. Unfortunately, it was New Year's Eve and the only room they had was 2 double beds on a floor they said had a big party. So I stayed with my original reservation.
The hotel used to be a Holiday Inn and compared to other Crowne Plazas I have stayed in, it was not as elegant tho it tried. I reserved a room on the "executive floor" and did enjoy the amenities. Two bottles of Fiji water, eye mask, ear plugs, and linen spray. There was also a robe and slippers and when I asked for a second robe, I got it immediately.
The hallways still looked more industrial than elegant; more like an older basic hotel. It was quiet, tho, and that was a plus considering the night.
I would recommend this hotel as long as you want to be in this location. Had I known where it was and wanted to be in that location, I would have preferred to be in the Hotel Sofitel, but this was a good value.

Very nice rooms with extra comfy beds, reliable and fast wi-fi, spacious bathrooms. The place is impeccably clean, both the individual rooms and the common spaces. Our double queen room was SILENT! They also provide a nice selection of bathroom items and a "sleep kit" with ear plugs and an eye mask. Front desk service and maid service were attentaive and friendly.

The pool, spa, and sauna were all well-maintained and a great place to spend an hour relaxing in the evening. They do not serve breakfast however, there is an interesting restaurant on the premisis but our schedule did not allow us the opportunity to try it.

Mall of America, Southdale Mall, Edina, Bloomington, and the airport are all a quick drive away. This is a really good value for the price. I would enjoy staying there again.