I stayed here when visiting friends. The rooms, although dated, where good value and of a good size. Basically a one bedroom suite with full kitchen. Mainly to be useful to visitors to the Mayo clinic.

The staff were helpful and friendly as I messed my plans around but they were flexible.

The attached restaurant served up good food and good beer with a nice fireplace.

The advertised breaksfast was worth missing

Stayed here with my husband and 2 kids for a wedding. The pictures are very misleading. We requested a 1 bedroom with 2 double beds with mini kitchen. When we checked in, they informed us the room would be in the building across the street- which is set up like a motel, hallways are outdoors, parked in front of your room. The room was repulsive, it smelled foul, and was dirty. The 'pull out couch' was actually a chair that unfolded to a cot, the arms of it I wouldn't even touch. The 'bedroom' had a double bed, and the sheets looked dirty. If we had more time, we would have switched hotels altogether. Needless to say, we switched rooms to the main building. That room was at least clean. The smell of the hallways are of lysol, lots of lysol. When we checked out first thing in the morning, I told the front clerk of how gross it was, she apologized, but it was obviously not the first complaint. She said they 'are working on updating the pictures'.
Would never stay again, so gross.

I found myself headed to Rochester, MN for a medical conference and decided to save a few dollars by avoiding the $200 per night hotels that are immediately adjacent to the Mayo Clinic. I travel quite a bit and have stayed in Best Westerns many times before with no problems. I made the reservation through Expedia, which may have been one of my problems. So... I checked in to the hotel and was told that my room was not in the main building, but one of the adjacent buildings with an external entrance. I entered the room and my first thought was "oh my!" The room was essentially a tiny efficiency apartment set up with a very small living room, full kitchen (!), small bedroom and small bathroom. The total floor space was smaller than most single hotel rooms. The thing that caught my eye initially was the disgusting carpet- old, outdated, and with more stains than I've perhaps ever seen. The rest of the unit was worn, but not terrible. There was an oversized chair/ pull out bed in the living room that appeared to be about 15 years old. I sat in it, but thought twice and seriously considered throwing a sheet over it first. Surfaces that could be wiped down easily appeared pretty clean. The room had a full sized refrigerator, stove/ oven, dishwasher and microwave, as well as a small kitchen sink and small coffee maker. Bathroom lighting was good, something that is often lacking in hotels. The alarm clock in the bedroom didn't work (at all) and when I left a note for housekeeping, it was ignored. No towel bar in the bathroom, no ice bucket, no cups for the bathroom. All small things, but they add up.
I booked this room through Expedia, and do not recall that they clearly delineated what exactly it was. That being said, it's been a few months, so I may just not remember.

So... I spent 2 nights in this room and then told the front desk that I wanted a room in the main building. I checked into my new room and found.... the Best Western I'd been expecting. Above average room with couch, small fridge, microwave and coffee pot. Free wireless internet that worked fine. It cost me $37 to upgrade for the 2 nights, plus the hassle of moving my belongs, and it was well worth it!

My guess is that the Best Western bought out some smaller motel next door, and decided to rent out the rooms "as is" rather than upgrading to Best Western standards. Depending on your needs and what you are willing to overlook, I can see times when the external rooms might be ok, such as a prolonged stay where you want to be able to cook in the room, or if you are traveling with pets. However, I would not recommend these rooms for most guests.

I will say, the hotel shuttle was great. They will take you anywhere in Rochester that you need to go (or pick you up,) whether it's 100 feet away of across town. The shuttle is free, which is a nice perk. The hotel is an easy, 10 minute walk away from the Mayo Clinic which was great for me. There are also lots of restaurants within walking distance. The pool looked nice, although I didn't use it. There was also a small exercise room and an arcade. The continental breakfast appeared adequate but not fancy. You won't go hungry...

Would I stay here again? Yes, but only in the main building. I might think twice about staying here in the middle of winter, only because I like to be able to walk to my destinations. My final rating- exterior buildings 2/5, main hotel 4/5.

Yes, the accommodations were "fine", but that doesn't warrant an 'excellent' rating in my books. We were put in the "suite", which is a pretty fancy title for a shabby apartment, because of the dog. The price was fair for what you got. We were told breakfast ended at 9am, but at 9:05 the whole room was totally cleared of every possible thing to eat - really?! They must have started clearing things away at 8:45...and after arriving at 1:30 am (and a 14 hour day of driving), it would have been nice to at least get some cold cereal without having to make a fuss.
As far as I could tell, there is nothing "PLUS" about this hotel. It's close to the hospital, but for those passing through, it's far from the highway and not worth the drive.