Well, buyer beware, I guess. I'm not sure how this place received 3.5 circles, though perhaps it is a result of people not blaming the hotel for its clientele.
My son and I were just stopping overnight on our way through Minnesota, so all we needed was a room, not a bunch of amenities, nor a great location.
However, this place was 'home' to some unsavoury characters. The area outside the lobby was populated with people who were sitting, swearing, smoking, and spitting. My son and I had to walk the gauntlet through this crowd to get to the entrance and to check in. In the lobby, a toddler clad in nothing more than a diaper was running around while his mom shouted at him unseen in the breakfast room (which was open, though we arrrived at about 8-9 PM).
At check in, we were told that the room we had booked and prepaid for was not available. We had booked a room with two double beds, but all they had were rooms with one double bed, so they gave us two of those. My son is eleven and I'm not even sure if it's legal to leave him alone in a hotel room (I think the cutoff for leaving a child alone for a short time is 11 or 12); the legality of leaving him alone was a moot point. My son felt unsafe, and I wasn't crazy about the place either, so we bunked together in one of the rooms in a tiny double bed.
The doorknob fell off in the bathroom; one of the two exercise machines in the weight room didn't work, and the other didn't work properly; the air conditioning in the exercise room didn't work, nor was there any air circulation. Also, the free breakfast was decidedly lacking in options, though for the price I paid, I hadn't been expecting much.
If I had gone there alone, I doubt I'd have been quite as concerned about safety or about the guests with the colorful vocabulary that greeted us at the entrance. As it was, this was easily the worst hotel we stayed at on our two week holiday, and one of the worst I've visited in the last five years.
I strongly recommend against families staying here.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
12 December 2011
Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to complete a Trip Advisor review. Our goal is to not only meet the needs of each and every guest we serve, but to exceed your expectations to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Please know that your feedback is extremely valuable to us. Feedback such as yours assists us in improving our service and property on a daily basis. In addition, please know that your comments and issues will be addressed. I can assure you that we have addressed your areas of concerns with guests congregating around the entry area and unsupervised children. We have conducted a front desk meeting where all your issues have been addressed.
It is our hope that you will give us another opportunity to serve you. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the property directly.
Thanks and have a Super day!
Dennis L. Stone
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC