Holiday Inn Blmgtn Arpt South- Mall Area, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Bloomington

In summary: hot tub not warm, hot water not warm - staff's lack of caring about the situation, offering any sort of solution, etc...please read on.

Staff and Service: I would have given this a higher rating because the staff was very nice....up until I had an issue with the water. Their lack of caring lent to not recommending this property. We went to the hot tub on Sunday morning and it was down, as in the water temperature was less than a lukewarm bath. I informed the front desk. She went to the hot tub, and when we met up with her, she said the color and level are normal (I would doubt the yellow color is normal having worked in the hotel industry for years, but it is what it is).

She didn't address the issue that we told her the water was cold. I even turned the timer on to see if that would assist with temperature as some hot tubs will not heat above a certain temp unless the timers are on.

The only answer I got was maintenance would be in to check. At this point, the hot tub became overran with kids (under 12 with no adult supervision) because the pool was so cold that the lukewarm water (felt like a cool bath one would take if they got sunburned) was warmer for them.

Not a big deal, I'll live without the hot tub although that was the selling point, I'll just go upstairs to take a hot bath. I went to run a bath and there was no hot water. I called front desk, they sent a maintenance guy who said just to wait a while because the hotel had a lot of people in it.

Considering the hotel was not at "full capacity" and at 830a, 9a, 10a, and 1030a there was not hot water in the room, there is a problem. The front desk told me no one else made the complaint, which is odd because I was speaking to a couple on the 2nd floor who said the same thing about her water not being warm or hot.

I will not recommend the hotel because of the staff's lack of caring on the hot water situation. The "no one else has made the complaint" response is not acceptable along with the "we have a lot of people in the hotel." You should have a system in the hotel that can handle capacity, let along not full capacity.

I also wasn't the only one with the complaint on the hot tub or the hot water in the rooms. I chose this hotel because of the hot tub. It was a shame that we never got to use it. No one brought up speaking with a manager or even asked about or recommended a solution.

My spouse and I ended up having to take showers when we got home yesterday because of the water issue.

Food & Beverage: The prices of the vending machine were really high, but it's a hotel, that's fine. The room service was strange. I got a breakfast which came up cold. When I asked what to do with the dishes, I was told that they just stay in the room.

When we ordered from Green Mill for dinner, the wrap came with broken toothpicks (I'm assuming because the wrap was so big it broke the toothpicks?).

Sleep Quality: I thought the room was good on sleep quality. The sound from the pool was very high, but that doesn't bother me. The only issue was the thermostat in the room. You had to hit the up or down button a couple times just for it to register that the button was being pushed. I'm assuming excessive use and it's starting to fail?

Able to Relax: Not bad; however, I only gave 3 stars because lack of hot water irritates me.

Room: Very clean and neat; however, the batteries are dying in the remote. But that's ok, the room was very good compared to other hotels.

Cleanliness: Awesome. I understand the floor was under construction but I do give them kudos on keeping the rooms very clean...

Staff and Service: I would have given this a higher rating because the staff was very nice....up until I had an issue with the water. Their lack of caring lent to not recommending this property. We went to the hot tub on Sunday morning and it was down, as in the water temperature was less than a lukewarm bath. I informed the front desk. She went to the hot tub, and when we met up with her, she said the color and level are normal (I would doubt the yellow color is normal having worked in the hotel industry for years, but it is what it is).

She didn't address the issue that we told her the water was cold. I even turned the timer on to see if that would assist with temperature as some hot tubs will not heat above a certain temp unless the timers are on.

The only answer I got was maintenance would be in to check. At this point, the hot tub became overran with kids (under 12 with no adult supervision) because the pool was so cold that the lukewarm water (felt like a cool bath one would take if they got sunburned) was warmer for them.

Not a big deal, I'll live without the hot tub although that was the selling point, I'll just go upstairs to take a hot bath. I went to run a bath and there was no hot water. I called front desk, they sent a maintenance guy who said just to wait a while because the hotel had a lot of people in it.

Considering the hotel was not at "full capacity" and at 830a, 9a, 10a, and 1030a there was not hot water in the room, there is a problem. The front desk told me no one else made the complaint, which is odd because I was speaking to a couple on the 2nd floor who said the same thing about her water not being warm or hot.

I will not recommend the hotel because of the staff's lack of caring on the hot water situation. The "no one else has made the complaint" response is not acceptable along with the "we have a lot of people in the hotel." You should have a system in the hotel that can handle capacity, let along not full capacity.

I also wasn't the only one with the complaint on the hot tub or the hot water in the rooms. I chose this hotel because of the hot tub. It was a shame that we never got to use it. No one brought up speaking with a manager or even asked about or recommended a solution.

My spouse and I ended up having to take showers when we got home yesterday because of the water issue.

Food & Beverage: The prices of the vending machine were really high, but it's a hotel, that's fine. The room service was strange. I got a breakfast which came up cold. When I asked what to do with the dishes, I was told that they just stay in the room.

When we ordered from Green Mill for dinner, the wrap came with broken toothpicks (I'm assuming because the wrap was so big it broke the toothpicks?).

Sleep Quality: I thought the room was good on sleep quality. The sound from the pool was very high, but that doesn't bother me. The only issue was the thermostat in the room. You had to hit the up or down button a couple times just for it to register that the button was being pushed. I'm assuming excessive use and it's starting to fail?

Able to Relax: Not bad; however, I only gave 3 stars because lack of hot water irritates me.

Room: Very clean and neat; however, the batteries are dying in the remote. But that's ok, the room was very good compared to other hotels.

Cleanliness: Awesome. I understand the floor was under construction but I do give them kudos on keeping the rooms very clean...

This is an old property that was built off the busiest freeway in Minnesota and when someone had the stupid idea of building rooms around an indoor pool. HI started their Re-Fresh awhile ago and only the bathrooms have been completed.

But let me start at the beginning. I picked this hotel because it was the lowest in terms of Rewards Points and has a shuttle to MOA and the airport. However, one day was blacked out. I e-mailed the hotel asking if the rooms were re-freshed and what can they do about the blocked room. The reply I received told me the best price available and how to nook. It's as if my e-mail wasn't even read. I e-mailed again and was told they would add more rooms to unblock the day and that only the bathrooms had been re-freshed. My plans changed and I had to change the reservation by dropping a night. The system wouldn't let me change so I cancelled and re-booked at the same time. Again the same day was blocked. I again e-mailed the hotel thanking them for the first time and asking for help again. I never received a reply. Two days before my trip (A week after cancelling.) the blocked day opened up.

The hotel is literally in the middle of nowhere. A popular local pizza chain is connected to the hotel, but that's it. There is nowhere to walk to.

When I checked in I was told I was getting a great room at the back of the hotel. It was right off the freeway. Even with the air-conditioner on I could hear the trucks. The front desk woman told me she could move be next to the pool but admitted that guests there complained of the noise at night. I told her I didn't go to bed till after midnight and wake up at around 10 AM so no problem.

What she didn't tell me was the strong chlorine smell that would be waiting for me in the room. Luckily after about 5 minutes I didn't notice it. I did notice the jackhammer that started at 10:30 AM the next day. Luckily there was no other hammering the other days. What did happen though was my right eye turning red after three days and recovered the day after checking out. Had to be the chlorine.

The room is old with a nice new flat screen. The mattress was old too as it sagged when sleeping on it. It was still comfortable enough at least. The bathroom was new but had few and low quality amenities. I had to get a toothbrush and toothpaste from the front desk. Also, the rooms next to the pool get almost no sunlight and if you open the drapes don't walked to close to the window unless you're dressed proper. All this and I was on the top floor.

All of the employees were very friendly and engaging. Nothing bad there. The was the high point.

There are so many hotels to choose from around the airport and MOA. Unless you want a cheap hotel for Reward Points, stay...