Froggy Bottoms River Suites — Hotel in Northfield

First of all, I never write reviews because I'm never sure that what I have to say is all that pertinent to others. However this time I felt I had no choice but to warn others of the oddity that is Froggy Bottoms River Suites (FBRS). ||||Secondly, the picture on this page is NOT FBRS. FBRS doesn't have a lobby. It doesn't have a front desk. You have to call someone to get a code to open a lock box which contains the key to your room door. Of course I was not told of this system up front. I was told - via email - 24 hours prior to my check in time. This of course was too late to request a refund. ||||I had a hard time finding the entrance to FBRS because the large sign on the front door that read "Efficiency Apartments for Rent" threw me a bit. Turns out FBRS is having an identity crisis. So when I called to get my room key I asked the manager (who was in Texas) if I'd be the only one on site. She reassured me that there'd be others around. You see, there is one permanent resident and he is a caretaker of sorts, but more on that in a minute. ||||The room was mostly clean - blinds & fan were dusty and the bedside table was covered in what looked like old coffee drips - but the floors and bedding were clean. The room was packed with odd and kitschy frogs everywhere. It was both cute and a little creepy. The suite was a wonderful size and the windows were awesomely old and large.||||Unfortunately there was a serious party going on in the room right next door from 10:00pm until 1:00am. I eventually called the police myself when the "caretaker" did nothing to intervene. Exhausted I fell asleep around 2:00am only to be woken up by the wind banging the front door open and shut at 7:00am. I got up frustrated and attempted to take a shower. The water oscillated from freezing to scalding and that's when I gave up.||||I called the manager and told her about my disaster of a night. To her credit she was very kind and allowed me to get out of my next two nights that I had reserved. She reassured me that my money would be refunded.||||FBRS has a lot of potential. Unfortunately they need to figure out what their plan is and get their stuff together. Until then consider yourself fairly warned and consider staying somewhere...

First of all, I never write reviews because I'm never sure that what I have to say is all that pertinent to others. However this time I felt I had no choice but to warn others of the oddity that is Froggy Bottoms River Suites (FBRS). ||||Secondly, the picture on this page is NOT FBRS. FBRS doesn't have a lobby. It doesn't have a front desk. You have to call someone to get a code to open a lock box which contains the key to your room door. Of course I was not told of this system up front. I was told - via email - 24 hours prior to my check in time. This of course was too late to request a refund. ||||I had a hard time finding the entrance to FBRS because the large sign on the front door that read "Efficiency Apartments for Rent" threw me a bit. Turns out FBRS is having an identity crisis. So when I called to get my room key I asked the manager (who was in Texas) if I'd be the only one on site. She reassured me that there'd be others around. You see, there is one permanent resident and he is a caretaker of sorts, but more on that in a minute. ||||The room was mostly clean - blinds & fan were dusty and the bedside table was covered in what looked like old coffee drips - but the floors and bedding were clean. The room was packed with odd and kitschy frogs everywhere. It was both cute and a little creepy. The suite was a wonderful size and the windows were awesomely old and large.||||Unfortunately there was a serious party going on in the room right next door from 10:00pm until 1:00am. I eventually called the police myself when the "caretaker" did nothing to intervene. Exhausted I fell asleep around 2:00am only to be woken up by the wind banging the front door open and shut at 7:00am. I got up frustrated and attempted to take a shower. The water oscillated from freezing to scalding and that's when I gave up.||||I called the manager and told her about my disaster of a night. To her credit she was very kind and allowed me to get out of my next two nights that I had reserved. She reassured me that my money would be refunded.||||FBRS has a lot of potential. Unfortunately they need to figure out what their plan is and get their stuff together. Until then consider yourself fairly warned and consider staying somewhere...

I love Froggy Bottoms, but I understand that it can be a little confusing for those who haven't rented there before. Once you get the hang of it, I think it's worth five stars. Just call the phone number when you get there, and they'll tell you where to find your room key. To check out, drop the key into the mail slot at the bottom of the stairs. Easy.||||I've stayed at Froggy Bottoms at least half a dozen times over several years, usually in the Lily Pad or the Lucky Frog. I have food allergies and sensitivities, and Froggy Bottoms is pretty much the only place close by that has rooms with kitchens. For that alone, it's worth five stars to me. It's a short walk to Just Food Co-op, which has great organic produce and pantry items, and EconoFoods, which is a regular supermarket. There are a handful of free street parking spaces right outside the door, and a larger free parking lot a few steps away (north). The rooms themselves are big and have real kitchens with a range, microwave, and refrigerator. Even the smallest rooms can easily accommodate four people. All of the rooms have lots of frog figurines, stuffed animals, etc, which is cute.||||As for cons/suggestions, the space is NOT handicap accessible. There is a steep flight of stairs leading up to the rooms. There can be noise from the bar across the street, and some light gets through the shades at night. The beds are a little squishy. If you're coming for Carleton or St. Olaf graduation or reunion, rooms sometimes book up literally years in advance--call to make your reservation instead of using the website's booking calendar. If they're booked, ask to be put on a waiting list. I was able to get a room for reunion at the last minute this way.||||Truly, this is my favorite place to stay in Northfield. It's convenient, it's clean, the parking is free, and you get a whole apartment for very little money. Will definitely...