Sofitel Minneapolis Hotel

, Bloomington, United States
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Sofitel Minneapolis Hotel

, Bloomington
4 star

Rooms: 282

5601 West 78th Street - Bloomington - Minnesota - 55439 - United States 952 835 1900
348 Traveller

Reviews - Sofitel Minneapolis Hotel

6/10
Just okay
Submitted by: Helena in 06/10/05
  • Age Group: 18 - 25
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Young Couple
I was upset that they charged me $.99 per LOCAL phone call. Also, the pool was closed and the hotel was under construction when we visited, so I was a little disappointed.
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1/10
Poor Experience
Submitted by: Terry Ausenbaugh in 29/04/05
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Business Traveller
I had a scheduled trip to Minneapolis that included a one night stay at the Sofitel. My trip was cancelled but I was charged for my hotel room anyway as I did not cancel my reservation there. Yes, it my error as I didn't realize the room was guaranteed for late arrival. I paid for nothing - an unused hotel room. I was not contacted, not offered any discount on a future stay, or any other incentive to stay with them in the future. Based on this experience, I would never even make a reservation with this hotel in the future. By the way, I spend about 100 nights a year traveling.

Historical Traveller Reviews of Sofitel Minneapolis Hotel

Very Disappointing

from A TripAdvisor Member
Very disappointing experience. We checked in and were given a standard double room on first floor. The hotel has been renovated in the common areas and the top two floors. The room we stayed in has not been remodled in years. The bathroom had mildew, wallpaper was peeling. The wallpaper in the bedroom was peeling the furniture was worn. Small room, disappointing service, room needs major work, smelled musty. The remodeled rooms may be nice, however the rooms still to be remodeled need quite a bit of work. I would not recommend staying - definitely not a 4-star hotel in its current condition.

So So Sofitel

from Cheeseheads
We stayed at the Sofitel Minneapolis for a three night getaway. Since we the kids along, we needed two double beds, and the only rooms that have them are those that have not been updated. Although the beds were very nice and comfy, the rest of the room definitely needed updating. The TV was the oldest, smallest, thing I have seen in a hotel in a long time. And there wasn't even a phone book in the room. Construction started at 8am on weekdays and 9am on weekends, and boy was it noisy. The lobby was nice, and the french pastries in the bakery were to die for. The ambiance, though, had sort of a snooty feel. The staff was polite, but rather cold and unwelcoming. One night, we walked into the hotel behind a woman wearing a huge fur coat walking a white fluffy poodle. We just laughed because that personifies the place. Overall, it was a decent location and value, but we would probably look to stay elsewhere next time for a friendlier atmosphere and updated amenities.

Slept like a baby at Sofitel

from A TripAdvisor Member
I was shocked reading some bad reviews on this hotel. I have traveled the world and i thought the feather beds at the sofitel with the down comforters were one of the coziest best sleep experiences I ever had at a hotel. My room was quiet, and I had no problem with the modern shower set up, no water escaping as another reviewer wrote. The staff greeted me and my boyfriend with smiles, they opened the door for us, offered valet service, and when we asked for a simple direction they instead printed us up a detailed map and made many suggestions. some of these prior reviews didn't seem too friendly, so hey maybe it is the customers attitudes as well that determine your level of service. We had a fabulous romantic time here even though i was here for business. So don't be afraid to get a great night's sleep here.

Terrible Concierge Service

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I choose this hotel for a classy midweek getaway to Minneapolis the last week in September, 2005. And of course, to see the CORTEO performance by the Cirque du Soleil. We have previously stayed in many hotels throughout the US and other Countries. Or anticipation towards this supposedly unique and classy 4Star hotel has been immensely disappointed! The Concierge Service is one of the WORST I have ever to experience! No welcome during the check in process, barely being acknowledge at any time when approaching the concierge in general, not once I have seen one of the concierge employees smile, last but not least nobody seemed to appreciate our stay/business with a thank you of any kind when checking out. Perhaps, that is because we booked this hotel online through Orbitz? The head concierge made sure to mention to us during the check out, we could have gotten the same price when calling directly for reservations. The Bell Boy Service was excellent and very friendly. The Room Service staff we experienced had a very hard time speaking English when asked a question. The rooms were spacious, tastefully decorated, but with dated carpet, peeling paint in the bathroom, and one of the smallest, least convenient closets I ever had to deal with in a hotel. Last year, I booked a 3star less known hotel just a few miles away from this supposedly IN hotel. We paid $80.-/night less for a little less updated decor, same space, YET a much friendlier service. The mentioned hotel couldn't offer an in house patisserie or well known restaurant, but had otherwise all conveniences of the Sofitel Hotel - not to mention ten times more friendly concierge service and appreciation for our business with them. Both, my husband and I are disappointed, in particular because this hotel has done a lot of promotion with online travel services and been published for it's unique style and friendly European athmosphere. As a true European myself, living in the US, I am rather disappointed to have Sofitel's Service being associated with European customs!

ve Ever Stayed At

from Freeagent35
I stumbled upon this hotel while booking a regular business trip to Bloomington. I got a great deal on it, so figured what the heck. I found it to be an extremely clean, beautiful hotel. The toiletries and such were much better than average (and decent sized bottles and bars of soap). The bed was extra comfy and the place was quiet. The gym was better than average. I did not eat at any of the hotel restaurants (seemed a little pricey) so I cannot comment, but the bakery seemed to be quite busy in the morning, so that is likely a good sign. For around $120 a night, if you can get it for that, it would be hard to beat. Great place for a romantic getaway.

Good Choice

from ChicagoStevenM.
This Sofitel was pleasant, the service was good, the pastry shop was a pleasant surprise and the weekend jazz band in the bar was excellent. We opted for an upgrade due to the king size bed and this was just right. The weekend price was comparable to the other hotels in the area. We have stayed in the Garden Inn here and this is 2-3 steps up. Highly recommended.

duappointing experience

from ericaway
Having stayed at many hotels in Minneapolis, I was looking forward to my first time at the Sofitel, the venue for a 4 day conterence I was attending.

Travelling from ireland left me tired and grumpy on arrival , mid afternoon, at reception. I received little sympathy and an indifferent service. The staff seemed rather preoccupied with another conversation.

The room was small, dominated by a huge bed and a small desk. Internet access via my PC was down, so i used the TV interactive service. It didn't work. Neither did most of the channels.

The repair man was couteous and patient, exchanging the set three times before giving up.

Thw breakfast service was slow,the bar menu limited and the atmosphere bland.

Saving grace was great jazz on friday night. Lowlight was a dispute over an overcharge at checkout, where the iron maiden at the desk laboriously ploughed through every room charge receipt from the previous night in an attempt to prove me wrong.

I received neither an apology nor a smile.

So long Sofitel. Speak to your colleagues in Amsterdam who are a credit to your brand.

So so at the Sofitel

from annh53182
I booked this hotel for a weekend get away based on pictures and reviews on the Internet, and the fact that they had a sale going on this past weekend. While there was technically nothing wrong with our stay here, there were a lot of little problems.

Check in was smooth, although when we checked in there were three clerks at the desk, one was helping another guest and the other two were chatting with one another. It took a couple of minutes before either of them noticed that we were there. Once we were waited on, the clerk was friendly and efficient.

The room was slightly larger than a standard room, and had obviously just been remodeled so it was very European-modern looking. But as I discovered later, the design had got in the way of the function of the room.

We had a deluxe room that included a king bed, couch and desk. Unfortunately, due to the layout of the room the only real place to sit was on the bed. The television couldn't be seen clearly from the couch at couldn't be seen at all from the desk. The couch was also very uncomfortable to sit on, but I guess it wasn't meant for sitting, just for looks. On the plus side the feather bed and down comforter on the bed were nice touches.

The bathroom also had problems. The tub didn't have a shower curtain or door, instead it had a glass partition that went about 1/3 of the way down the tub. I have seen this set up work very well in a number of European hotels that I have stayed in, but this one didn't work at all. The glass just didn't extend far enough to keep the water in the shower. Also, one of the selling points of the hotel was that each room had bathrobes. We did have a single bathrobe, but that wasn't really much use for 2 of us.

There was also no phone book in the room. Normally this isn't really a problem for us, but this time we were looking to attend a particular show and wanted to call and double check what time it started. So we called to concierge to get some information or the phone number. The concierge didn't help us at all, in fact her first question was "is there a phone book in your room?". I thought that was her job! She did finally give us the information, but in my experience with other hotels they normally ask if you want tickets or a taxi or dinner reservations nearby or something. I guess I didn't ask for any of that information, but it just seems that at nicer hotels they always offer.

Anyhow while there was nothing really wrong with the room or the hotel, there was nothing to really recommend it either. I think that a stay at a more modestly priced hotel would have been just as good (and would have probably included breakfast).

terrible experience

from A TripAdvisor Member
we decided to splurge on this hotel as a treat.... The staff was very rude and we were actually sneered at when our son asked the French names of some things. Worst of all, however, is when we went to breakfast at only 7:30 in the morning, and the maid took all of our stuff out of the room. Some she had thown out. Our more valuable items were stashed in her maid's closet. My kids never got some of their stuff back. All the manager would do is say he was sorry and that he would look into it. Then we were brushed aside again. We complained to the corporate - no response.

The only thing to look forward to on a business trip to Minneapolis

from A_Traveler_from_Ca
This hotel is the only reason I'm now at peace with my frequent trips to Mineapolis: The Sofitel is a very nice hotel, both the remodeled and not-yet remodeled rooms. The bed is very comfortable, beats any other hotel bed I've slept in in the US. A collegue that I was traveling with wanted to take it home with him.

The restaurants are nice, and the croissants are the best ones on this side of the Atlantic ocean.

Only downside: Don't get a room to the inside, they are fairly noisy, and you have to close the curtains all day to avoid having people look into your room.

To the previous reviewer: I rather have a down comforter with a crisp and clean comforter cover every day than a filthy day bed spread that hasn't been washed since months....

Top Local Tips for Bloomington

Classy The Sofitel is a classy hotel. This particular hotel does not have a pool. That is fine with me. I would not recommend this hotel for a family with small kids or the Spring Break crowd. There are a lot of other hotels with recreation faciliaties. Small kids like to have a pool. La Fougasse and Chez Collette restaurants on site are excellent.

Only stayed a couple days in Bloomington and Minneapolis We stayed in Bloomington only because friends we were visiting lived and worked nearby. Minneapolis is not exactly chock full of fascinating activities, but we enjoyed the lakes (Calhoun and Harriet), the art center, and the Nicolette pedestrian street. We are sorry to have missed the Bakken Museum. We are not fond of malls, so Mall of America was not on our agenda. For a real vacation, drive far north to Lake Superior or the inner lakes and stay in a luxury lodge. Great hiking with lots of waterfalls. Eat the wonderful, fresh seafood and breathe the fresh air every day, and your stress will melt away.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts We visited the Museum to specificaly see the Nordic Summer Art show, A mirror of Nature. The museum facility is absolutly beautiful and has many other shows to offer, including an excellent gift shop. It is well worth your time to vist and enjoy the lovely grounds and the various gallerys.

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Other names for Sofitel Minneapolis Hotel

  • sofitel hotel minneapolis
  • sofitel hotel bloomington
  • sofitel bloomington
  • bloomington sofitel
  • Address: 5601 West 78th Street - Bloomington - Minnesota - 55439 - United States
Travel Library Traveller Rating?
9.0/10

See All 348 reviews

"Just okay" - Helena

"Poor Experience" - Terry Ausenbaugh

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