ready.teddy

Thanks AdGuy, It is reassuring to hear your comments. I think that location will work great for me. I like taking back roads and exploring some different areas. The maps on the different hotel sites are showing it in various different locations of that developement. I used google.earth to look at the satilite photo of the area and I think I found it. If you haven't used it before, download the free version and check it out. You use the location arrows and the zoom feature to look at overhead photos of anywhere in the world. Some are kind of fuzzy and out of focus (like disney world) but others show pretty good detail. Ted http://earth.google.com/

Several properties in the metro area have rebranded recently and that can lead to some confusion when checking reviews and recomendations. The four points Sheraton Minneapolis-metrodome is at I-35W and Industrial blvd. and is very much open. It is well maintained and would be a decent place to stay. Parking is free and the area safe enough, however, it is not within walking distance to the University or downtown. The four points Sheraton Midway has closed and is to be torn down so a Super Target can go up at that location. It was located along I-94 at Hamline ave. The Sheraton closest to the Airport in Bloomington was closed and torn down because it was in the clear zone of the new runway about 2 years ago. I think that Sheraton may have been a Ramada for awhile. The old best western Thunderbird is now the Ramada Inn. All those hotels near the mall are probably hard to get as occupancy is really high due to the Mall being a major tourist attraction. On the west end of the "Bloomington Strip" is the latest Sheraton. It was previously the Radisson South. Still an excellent property and a nice place to stay if you can get it. Another property that dropped the Radisson brand is the downtown St Paul location. It is now the Crown Plaza Riverfront. An old Holiday Inn, later Ramada (I think), is now the Radisson Roseville. It had an extensive remodel and seems pretty nice. Ted

That is a very nice, newer property. Did they include any passes for the waterpark?

Don't book this hotel expecting to walk to DT or the Univ. It is several miles away and it is misleading how they call themselves a downtown hotel. Other than that, it is easy to get to, lots of free parking, and is kept up pretty well for an older property.

Great deal on a great place! I have stayed in the area before and did a walk around there. The huge lobby is spectacular. There is an enclosed skyway connecting that hotel, the convention center, and several other hotels nearby. It is within walking distance to the Rosemont CTA station and it is only $5 for a day pass to ride the trains into town. Downside is that they charge for parking, but I suppose one could park at the CTA station for a lot less $. Ted

I just booked it the other day too. I had to book the delta freq. flyer miles ticket so far ahead I didn't think I would find any hotel bargains yet. It is showing up as a 2.5* with laundry and kitchenette for $25 to $26 during January 2007. I did have a scare when I went looking for reviews on trip advisor. There is a recent one that is really terible with bugs, dirt, bad smells, and rude employees. But other reviews sound fine. I don't know, maybe just an angry employee. It is good to hear that you stayed here before and are going back again. Now if I can just book a car for that week I'll be all set. It seems to be too far out to find a deal as priceline has been rejecting my lowball bids. Hope your stay is a good experience. Ted

This property turned out to be really nice and fit our needs perfectly. The kids loved the pool and seeing the airplanes flying over the hotel. Soundproofing was good and I only noticed some occassional, minor noise. If you are sensitive though, this probably isn't the right place. Asked for and got a non-smoking room that was very clean. Only improvement would be a microwave oven so we could make popcorn. Overall, we loved it and will try to stay there again.

It seemed like I was being offered a lower category vehicle than I purchased on Hotwire. Maybe the SUV category is unique that Hotwire only shows it as being an explorer or trailblazer which would be a standard size SUV. I believe the Suz. Sidekick is an intermediate size SUV and I don't know what a Pacifica is-to me it is just a funny shaped car. What was clear was that they had the vehicle type I reserved but they really didn't want to give it to me. Probably won't happen to me again. From reading posts on this site I think I am going to go with Priceline next time and bid on a small car expecting a small fee upgrade at the rental counter.

Turned out to be a great deal even after all the hassles at the rental agency. Place was severly understaffed. Had to wait a good 20minutes at the pickup station at the airport. Other rental buses picked up their customers and went by many times while we stood and waited. Halfway around the terminal the bus was packed and skipped the last few stops, those poor SOB's! Only maybe a 10-15 min wait to get to the counter. The guy mentions hotline reservation but skipped the upsell and insurance sales talk. Working on computer, waiting, waiting, OK - Hows a Suz. Sidekick work for you. I wasn't really expecting this so I just said "that sounds kind of small, how about a trailblazer?" Don't have no trailblazers, how about a Pacifica? That sounds like a car, I want a truck, my contract is for a truck. Let me check again, Ok looks like one just came in. Can't go wrong with a Chevy, huh. Question to the board: Does this happen often when using hotwire & PL or was it just beginers luck for me?

Amenities: Suite, Restaurant, Pool, Fitness, Golf, Laundry. Also "customer Favorite" with good reviews. Booked about a month ago, just found the better bidding site a few days ago. Sounds nice and looks nice on the Starwood website info. We usually stay at a place with breakfast but they had no deals this time. First time to use hotwire for a hotel. I checked again to see if it was a good deal, now there is a 3.5* without a suite icon, I think it is the other Sheraton in the area.