Lakeville's BEST Hotel? IHG Holiday Inn Review (Shocking!)
Lakeville's "BEST" Hotel: A Holiday Inn Odyssey (Prepare for a Wild Ride!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I just spent three nights at, what Lakeville apparently considers, its "BEST" Holiday Inn. And let me tell you, it was a trip. Not in a fancy, jet-setting kind of way, more like a "lost-my-trousers-in-a-tornado" kind of way. But hey, that's life, right? Let's dive in!
(Metadata - because apparently, we need that now. Sigh):
- Title: Holiday Inn Lakeville Review: Honest and Unfiltered!
- Keywords: Holiday Inn, Lakeville, hotel review, accessibility, Wi-Fi, restaurant, pool, fitness center, cleanliness, safety, dining, services, rooms, family-friendly, internet, spa (sort of), accessibility, [insert more keywords here if you're feeling particularly SEO-y]
First Impressions: The Lobby and the "Elegance" of Beige… Again.
Walking in, the lobby… well, it existed. You know that feeling? It wasn't actively offensive, which is a point in its favor, I guess. It was classic Holiday Inn beige. Beige carpet, beige walls, beige furniture. It was like being inside a giant, slightly-too-warm teacup. The front desk staff were friendly enough – smiles plastered, but hey, it's their job. Check-in was thankfully, relatively smooth. (Contactless check-in/out? YES! Thank god in these COVID times).
Accessibility: A Mixed Bag (More Like a Bag of Mostly Broken Things)
Now, I am not, thankfully, reliant on a wheelchair, but I always check for accessibility because, well, it’s the right thing to do. And let me tell you, it was… interesting.
- Wheelchair Accessible: The website claimed they had accessible rooms, but the lobby felt a bit cramped, and maneuvering around some of the furniture seemed dicey. I didn’t personally see the rooms, so I can’t fully vouch.
- Elevator: Yes, there was an elevator! Praise be! Because I ain't climbing five flights of beige stairs.
- Facilities for Disabled Guests: Again, the website promised. However, I didn't see any Braille on the room buttons. (A minor thing, but a detail.)
- General "Feel": Overall, it felt like accessibility was an afterthought, not an integral part of the design. So, a big thumbs down on this one.
The Room: My Beige Prison with Wi-Fi (Bless the Wi-Fi!)
Okay, the room itself. Sigh. Let's break it down:
- Free Wi-Fi in All Rooms! YES! This was a lifesaver. The Wi-Fi signal was actually pretty decent, which is a HUGE win. Streamed Netflix, did some work, generally stayed vaguely sane – thank you, Wi-Fi, you are my friend.
- Cleanliness: Pretty good! Everything seemed… clean. They even had those little "Rooms Sanitized Between Stays" stickers. So, double points for trying.
- Air Conditioning: Worked! Thank goodness.
- Bed: Comfortable enough after a long day. (Extra long bed? Not sure, felt pretty normal. Maybe I’m just short :P)
- Decor: Still beige. Lots of beige. A picture of some generic scenery. Minimal effort.
- Bathroom: Fine. Private, even. No complaints I could find.
- In-Room Safe Box: There, but didn’t trust it enough to actually use it. Shrugs
- Desk: Functional. Laptop workspace. Necessary for my soul's survival.
- Toiletries: Standard, no-frills stuff. Nothing to write home about, but they did their job.
- Alarm Clock: Worked. (Though it did scare the bejeezus out of me one morning.)
- Blackout Curtains: Actually, they were good. Slept like a log. (Blame the beige.)
- Internet Access – Wireless: YES!
- Things notably missing: A bath. A mini-bar. A feeling of excitement.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Culinary Adventure
This is where things got… interesting. Let's be honest, the food was, shall we say, functional.
- Breakfast [Buffet]: The main event. Okay, it was a pretty standard Holiday Inn buffet. Scrambled eggs that were… well, eggs. Sausage that looked suspiciously uniform. Toast! Cereal! (Asian breakfast? I didn't see anything resembling that.) It did the job. I ate. I survived.
- Restaurants: One "restaurant," a place called "The Grill" (original, I know). The service? Slow. The food? Edible, but forgettable. I had a burger. It was… a burger. Shrugs.
- Poolside Bar: Nope. Didn't exist.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant/Coffee shop: Yes, in the restaurant, a decent cup of coffee did the trick.
- Room Service [24-hour]: They had that! I didn’t try it, but hey, good to know.
- Snack bar: No snack bar, just vending machines. My late-night munchies went unsatisfied.
The "Relaxation" Zone: Pool, Gym, and the Illusion of Wellness
- Swimming Pool [Outdoor]: Decent! Clean. A place to swim, which is always nice. (Pool with view? Nope, just more bland landscaping.)
- Fitness Center: Okay, it had a few machines. Treadmill, elliptical, that kind of thing. Nothing fancy, but you could get a workout in.
- Sauna, Spa: Nope. Didn't exist. (Spa/sauna? Steamroom? Forget about it.)
- Foot bath: HAHAHA. No.
- Massage: No.
- Body scrub, Body wrap: You're kidding, right?
Cleanliness and Safety: The Covid-19 Edition
This is where the Holiday Inn genuinely shined. They were clearly taking things seriously.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Probably.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Yep.
- Hand sanitizer: Plentiful.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Yes.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Indeed.
- Safe dining setup: Tables spaced apart, masks worn by staff.
- Cashless payment service: Yep.
- Individually-wrapped food options: Yep.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Yes.
- The Staff were very serious about these rules.
Services and Conveniences: The Extras (That Were Mostly "Meh")
- Air conditioning in public area: Yep (a blessing).
- Concierge: Nope.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes, and they were efficient.
- Elevator: Yes, (Thankfully).
- Laundry service: Yes.
- Meeting/banquet facilities: Yes, very blah.
- Cash withdrawal: Don't recall seeing one, but I didn't look carefully.
- Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site]: Parking was free and readily available!
- Gift/souvenir shop: No.
- Business facilities: I didn’t explore them.
For the Kids:
- Family/child friendly: Kids are generally welcome.
Final Thoughts: A Holiday Inn Experience
Look, the Holiday Inn in Lakeville isn't a glamorous, over-the-top hotel. It's… a Holiday Inn. It’s a safe space. It’s generally clean. It’s got free Wi-Fi. It tries to be accessible but falls a bit short. The food is forgettable. The decor is beige. But it's also safe, and the staff try hard. Would I stay there again? Probably, if I needed to be in Lakeville. Would I rave about it? Absolutely not. But it got the job done. Think of it as a solid, albeit slightly boring, workhorse of a hotel. It's like a dependable, if unremarkable, pair of comfortable shoes. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
Overall Score: 6/10. (Mostly because of the Wi-Fi and the serious attempt to be Covid-safe).
DC's Hidden Gem: Fairfield Inn & Suites - Unbeatable Location, Unforgettable Stay!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your grandma's meticulously planned itinerary. We're diving headfirst into a potential clusterf*ck of fun (and maybe a little despair) in Lakeville, Minnesota. Holiday Inn & Suites, here we come. Prepare for the unexpected, the delicious, and the downright ridiculous.
The Lakeville Lament: A Holiday Inn (& Unplanned Adventures) Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & the Awkward Embrace of Hotel Room Loneliness
- 2:00 PM - Arrival at MSP Airport. (God, I hate airports.) Flight's delayed, naturally. Already sweating through my travel shirt. (Should've packed better, rookie move.) The airport smells faintly of desperation and overpriced coffee. Found a slightly-less-annoyed-than-usual airport shuttle driver who almost understood my attempts at small talk. He seemed more interested in the Vikings' chances this year. I just nodded. Vikings this, Vikings that…
- 3:00 PM - Check-in at Holiday Inn & Suites Lakeville. (Let the games begin.) Okay, first impressions: the lobby carpet is…well, it's carpet. Has that slightly-sticky-yet-still-somehow-clean feel. Front desk lady was genuinely way too cheerful. I suspect she's secretly a robot programmed to love everything. Got a room on the 3rd floor. Praying the elevator isn't out of order.
- 3:30 PM - Room Reconnaissance & Mild Panic. (The truth comes out) So, the room. It's…fine. The bedspread has that classic vaguely-floral hotel vibe. And the AC? It's either arctic blast or Sahara heat. I'm fiddling with it, and it’s stuck somewhere in the middle of both. Might have to just embrace the swampiness. Bathroom situation: Cliché. The tiny shampoo bottles and hair dryer are a time capsule. I’m already regretting not bringing my own, bigger shampoo. Wondering if they have decent coffee at the hotel. Must investigate…
- 4:00 - 5:00 PM - The Unspoken Truth: The dreaded Hotel Pool. I'd planned on checking out the hotel pool. But the thought of putting on a swimsuit I'll probably have to dry by hand and potentially interacting with other humans in chlorine-scented bliss (or, more likely, screaming children), makes me want to hide under the covers. The thought of other people's germs… Ugh, maybe tomorrow. Or never.
- 6:00 PM - The Search for Dinner. (Food, glorious food!) Okay, time to venture out. Google Maps tells me there are several "chain restaurants" nearby. Considering driving to the Mall of America (35-minute drive, which is a commitment). Food coma incoming. Probably. Okay, I am actually starving.
- 7:00 PM-8:00 PM - The Great Dinner Decision. Ended up at…(wait for it)… Applebee's. I know, I know. But after a long day of travel, mediocrity is comforting. The waiter had a very long story, and I am not sure how to handle it.
- 9:00 PM - The Inevitable Hotel Channel Surf & Existential Dread. (Welcome to the abyss!) Room service menu. The TV remote is a biohazard. Channel surfing is a depressing adventure. Found a documentary about the mating habits of something-or-other. Lost interest about 10 minutes in. The silence in the hotel room is deafening. Is it me, or do hotel rooms amplify loneliness? Also, is it just me, or is there an echo?
- 10:00 PM - Bedtime (Maybe). Trying to sleep. Still think about where I could go for breakfast.
Day 2: Local Adventures & the Quest for Authenticity (and decent coffee)
- 7:00 AM - The Caffeine Crisis. (Wakey, wakey!) Breakfast at the hotel is a disaster - or rather, the buffet is. The scrambled eggs are suspiciously yellow. The coffee tastes like…well, let’s just say it needs saving. Found a Starbucks nearby. Crisis averted (sort of).
- 9:00 AM - Downtown Lakeville Exploration (or Attempted Exploration). Okay, this is where I become the real tourist. I'm walking around Lakeville, marveling at the…well, the things. There’s a charming little park with a gazebo. And a… Target? (Don't judge me. I love Target.) I'll visit a library, just for fun.
- 11:00 AM - The Quest for the Perfect (Local) Restaurant. (The Hunger Games: Lakeville Edition) I have a burning desire to find somewhere non-chain for lunch. This is harder than it seems. Asked a friendly-looking local for a recommendation. Got a blank stare. Now headed to a random Pizza place.
- 12:00 PM - Lunch (and a moment of self-reflection). I made it! Pizza was…actually pretty good. The waitress was friendly (and didn't talk for too long). Enjoyed the food and thought about life.
- 1:30 PM - Nature Time! (Or at least, a walk near nature.) I'm going to walk at the park. Or, at least, try to. Enjoy nature!
- 3:30 PM - Back to the Hotel. (Nap Time?) I'm tired. Maybe the pool… Or maybe I'll just take a nap.
- 6:00 PM - Dinner Dilemma: Electric Boogaloo. I'm starting to get bored of restaurants. What to do?
Day 3: Departure & the bittersweet goodbye
- 7:00 AM - Breakfast & The Hotel Farewell (Maybe). Another hotel breakfast. Same situation. The fruit is…mostly brown. The coffee is…let’s just say I am thankful for Starbucks.
- 8:00 AM - A Quick Look Around & Checking Out. Just a final look. Goodbye, hotel room. It’s been…an experience.
- 9:00 AM - Leaving. (The End?) Heading to the airport. The whole experience was… something. I will probably never return.
So, there you have it! My Lakeville Adventure (aka the semi chaos of a solo trip). May your travels be filled with delicious food, weird encounters, and the occasional existential crisis. And may your hotel rooms have working AC. Cheers!
Sandusky Getaway: Unbeatable Deals at Quality Inn & Suites!
1. Okay, spill the beans! Is this Holiday Inn REALLY the "BEST" in Lakeville?
Best? Look, "best" is subjective, right? If "best" means "reliably beige and functional, with a pool that smells mildly of chlorine and a lobby that looks like it hasn’t been updated since the late 90s"... then yes. But if "best" means "luxurious escape from reality with a Michelin-star chef and a personal butler"... absolutely NOT. Consider this hotel, in this town, it is the Best, okay? It's the Holiday Inn. Let's be realistic.
2. Let's talk about the rooms. Are they... habitable?
Habitable? Yep. Remember, we are not asking for much here, are we? Okay, so, I've stayed in rooms that were squeaky clean (blessedly) and rooms that...well, let's just say I’m pretty sure I saw a small critter scurry under the dresser once. Mostly, they're... fine. The beds are decent. The pillows? Hit or miss. I once had a pillow that felt suspiciously like a tightly-packed bag of marshmallows. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't supportive. The bathrooms work... mostly. I wouldn't bet my life on consistent water pressure, though. Bring your own shower shoes, just in case.
3. Breakfast. The make-or-break meal. What's the deal?
Ah, breakfast. The *breakfast*. It's included, which is a win in my book. The options? Let's just say it’s a celebration of the beige food group. Scrambled eggs? Sometimes they're okay, sometimes… well, let's say they've defied all known laws of physics and managed to be both rubbery AND watery. Bacon? Always. Sausage? Present. Cereal? An array of brightly colored sugar bombs. The coffee is... well, it’s coffee. It gets you through the morning. Honestly, sometimes I just grab a piece of fruit and a muffin and call it a victory.
4. Okay, the pool. I saw it mentioned. Worth a dip?
The pool. It exists. It's indoors. It's… fine. As I mentioned, it often smells of chlorine. It's usually populated by families with small children, which is both charming and slightly terrifying. The water is lukewarm. If you're expecting a luxurious spa experience, you will be sorely disappointed. If you're just looking to splash around for a bit, burn off some energy, or escape the existential dread of a Tuesday afternoon, then yes, it’s worth a dip. Just, you know, keep your expectations low.
5. The Staff – are they friendly? Do they care?
This is where the Holiday Inn REALLY shines, surprisingly! The staff? They're generally lovely. Always a smile (or at least a polite nod), always willing to help. I had a slight issue during one stay — a leaky faucet that sounded like a tiny, determined drip-torture device. I reported it, fully expecting a drawn-out battle of phone calls and maintenance delays. Instead, a friendly maintenance guy appeared within minutes, fixed it like a champ, and even apologized for the inconvenience. That little extra effort? It makes a difference. They seem to genuinely care. They are often understaffed, and you can feel it, but they try.
6. Let's talk about that location. What's around this hotel?
The location is... well, it depends on what you’re looking for. It's in *Lakeville*. Things are spread out here. You're not going to stumble out the door and find yourself in a bustling metropolis. You'll probably see a strip mall. Restaurants? There are some options. A movie theater? Yep. A park? Maybe. It’s convenient enough if you have a car, but not exactly a walk-everywhere kind of spot. Think of it as functional, not particularly glamorous.
7. Okay, Hit me with the worst part. What's REALLY annoyed you?
Oh, I have a story. One time! Yes, one time! I requested a high floor, non-smoking room. Got to my room, all good, right? Nope. Smelled like a chain smoker's last stand. And not just faintly. It was like someone had been actively *smoking* in the room moments before I arrived. I complained. They *did* move me, but it took a while. A long while. I was tired, cranky, and starting to contemplate just sleeping in the car. And no apology!
8. AND the best part? What's made you smile there?
Okay, you want happy? The BEST part? Honestly? It’s the little things. One time, I was working late in the business center – yes, they have a business center, bless its heart. I was stressed, behind on a deadline, and running on fumes. The front desk guy, saw me slumped and offered me a free coffee and a cookie. Not just the usual, generic "coffee and cookie" but a genuinely heartfelt gesture of kindness. It was a small thing, but it really lifted my spirits. That human touch? THAT's what I remember and appreciate. That's what makes the Holiday Inn, despite its flaws, a place you remember, even fondly.
9. Overall, would you recommend staying at the Lakeville Holiday Inn?
Look, if you need a place to stay in Lakeville, and this is your only option? Sure. It's better than sleeping in a ditch (probably). It's perfectly functional, and the staff are generally pretty great. Just go in with realistic expectations. Remember, "best"Hotel Search Trek
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