SouthShore Hotel on Lake Bemidji

I was visiting family in Bemidji and chose South shore hotel because it looked nice. The front desk service was excellent, but the room wasn't. I had a Standard queen room that was only somewhat clean and looked like housekeeping rushed through it. When I asked the desk on my last day, they said a housekeeping manager had cleaned it. I think the department may have been short staffed, or a manager had to step in and get it done quickly. I don't know the manager's name, maybe it started with S, but it doesn't really matter. I won't stay there again or recommend it. Next time I'm in Bemidji, I'll stay at the double tree hotel.

I stayed here for three weeks for work, heading home on weekends, and really enjoyed it. The rooms were consistently clean, with no signs of roaches or bedbugs. The AC, heater, fridge, and microwave all worked well and were clean. Parking was good too. I can't recommend it enough if you're in bemidji.

The lake view from the breakfast room is great, since it stretches along a good part of the lakeside. The attendant there was cheerful and kept busy refilling items, wiping surfaces, and tidying up. Staff were helpful and friendly everywhere, from the housekeepers in the hall to the front desk and breakfast attendant. Our room was bright, clean, and well equipped, though the wall charger outlets were so worn that you had to find just the right angle to keep a cord plugged in. Breakfast had much more variety than many hotels: several instant oatmeal flavors, cereals, bread, bagels, muffins, juices, teas, coffee, milk, yogurt, hard-cooked eggs, fresh apples, and toppings like honey, peanut butter, and jam. There were scrambled eggs, gently cooked link sausages, and American fries on the steamer table. The fruit seemed freshly cut, with pineapple, honeydew, and blackberries, not frozen bagged fruit. I especially liked the little cartons of almond milk, which I haven't seen elsewhere, and that they offered both butter and margarine. We didn't use the other amenities, but there is a workout room, a pool with a nice kids' area, and I think I saw guest laundry.

The rooms, breakfast, pool area, and view were amazing. My favorite part was the indoor-outdoor hot tub. The only drawbacks were that there was no bathroom fan and the shower water didn't drain all the way while I was using it. 1/2 & 1/2