Holiday Inn Bloomington-Airport by IHG

I’m a State Farm employee from Colorado, and this is a convenient spot near the corporate office, the airport, plenty of dining, and the bowling fun center. The hotel has been modernized, with upscale restaurants next door and a more casual indoor option with a bar. I liked the roomy setup: iron and board, two TVs, sofa, lounge chair, fridge, kitchen sink, and cabinets for a longer stay. The pool works well for laps, and the hot tub is kept at 101 degrees, just right for a soak after a long drive. Hard to go wrong here.

We had a great conference weekend, and the room was spacious with really comfortable beds. Check-in was easy, and the staff were attentive. A couple things went wrong: the public bathroom ran out of paper towels and didn't seem to get cleaned, and the hot tub wasn't very hot. One of the two elevators also went down, unfortunately the one nearest our room, though the other stayed working. We skipped breakfast because it seemed a bit pricey. Still, they did the best they could, and we'd stay again.

Paul at the front desk was so kind and kept apologizing, even though the booking issue wasn't his fault. We had made a last-minute reservation through a third party, and the hotel couldn't download it at first. Once they got it sorted, he made sure we were looked after and upgraded us to a suite. It was clean and cozy, with a large bed and a kitchen and living area. Thanks, Holiday Inn, for the warm hospitality.

For the price, I wasn't impressed. There were plumbing problems, the room felt cramped, and there were a lot of young kids in the hot tub. No one was at the desk when I arrived, so check-in took a 30-minute wait. If you just need somewhere to crash until morning and aren't expecting much, it'll do.