Sonesta Essential Minot

Location, check-in, and staff were all great, but the room was poor at best. We weren’t told the heater didn’t work, though we found a space heater stored in the room. The tub drained slowly, leaving you standing in water during a shower. There were only two towels for four people, and when I asked, I was told the hotel was full and there wouldn’t be more until laundry was done in the morning. We’ll skip this hotel next time.

Our family of four booked a quick weekend away with three must-haves: breakfast, a pool, and clean rooms. The place was decent for cleanliness, and the staff were polite. But the room heat had a mind of its own and got warmer than its setting, and the pool was closed. There was no notice at the desk, nothing mentioned at check-in, and nothing on the booking site, so the kids were very upset. Breakfast was worse: after our first night, my husband spit out his milk because it was spoiled. Thankfully the kids hadn’t had any. My five-year-old said his waffle tasted funny, and when I tried a bite, it was clear the batter had gone bad too. If you want a bare-minimum hotel that doesn’t care about food codes or giving guests proper notice about amenities, this is the place.

Not a good stay. The bathroom floor was sticky, and the shower gel and shampoo dispensers were empty. The AC unit was sitting in the middle of the room when we entered. In the second room, which we switched to after finding the AC didn’t work, the door was difficult both to open and close. I could manage it, but a child under 12 or an elderly person might not be able to get out in an emergency. There was no coffee because the machine was out of order. The front desk said they’d filed a repair ticket, but the estimated wait was about 60 days. How do you run a breakfast bar without coffee? Breakfast wasn’t good either. Plan to leave early for coffee and pick up breakfast at a nearby gas station. It’ll be better than the hotel’s.

The staff were wonderful and the rooms were super clean. They also have an espresso machine. We didn’t get a chance to use the gym or pool, though they looked nice.