This Ramada was a Sheraton

This is the first hotel that I stayed at on the mainland. I really appreciated the shuttle service as I had had a long flight from points west. The hotel is OKAY, but when I got my bill it said the Sheraton same address and phone # so it seems to me that this hotel was DOWNGRADED to a RAMADA and remember Ramadas are no better than a HOLIDAY INN. My stay was around 18 Sept 02.

Great Family Place

We recently had a family reunion at the Thunderbird in Bloomington and were very impressed with the facility. Tom in Convention Sales was great to work with and we got a very decent room rate for our block of rooms. The coffee shop staff was always smiling and friendly, and having both an indoor and outdoor pool on the premises pleased everyone. The close proximity to the Mall of America (along with shuttle service to the Mall and the airport) made everything very convenient.

Groovy baby

Unlike a lot of bland, cookie-cutter hotels, the Thuderbird in Bloomington has an ENORMOUS amount of character. You might love it, you might hate it, but it is what it is, and I'm GLAD they've kept it that way.The core of this hotel was built in the 1960's. That was long before the expression "politically correct" was used. Some might consider the enormous display of Native American artifacts (they were "Indian" artifacts in the sixties) might be garish, but they're not mean spirited or overtly disrespectful. They have a naive quality. A lot of it is not all that different from what you'd see at Mystic Lake Casino.This establishment is a real 60's time capsule, and it makes me nostalgic for my youth (I'm in my mid-forties). Everything's appears clean, tidy and in good repair. Mechanicals and utilities seem totally up-to-date.If you want a run-of-the-mill contemporary hotel experience, there are plenty of places to stay. OTOH, if you'd like a dash of historical uniqueness, whimsy and amusement in your hotel experience, you might really enjoy the Thunderbird. For a hotel on the strip, it's got a bit of northern Minnesota lodge character. I would think kids would love it.I don't know if it's kosher to post such things here, but while I was poking around on the net looking for any history of this place, I found a link to an interesting photo essay at ******

Kids will love it

My kids thought it was really cool. They asked to go back there next time.

You get what you pay for...

The hotel had a sign announcing their 40th anniversary. Looks the original decor - old, cheesy faux Native American. This is not the place to stay if you like things to be politically correct. One sign said "Big Chief Thunderbird say..." Puh-leeze. It was convenient to the Mall of America, but so were a dozen other hotels. Additions to the hotel over the years makes it a sprawling behemoth. Our room was on the other end, and since we took the airport shuttle, we had to hoof it, along with our luggage. Families overflowed their rooms and hung out in the hallway - sitting with their legs out in the walkway, children racing up and down the corridor. I'll do my homework next time AND I won't be so cheap.

The Staff Made it the best

Shirley is an asset to the Thunderbird, the kind of

helpful employee I would hire myself. Working pretty much alone, she made our stay easy and effortless. My hats off her. My next trip will be back to the Thuderbird

Dead stuffed animals your idea of class?

Dead animals adorn the walls of this politically incorrect themed establishment. I attended the facility for a wedding reception and found it an odd place from top to bottom. Not my idea of classy.

Great Hotel. Close to everything!

Don't believe the negative review. Although this is not the HILTON, it is a great place to stay. Both pools are fabulous. The rooms are very clean. The service couldn't be beat. Allowed us to have six kids and two adults in a double room.

Even gave us extra pillows, blankets and towels! The beds were very soft and comfortable. We had a room next to the pool (only $99.00 on a Sat.) and couldn't hear a thing from outside the room. Mall of America within a block. Easy to walk to during the day. At night, use their free shuttle ...

always on time for us. We plan to stay there again for school shopping and renasaince fest.

T-riffic review for T-bird

The rooms were great... there is a nice weight room and pool... the price is right... it is a nice hotel all around. My family and I will stay here on all of our Minneapolis trips to come.

T-Bird not too terrific

This is not a very pleasant place to stay. It is extremely old (I don't believe the carpet has ever been replaced) and it smells very musty in the rooms. We called to get one of the renovated rooms that was advertised and the attendant at the desk said that they couldn't accommodate us because only 4 rooms have been renovated. Also the hotel is full of dead stuffed animals. I would NOT recommend anyone stay here.