Minot, North Dakota / Hampton Inn & Suites

August 2013, Weekday, 2-night, King guestroom #323

Status perks and check-in

My check-in experience was better the last time I stayed at this Hampton Inn & Suites. This time, the front desk agent did not recognize my status, and I did not receive the guestroom preferences in my profile (top floor, away from elevator). When I learned the guestrom I had been assigned was not on the top floor, I asked if one was available, and the agent said no. I then asked if my room was a studio suite, and she said yes.

During check-in, the front desk agent said my guestroom number out loud when there were other guests present at the counter and in the lobby. The other employee working at the front desk did the same thing when she gave the guest next to me his room key--he was in guestroom 205! Sure enough, when we got on the elevator, he pushed floor 2, and I pushed floor 3.

Guestroom
This guestroom is not a suite. It is a basic room located less than half way down the hall from the elevator. It is located on the front side of the building facing the road, and I could hear the traffic from the guestroom.

The tile bathroom near the entrance was roomy with a nice walk-in shower.


A single-serve coffee maker with most of the needed supplies was located on the vanity. The cellophane wrapped condiments were open, and the stir sticks were missing.


Standard Hampton Inn bath amenities were also on the vanity and a hairdryer was provided. The towels were good quality.

A closet with a mirrored door was located outside the bathroom. It contained an iron and ironing board.

The bedroom area contained a soft chair, lamp, small fridge, microwave, flatscreen TV on an armoire, desk and chair, king size bed, suitcase bench, nightstands with lamps, and lighted alarm clock. I was surprised to see a telephone on the desk and next to the bed. I have stayed in many Hampton Inns recently that have only one telephone next to the bed.

The bed was comfortable, and the sheets were silky soft. I did not recall the sheets being such good quality the last time I stayed at this hotel. Even so, I did not sleep well. I could easily hear the guest overhead thumping around, and guests in the hall let their doors slam until 1 a.m. I was surprised to hear so much noise from the hall because the guestroom door was heavy, and there were no visible gaps around the door.

Food & Beverage/Fitness center
I had to leave before breakfast in the morning, and I did not have time to use the fitness center. Both of these items are covered in my first review of this hotel. You can find the details here.

Shuttle service and misc.
I chose this hotel because it is very close to the airport. In fact, I was able to walk back to the hotel after returning my rental car. It was less than a mile walk, and there was a sidewalk most of the way. A small portion of the exit road from the airport did not have a sidewalk; however, since there was no traffic, this was not a problem. Shuttle service was prompt the next morning.

Before my two stays at this hotel, the only other hotels I found near the airport were a couple of unknown hotel brands. Right before I departed, I discovered that a new Hyatt House had opened near the airport, and that they provide shuttle service. Although I have never stayed in a Hyatt House, my experience at other Hyatt hotels has always been great. If I need to return to this area, I would probably choose the Hyatt House next time. I did not like the manner in which the front desk agent provided check-in service, and I did not like the hallway noise in the evening.