Hotel Review: Sleep Inn & Suites in Minot, North Dakota

When choosing a mini vacation destination for me and my two children, I decided on the Sleep Inn & Suites in Minot, North Dakota. Many friends and family members recommended the Sleep Inn to me as it also has an indoor water park, Splashdown Dakota. Sleep Inn & Suites is a subsidiary of Choice Hotels International.

Location and Parking

A newer hotel built right off the Dakota Square Mall in Minot, North Dakota, the Sleep Inn & Suites has a great location. It is so convenient, we didn't even have to go outside during our stay! The hotel is connected to the mall, so patrons can walk to the stores and to some great restaurants in the Dakota Square Mall.

Parking was great too, with many close parking spots near all the entrances. It was very easy to get the van unloaded and get our belongings into our room, which is important when traveling with two youngster.

Sleep Inn & Suites Location and Parking: 5 stars

Customer Service

From my past experience, Choice Hotels International is great with their customer service, and the staff at Sleep Inn & Suites is no different. While booking the reservation online, I called the hotel with questions and I was helped immediately. She quickly grasped my situation and was able to offer advice to make my reservation planning go more smoothly.

Once we got to the hotel, we experienced the 'speedy check-in' Sleep Inn promises. Personally, with two children in tow, I had mixed feelings about the speedy check-in. On one hand, I was appreciative that the process didn't take forever, but on the other hand, I felt the staff member went a little too quickly for me. He spoke very quickly, and I had children who were doing their best to distract me. I wasn't confident I knew where our room was or how to get to the indoor water park from our room. I ended up having to call the front desk once we were settled to ask for more complete directions to the Splashdown Dakota water park.

Sleep Inn & Suites Customer Service: 4 stars

Cleanliness and Privacy

I've stayed in quite a few hotel rooms in my life, and the Sleep Inn rooms were very comfortable and clean. The rooms are spacious, the beds are cozy, and the bathroom and wash area was very clean. Our room had two queen beds, a desk area with Internet access for laptop computers, a wardrobe, and a microwave and refrigerator. All areas of the room were exceptionally clean.

Privacy and noise level are a big concern for me where the children are concerned. I can sleep through most anything, but I always worry about late night party animals laughing in the hallways or in the adjacent rooms. I didn't hear a peep, and I know there were children in the room right next to ours.

Sleep Inn & Suites Cleanliness and Privacy: 5 stars

Amenities

While I mentioned some of the room amenities in the previous section, the hotel amenities were fabulous. The continental breakfast was excellent! They served a hot breakfast, complete with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage links, and French toast in a cafeteria-style lunchroom. Also offered were fresh fruit choices, yogurt, a variety of cold cereals, fresh-baked muffins, toast, coffee, tea and an assortment of juices. There was plenty of food for the kids to pick from and I was really impressed with the breakfast offering, especially since it was a continental breakfast.

The hotel also had guest computers available at various stations around the first floor, complete with Internet access and printers. There is also a game and exercise room near the water park for guests to enjoy.

Sleep Inn & Suites Amenities: 5 stars

Price

The cost of staying in a Sleep Inn & Suites is high, but the value is good. For our room, which had two queen beds, I paid $129 for a Friday-night stay. Check-in time is 4 p.m. and check-out is by 11 a.m. Included in the price of the room are free water park passes to all occupants, and with all the aforementioned amenities, the value is worth it.

Sleep Inn & Suites Price: 5 stars

I really enjoyed my stay at the Sleep Inn & Suites, and my children had fun at the Splashdown Dakota water park. Even though the price is a little out of my budget, I would stay there again for a mini family vacation. I would recommend the Sleep Inn & Suites in Minot, North Dakota, to anyone looking for a peaceful night's stay at a family-friendly hotel.