Our family recently went to our favorite event of the year, 98.5 KTIS’, Joyful Noise Family Fest at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN. It is a tradition for us to stay overnight on Friday night so we can get up early and catch the first performance of the day. This year was a little different as I have started working at a hotel and one of the perks is an employee discount at other franchise properties and allowed us to stay two nights and three days at Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Shoreview, MN.
Our one hour and forty-five-minute drive went by quickly as we were super excited about the music artists we were going to see live on stage and delighted to spend two nights in a hotel. Our kids could barely stand the excitement. Check-in at the hotel was at 3 pm, and we wanted to get our bags settled into our room before heading to the festival. The hotel was right off of the highway and easy to find.
As is typical for a Country Inn & Suites property, the lobby was a bright, calm, and welcoming atmosphere. A coffee bar greeted us, the cookies were fresh, and the lemon infused ice water was refreshing after a long drive. The front desk attendant was friendly and greeted us with a smile and quickly checked-in me, my dad and my sister. They efficiently took care of the line people who were waiting to get registered and checked into their rooms.
Once we signed our registration forms, I was able to quickly find the luggage trolley to take to our car and load it down with all of our bags, pillows, and coolers. The cart turned with ease as we went from our car, through the lobby, and to the elevator. I appreciated the hotel having two elevators as it insured we would not have to wait long for one to return for us.
When we all piled off of the elevator, we walked down the hall and found 424, our room. When I opened the door, it felt as if we had been the only ones ever to use the room. The bed linens were pulled tight and clean, the artwork on the walls was happy and warm. The Tv stand had doors which hid the microwave and the refrigerator. The rooms were very spacious, and we appreciated the extra room with our family of seven sharing the room. It did not feel like we had crammed into the room. Every floor had an ice machine which meant we did not have to take an elevator to a different level just for ice.
The breakfast area was bright, with plenty of seating. The continental breakfast the first morning consisted of breakfast burritos fixings, waffles, toast, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, and much more. The second-morning french toast and sausage links as well as the other items I had mentioned previously. We look forward to continental breakfast as it saves our family a lot of money since we do not have to go out to a restaurant.
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Shoreview, MN was the perfect place to stay during Joyful Noise. We look forward to going back again soon.