Accessibility Review of the Radisson Blu at Mall of America

During my recent trip to the Mall of America for the #MinNoCoata press trip (read about that by clicking here), I got to stay at the beautiful Radisson Blu. This actually was my second time staying at this hotel and I think that it gets better every time. It’s truly the place to stay if you are visiting the mall. Here are a few reasons why I loved the Radisson Blu at Mall of America – radisson blu mall of america reviews accessible radisson blu mall of america reviews accessible

Arriving to the Blu

The hotel is located near the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, so it didn’t take long for me to get off the plane and into my room. There is a hotel shuttle that runs from the airport to the Radisson Blu for free, but it is not wheelchair accessible. However, the Radisson Blu will happily reimburse for an accessible taxi if you need it. So often when I travel, hotels will have an airport shuttle that isn’t accessible, and they don’t offer a solution for me. I was thrilled when the Radisson Blu offered a reimbursement and it showed me that they do care about all guests.

As soon as we pulled up to the hotel I was impressed. The doorman came out, helped us with our luggage, and showed us inside. The lobby is beautiful and quite large with high ceilings. It looked modern, but cozy with a lounge area complete with fire and pods that you can sit or even lay down in. Check-in was a breeze and I was off to my room in no time.

The room & bathroom

The room that I stayed in was located just a few floors up and had a king bed. The height of the bed would be good for a wheelchair user needing to transfer themselves, but a hoyer lift could not roll under the bed. If you need a hoyer lift, I would suggest bringing bed risers or asking the hotel in advance if they have a solution. Usually when I travel with my hoyer lift, hotels are more than willing to make it work. The room also had a desk, couch, and was still spacious enough to roll around in easily.

The bathroom was spacious as well. It had grab bars at the toilet, a sink that I was able to roll under, and a roll-in shower. I used my Go Mobility shower chair, but there was a fold-down seat in the shower. Really I couldn’t have asked for a better, more accessible room.

Go for a swim in the pool

Whenever I see a hotel with a pool lift, I immediately love the hotel soooo much more. The Radisson Blu has an indoor pool with an access lift. It is a seat that can lower you into the water. If you’d like to go for a swim, just tell the front desk and they will hook you up. On the same level as the pool is a spa also, so check it out if you want to be pampered with a massage or facial.

Eat at FireLake Grill House

Cheese curds! YUM!

I should start by saying that FireLake Grill House is not your typical hotel restaurant. Usually restaurants at hotels seem to be pretty bland, but when I ate at FireLake I learned that that doesn’t have to always be the case. FireLake is “a restaurant about the complex flavors of real burning wood (FIRE) from the land of 10,000 lakes (LAKE)”.

I enjoyed the Alaskan salmon as my entree, which was served over asparagus risotto and drizzled with a honey balsamic dressing. Here’s a fun fact about FireLake: they have their own population of bees on the roof, so many of the dishes use that honey. The chocolate peanut butter pie for dessert was delicious also, but the highlight of my dining experience were the beer battered cheese curds that I ordered as an appetizer. Cheese curds are an authentically Minnesotan food to order and this was my first time ever trying them. They were exceptional! If you want to have a nice Minnesotan dinner, this is the place to do it.

FireLake also serves breakfast and lunch daily, and has a full bar.

Connected to the Mall

You can go on a shopping spree like I did.

You simply cannot stay at the Radisson Blu and not visit the Mall of America. This hotel is connected to the mall, so you never even have to go outside. You can be right in the middle of all the excitement at Mall of America within 2 minutes of leaving your room (I timed it) and the route is accessible with a ramp. When you reach the mall from the hotel, you’ll be on the second level, but there is a set of elevators right there so you can get to any level.

Whether you are going on a shopping spree at the Mall of America or just want a fantastic place to stay while in the Twin Cities, the Radisson Blu at Mall of America is sure to be perfect for any and all of your needs.

*Thank you to the Mall of America, Bloomington, and the Radisson Blu for making my #MinNoCoata trip possible. All opinions are authentic and my own. This post includes affiliate links. When you click on a link, I may receive a small compensation, which will help this blog grow into a better resource for disabled travelers.