Hotels near Carleton College, Northfield

Fairfield Northfield was a nice surprise. I chose it because it's close in. Right on the Cannon River and across the bridge from historic Northfield and the river walk. Guest parking is in an underground garage. An onsite pub offers decent food and drink after 4 pm and free breakfast buffet. The indoor pool and fitness room are nice (I had both to myself!). I especially like the bedding. The puckered cotton bedspreads are cozy & (I would guess) easily washable.

Your experience with this hotel will likely depend on your expectations. First and foremost, you will likely be awakened by a train going right behind the hotel. We had one at 3 a.m., but we knew it was probably coming, so not a huge deal. But ask for a room at the front of the hotel when you check in. Another thing to know is that some - maybe all? -- of the rooms just have a shower and no tub. The shower was actually good because the water was hot and had great pressure. But if you are hoping for a tub to give the kids a bath, be sure to ask if they have a room with one. I would not quibble with the reviewers who say the hotel seems a little outdated... it's certainly not fancy. If you look really hard, you will find some minor flaws. We did struggle a little with the heating/cooling unit. It was pretty loud and kept switching on an off. But we got the room at the right temp and just turned it off, which worked fine. Our room had a microwave and a fridge, which we appreciated. The room was clean, and the bed was comfy. I will also mention the fine pool and the hot tub, which had very hot water when we were there. Also on the positive side, we were quite pleased with the free breakfast. They had scrambled eggs and sausage, waffles, yogurt, and lots more. Exceeded expectations. The hotel is just a few blocks from downtown Northfield, which is what we wanted. It was a short and enjoyable stroll to the brewery we wanted to visit. So, manage your expectations, get ready to hear the train, enjoy the breakfast, and your visit should be fine.

Check in process was seamless and staff were professional and accommodating. Location was great with a walkable restaurant across the street. The building was well taken care of and rooms were clean and modern.

Reasonable price.

The best part of our stay was a super friendly check in person when we arrived on Jun 7th for a two night stay. The location was perfect for us and it was a short drive back and forth to Carleton College where we were going for graduation weekend. However, the hotel definitely needs some updating sometime soon... bath towel has a hole in it, rod to pull curtain shut was laying on the shelf, and biggest complaint was it was so dim in the suite part of the room. Couldn't even read a book. And we were there when there had been some water leak near the lobby and super loud fans had to be running to dry out things which we understand but we chose to skip the included breakfast both mornings which normally we would love to stay and enjoy. It was way too loud.... got our coffee and left both mornings..good coffee.