Our stay at the Biddle Hotel was nothing short of miserable. The room was freezing cold, and the thermostat offered no way to turn the system on or off. Even though it was set to 80°, the temperature never rose above 67°, while the vents blasted frigid air directly at us all night long. It was so unbearable that my husband had to stuff a towel into the vent just to block the airflow. When we called the front desk for help, we were told there was nothing they could do because the engineer wasn't available. That was the end of the conversation -- no solution, no effort, no concern for the fact that guests were left freezing in their rooms. This level of service is unacceptable for any hotel, let alone one tied to the reputation of Indiana University. Future guests should be aware: if something goes wrong, don't expect help. this hotel is poorly managed and poorly maintained. read more

Biddle Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

You have to request to have your room cleaned, which we did. We were gone for 10 hours and when we came back, they hadn't cleaned it. We called again and they said they would clean it while we went to dinner. When we got back, all they did was give us new towels. The beds weren't made and the bathroom wasn't clean. It was bad. Stay at a real hotel when you visit! read more

The place itself is quaint, nice, but it's the location. It's in the Union, so there are 25 things to do in that building - multiple restaurants, coffee, snacks, shopping, bowling alley, bars, live music, and an auditorium. And it's right in the middle of campus, so it's a few minute walk from Kirkwood, where all the action is, literally a hundred places to eat and hang out. It's a ten minute drive to the mall area too, the other place with lots to do. read more

Biddle Hotel - The entrance, nicely done, cool 3D map of IU off to the left. - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Biddle Hotel runs you about ~$350 a night, with all the tax and add ons. The rooms are stately and quaint. Quiet in the evening and loud in the morning with loud staff. There are no microwaves and no mini bars! The staff at the front desk should mind their manners. Review: 5 read more

Wow, it was finally reasonably priced when I was in town for a campus visit w a grandson. His sister who is a current student could easily visit. Comfortable beds, nice bathroom, tons of places to store or plug in stuff. Great shower & bathroom. I had a view of a beautiful cemetery. My only complaint In was while it was clean, it wasn't "to the corners" clean. read more

Biddle Hotel - Room - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

See all

Time for another Pros and Cons list. Pros: 1. Very central to anything at IU and a short walk to many restaurants and coffee shops 2. Free parking 3. Beautiful building architecture 4. Good in-room coffee packets (and mini coffee maker) Cons: 1. Rooms look old and the decor is dated 2. Bathrooms are very small 3. No soundproofing of any kind (see #1) - you will hear EVERYTHING happening in the hallways. 4. The staff varies wildly - some are great and some are not helpful at all 5. Elevators are old and tiny read more

See all

Great, comfortable stay at Biddle Hotel. The location was prime for a campus tour, lots of restaurants and amenities nearby. Historic architecture. Ideal place to stay if visiting Indiana University. read more

Biddle Hotel - Room - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Biddle is an IU owned hotel conveniently located on campus. A bit old and traditional looking in appearance, the hotel has connections to the IU Memorial Union with IU offices and meeting rooms, as well as the IU bookstore to buy that Hoosiers swag. The room I received was a double queen, which had a really tiny bathroom (I thought it was almost a closet!). There was a sink at the front of the room as I entered with a light up makeup mirror, which was convenient when getting ready in the mornings. There was central air in my room as well as a TV with a few cable channels. Breakfast is served in the IMU, which was a bit bland at best. They ran out of many options during the days I stayed, which resulted in just coffee for breakfast (which one day, they also ran out of). Overall, okay for the convenience. read more

Biddle Hotel - Double Queen room - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Cons, and they can be very significant. Maintenance and safety are a big problem. No hand sanitizers stations filled. Multiple hooks coming off in bathroom. Rusty Elevators and worn out carpets. Safety issues. Anybody can walk to any room. Overall, it's a hotel run like a not-for-profit where they do just enough to make for an acceptable stay but there is little to no luxurious feel, and the prices can be high. Our suite was $400/night in summer when school was out (as low season as it gets). the service from the front desk was pleasant. read more

Biddle Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This place is an absolute nightmare. Awful. I chose it based on location. There was a conference with high school students and they yelled and ran in the hallway all day and night for two days. The hotel staff did nothing about it and had no problem mixing in regular guests among these kids. The elevator is tiny and there is only one working -- the other one is permanently out of service. You wait about 10 minutes minimum to get upstairs. My room had no working air conditioning. A nightmare. Pick anywhere else if you want to have an enjoyable trip. read more

We were pleasantly surprised with the freshness of the hotel. It's upgraded interior was upscale yet maintained the sedate feel of a historic building. We were warmly welcomed at the front desk and provided informative guidance for our stay. And they were able to accommodate an early check in. On-site parking with in/out privileges was inexpensive and convenient. Our room was spacious with a separate vanity/wet bar area setup with sink, lighted makeup mirror, refrigerator and coffee service. Perfect for two getting ready at the same time. The bathroom provided amble space to store our toiletries and cosmetics. The bed was comfortable with crisp, upgraded linens. The location is perfect immersing you in the beautiful wooded area of the campus as well as easy walking distance to the heart of downtown. Highly recommend this hotel and we will definitely return. read more

We stayed here for a wedding and had a good experience. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The hotel was clean. There is a lot going on being right in the heart of campus. The rooms are a little smaller than normal but do the job. Bathrooms were nice. I would stay here anytime. read more

Biddle Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Had a fantastic experience at the Biddle. Reserved a block for a wedding party. Jody in reservations was a rockstar. Took care of the arrangements and subsequent revisions and adjustments perfectly. My family loved the place. read more

I was staying on campus for work for a conference that was happening in the Indiana Memorial Union. The Biddle Hotel is in the same building, which was SUPER convenient. The campus is gorgeous. As far as my stay, the front desk was wonderful during check in. They have a text concierge system and texted me about an hour after I checked in, asking if I was settled in ok. Later on that night, I had texted the concierge asking if I could put my breakfast room service on a separate card. He answered within 10 minutes. We spoke via text and I met him downstairs to give him the card info. The system was super easy and I think a great addition to a hotel service! The room has beautiful windows, a great big bed, a desk, lounge chair, a large tall dresser with a full ironing board and iron. There is also a small bar area with a large mirror, sink, coffee maker, makeup mirror, and your own fridge! The bathroom is a bit small but newly updated with beautiful tile. It doesn't have much counter space but because the bar area has a large mirror with a makeup mirror, one person can use the bathroom while another can get ready outside of the bathroom. I had a breakfast order for the next morning (they leave a paper door hanger that you can pick your breakfast order and leave outside your door until 1:00am. They have really extensive options and you can schedule the time you'd like to receive breakfast. When I received my breakfast, everything was hot and tasted great! I was very pleased! Overall, my stay at the Biddle Hotel was wonderful. If you ever need to be on campus for an event and need to stay over, I highly recommend! read more

Biddle Hotel - OJ, 2 glasses ice water, hot water for tea, 2 bags of black tea, 2 pieces of toast, bacon, 2 eggs sunny-side up, & breakfast potatoes - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

This hotel is difficult to review; a place of extremes. Location: Perfect, ten stars if I could give them! Right in the heart of campus, less than a block from everywhere you need to be on campus, it's the sole reason I stay here. The IMU has a bunch of restaurants and cafes inside the building too, and the university bookstore. It's so damn convenient. Parking: Sweet, sweet parking! The finest lot on campus, always space, and central to everything. Oh, and free for hotel guests! Internet: Depends on what room you're in. In the right rooms you get an excellent connection on the IU wireless network. Rooms: Small and old, kind of musty. They have a few beautiful big rooms, but you'd need to book a room with two queens I think to get them. One king or two doubles puts you in the cramped old ones. Like someone said, kind of reminiscent of dorms. And there is a gap under the door too, which makes it a bit noisy. Beds are uncomfortable, with small, hard pillows. Service: Friendly employees, and they let me check in very early which really helped me out a lot. So: Stay here for the location but be prepared for a sub-par room and uncomfortable bed. read more

I never had to stay in a single hotel for longer than a couple of days. This time, I would be here for a full week and I had no idea what to expect. First off, the room was covered by a program hosted by the university so I do not know what the regular rates were. We got a room with a king sized bed. We requested for a mini fridge and a microwave so we got those as well. The room itself was small and the mini fridge and microwave pretty much took up the entire corner of the room where the coffee maker was located. Some of the wall paper was peeling and needed to be redone/glued. The restroom itself was decent. It was small and with the way the door opened, there was room for only one person at a time. Maybe two if you close the door. However, the water pressure was great and the water warmed up almost immediately. There were no drainage issues so yay for clear pipes! For me, I was there to work remotely so I was in and out of the room several times a day when I wasn't visiting a local coffee shop while getting some things done. Because of this, the cleaning ladies didn't clean the room on a few days because I was inside when they were about to clean it. They start cleaning the rooms near the main elevators first and then make their way down the hall. They usually reach my room at around 1 pm. Perhaps I should have left a note to tell them to start on my room and what time I would be back, but having an unfreshened room for an extra day wouldn't kill me. However, the cleaning ladies were great and when we left a tip, they would leave a thank you note. If you pass them in the hallway, they would always be ready with a greeting. The building itself is large and old. Apparently, there are some stories of supernatural happenings but I frankly didn't suspect or feel anything during my stay. The elevators take forever to get to the floor (we stayed on the third floor) so I ended up just taking the stairs because it was quicker. The best way to catch the elevator is to get on from the lobby because there is at least one elevator car there, but I was rarely in that floor so I only took the elevator maybe a grand total of three times while there. The location is great. It's located in the union and though most of the places in the building close at around 3 pm and some were closed for the summer session, it was really close to downtown and other popular areas, so they definitely get 5 stars from me based solely on the location. It averaged around a 10 to 15 minute walk to get to most of my destinations from the hotel. All in all, an enjoyable stay. I would definitely stay here again if I need to be at IU. read more

I very much liked my stay at the IU Union Biddle Hotel, but there were problems. The good news is that the room was quite nice, plenty large, and with pleasant views. The bad news includes: 1) Upon making the reservation I specifically asked for a particular view; but upon arrival they gave me a room with a view that I did NOT request. So I had to go through the hassle of complaining and getting a room with the view that I requested at reservation. 2) I urgently needed to have 3 items of clothes cleaned and pressed for a social engagement so I called front desk and they assured me it will be done by 4:00 the next day. Well, it was not done and I was unhappy about that. Other good news: 1) For all the hassles, they gave me a room rate reduction, which I appreciated. 2) The Union-Biddle is conveniently located on campus and close to Kirkwood. 3) They provide free parking and I like that convenience. read more

Prices were high everywhere for a home opening, night football game but we were pleased with our room. Nice updates even with a smaller bathroom we were very happy staying in our beloved Student Union. Being in the middle of the greatest college campus in the country is always a fun time. read more

This outfit dropped a star with our last visit. We arrived at the end of June 2013 during the Indiana University Freshman Orientation and Registration days ... the Biddle just seemed off its game. The floor in our room had not been vacuumed, the glasses in the room had lipstick marks on them, and the front desk really didn't show any concern when we brought it to their attention. Maybe they were just too busy with the staff they had, but they dropped a star. read more

Great location right on the beautiful Bloomington campus! It's a real treat to stay in such a historic building. One cannot beat the value for the money. Rooms are very reasonable. The location is worth the money alone. The hotel on campus in the IMU. It's nice to be able to walk outside and stroll the campus anytime. Also, the hotel is within walking distance of Kirkwood Ave. where many local restaurants and shops are located. Can't wait to stay here again! read more

The most compelling reason to stay at this hotel is that it is located smack in the middle of the IU campus, near the Lilly Library and Art Museum, and you can park for free in the attached lot and use your room key for in and out privileges. I have stayed here twice as I had business meetings on campus and found it very convenient and enjoyable enough for a short stay, but not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination. There are two general room categories: standard which has two full size beds crammed in one tiny room or a king bed in a much larger room with a mini fridge and a separate dressing area. Go for the king size room if there is just a small difference in price. It is vastly superior!! Wi-fi is included (get the code at the front desk and it works any where on campus) but like others have mentioned, I had to keep logging back in and entering the password on a frequent basis, so it is really annoying when you are trying to work and keep getting booted off your vpn. The hotel is part of the student union, so there are a number of quick service food options within the Union building, but no sit down restaurant. read more

I am torn on how to rate this! 5-star for the location and the overall history of the building. 3-start because the rooms are so old. The location couldn't be better if you are going to IU. You're right in the heard of the campus. Pretty amazing! I loved walking through the campus every day. The amenities inside are neat, too. The hotel in literally in the union. You can walk around and really get a feel for student life and culture. I absolutely love that. Especially having immediate access to the bookstore! So fun. The only real downside? It's an old room - and you can tell. The sinks. The tile. The shower. With that being said, everything worked great! It just wasn't modern. I would DEFINITELY stay here next time I am in town. read more

The biggest selling point for the Biddle Hotel is location, location, location. Perfectly located in heart of campus - walking distance to Kirkwood establishments, easiest parking you will find (able to use lot - free with your room key). Plenty of work spots at attached Union both inside and out. Most people overlook the downsides of this place given above, but don't be surprised about bad internet connection, really small rooms slightly overpriced (think it might have been a converted dorm?), outdated furnishings, and no amenities (no breakfast, no gym, no pool, etc.) But is a Bloomington staple and most people look to recommend this place to visitors and family alike. read more

Quite a nice hotel. Seems pricey. Wifi connectivity is spotty and you have to enter your password to log in over and over again. read more

This review is for the HOTEL only. If you have business at IU, the location is perfect. I've stayed here three times and I love being able to walk out of my room and immerse myself in the culture of the University. I've found the rooms to be clean but VERY outdated. Housekeeping staff does a great job considering what they have to work with: The rooms are not well-maintained. Fixtures are decades old and the chrome paint is all but worn off in several places. Walls need a fresh coat of paint, tiles need to be re-grouted and replaced, the thermostat looks like something out of a horror movie (ever seen 1408?) and some of the electrical outlets and cords will strike terror into the heart of anyone born after 1970. The bed was hard but the pillows were good and fluffy but supportive. Since I couldn't adjust the temperature I was too cold at night and too hot in the morning. This hotel BADLY needs an upgrade. Next time I'm back at IU I will stay elsewhere. If you DO choose to stay here, ask for a room overlooking the cemetery. That experience might be enough to make up for the hotel's flaws. read more

Since I was a student I have wanted to stay here, and I finally got the chance! The only negative was the size for the price, but given the location, it can command a high price. "Location, location, location," definitely describes this hotel. We walked to the basketball game in 20 minutes, then later walked down to Kirkwood to eat at Nick's. And to park right in the middle of campus makes you feel special, especially if you ever paid for a parking pass as a student. The hotel has just enough school spirit to make you reminisce without feeling tacky. The room was clean and cozy, and the bathroom looked pretty modern. Had an okay view of campus. Room was smaller than your average hotel room, but if you're running about campus it doesn't matter and is the perfect base. The eateries around the Union offer places to eat (though with limited hours based on student activity, of course) without having to go outside or drive, and Kirkwood is an easy walk. read more

Biddle Hotel - Forget to take pic before laying on the bed - Hotels Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

If you are going to work 12-15 hours a day at a local conference, this is a lovely place to spend your down time. Everyone is pleasant, friendly and helpful, the rooms are commodious with two queen sized beds, cable television (important note: there are no numbers on the remote so those of us spoiled by instant channel changing will find this annoying), fridge and small bathroom with a tub. The room was not spacious but it did fit in a desk, side table and four lamps. You also couldn't be in a better location if you are attending a meeting or event at the university. The hotel is located right smack in the middle of the building, a short walk from the study halls, bowling alley, outside student buildings and the UPS store (which hopefully will not be as key of a component of your trip). My only complaint was that we arrived half an hour early and our rooms were not yet ready but, having experienced their superb customer service, this may have been resolved if we had called first. read more

I stayed here for the first time years ago, and this weekend I attended a wedding at the Union so I decided to just get a room for the night as well. It could not have been more convenient - all I had to do was walk down the hall from the reception room and pass out on the bed. And the next morning I got to wake up on the most beautiful campus in the world. I visited a friend's room too, and I actually love the decor of the hotel rooms - the wallpaper and bedspreads are mostly solid, pleasant colors that all coordinate instead of strange floral patterns and bright clashing colors that look 50+ years old, like most hotels seem to have. The tvs are pretty small, and I had a flat screen but my friends had an old-fashioned one that hadn't been updated yet, so that's a drawback. The only other drawback I noticed is that the rooms aren't very soundproof especially to the hallway, but I think that's pretty common for hotels. Wi-fi was free, but there was no complimentary breakfast. I didn't mind because Btown has so many great brunch places. Overall, it was nice, clean and comfortable. A bit pricey, but I think it's a pretty good value overall, especially considering the convenience of being on the beautiful campus that is IU Bloomington! read more

The rooms were fine, odd bathroom doors (yes doors), small, and the housekeeping (at least on my floor) were VERY loud (walkie talkies loud and constantly talking). It's on the college campus. read more

Rooms are nicely remodeled, the building is beautiful, and the location is top-notch. But some of the rooms (facing south or west) are very small. Book a king or 2 double room to get a bit more space. Need an option for feather pillows. Cleaning staff were loud in the mornings and didn't seem terribly efficient (some were on phones... even heard one swear while talking to another). Would stay here again, but only in the bigger rooms. read more

Clean rooms, reasonably priced, great location for when you visit the IU campus. They also validate your parking, so you can park right on campus! read more

When I was a recruiter, this is the only place I would stay to do events at IU. It gets no betta than the Biddle. When it is cold and icy in the wilds of Indiana, you want a place that gives you convenient parking, has an attached Starbucks and food court, offers room service, a gym, and cozy lounges to work on all that pesky paperwork. The Biddle offers it all! It's also centrally located on the IU campus so any campus buildings you need to go to are within walking distance. I probably stayed here 4 or 5 times and enjoyed every single one. Rooms are nicely furnished, not the most modern, but they have a lot of character and I always found the staff to be super friendly. If the Starbucks is too crowded, you can always grab coffee at the food court, which also offers tasty gingerbread men! read more

Location is great....right in the middle of IU's beautiful campus. Room was very small. Bathroom could use some updating. TV didn't work very well and the cleaning staff took forever to clean the room. read more

Can't beat this when you are visiting IU. Can be pricey (they know they have a great location : ) and the bathrooms are a bit dated, but that's part of the 'charm' of the location? Free parking, you are on campus, just a short walk to Sample gates and Kirkwood dining. It worked out very good to stay here! read more

Great location if you're visiting IU, great staff very nice and helpful. This is my first time in Indiana and the people are just so friendly. read more

Not a big fan for the price or hospitality from staff. I'm sure improvements have been made since I last visited.

Unless you are going to be doing a lot of business within the Indiana Memorial Union itself, do yourself a favor and stay somewhere else. The beds are uncomfortable, the pillows are smaller than standard pillows (think couch throw pillows... I've never seen anything like it in a hotel before), you are not allowed to regulate the temperature in your room (and the windows don't open), the rooms are ridiculously tiny and the bathroom makes our wee bungalow bathroom at home seem spacious (you have to close the door to use the toilet, for instance). The elevators are itty bitty and ridiculously slow (several times I gave up and just walked down four flights of stairs rather than waiting any longer) and the wifi is unreliable. The decor in the room is trying to be classy but that's a wash when the paint on the walls is sloppy, the carpet is stained and the wallpaper is literally bubbling up and falling down in places and all the fixtures were vintage, but not in a cool retro kind of way. All that for a premium price! The upside (and there is one): there's a Starbucks on 1st floor, a decent bakery, several fast food options on the Mezzanine level and free newspapers in the lovely lobby. The parking is also free if you're a guest and the desk staff was always exceptionally friendly and happy to help with questions. Also, there's a refrigerator in the room and weirdly a second sink (I think it counts as a wet bar then, but it's just a bathroom sink sitting there in the room) which was handy when two people were sharing the room, since there was really no way that you could have two people in the bathroom at the same time without one person standing in the tub. Next time I have to be in Bloomington at a conference, I'll check out different digs. Not only would the savings totally cover the cost of paying for parking but it would be worth it just for the reliable air-conditioning and wifi. read more

I really liked staying here, so I gave it four stars. On review criteria, it is probably 3 stars. I stayed in what was called an "antique room" . It had a four-poster bed and an antique looking dresser. The room was not big, but in an old stone building, there is not much they can do about room size. I thought the bathroom was cute, though it was small. the fixtures are good quality and kept up. The bed was very comfortable with loads of pillows. The room came with a mini-fridge that had no mini-bar untouchables in it. It could not be more convenient to the University! I also came without a reservation during a busy Orientation week, and they were able to get me a room. It did not cost that much more than staying in the dorm provided for parents, and the amenities were far better. I'll definitely stay there again, and request an "antique room"! I did get a paper both days, unlike a previous reviewer. Free wifi is available. read more

This place is disgusting. It is old and run down. When we arrived, the bathroom had hair all over the floor. We had to ask them to vacuum the bathroom floor two times. The rooms are loud, musty, and gross. We moved the next night to a different hotel which was $10.00 cheaper and it had one more bed, modern amenities, and the room was clean. This place is a rip off! read more

Not sure about all the bad reviews. The rooms don't seem small at all. Nice numerous pillows & towels. Small two cup coffee maker in room and refrigerator. Great location for business at IU and includes free parking. Would definitely stay again. Just a little noisy, otherwise I'd give 5 stars. FYI nothing in the Memorial Union opens until 7:00am in the summer so it's a bummer for early risers. read more