noplasticshowers

You know when people describe themselves as “classy” that, well, it is very likely that they are not. (We think Dr. Suess summed it all up best in the Sneeches and their stars.)  Anyway, this hotel in Bloomington, Indiana self describes as “POSH.”  Let that be a warning.

We were actually pretty psyched that there is a new property in town after the demise of Grant Street Inn.  But just like the Hyatt Place, our hopes were met with spoon-fed hotel pablum.  Well, to be fair, POSH is better than both of those places.  But it just does not make the “hotels where NPS likes to stay” team.  We will likely be back anyway.

Like some of the newer hotels, POSH overcommunicates, sending emails and texts backed both by people and bots. And first-naming you when they have never met you. (Can a bot meet you?) No longer novel, this behavior among hotels won’t last long. (You are not my friend, you are a hotel corporation. LOL.). But the staff is very very good. Responsive. Friendly. Positive.

Thing is, the best room in the hotel (a balcony king suite) is tiny and weird and not really comfortable. The HVAC is noisy and too bright. The TV divider takes up all the visual space. The furniture is from the “looks better than it feels” factory and is weirdly placed.

Of course there is a mega-TV. This country and its information feeding trough…I tell you.

The shower is great. We give them props for that.

And the balcony is pretty cool too if you can figure out the door.

Small town Indiana (of the academic variety) has developed a decent mixology scene over the years. We tried out the Dunkirk Library which was pretty cool with the exception of the rules-enforcing den mother (I mean WTF…who is paying here again?) and the entrance approach though a loud and very obnoxious sports bar and its bevvy of undergraduate kids. We loved our server, and the liquor selection is as astoundingly good as its care making good cocktails. Our suggesting? Ditch the den mother.

Incidentally, these two women were not her.

And look at this. Unobtanium (actual antique collection Stagg from 2023).

We also visited C3 while in town, which was still excellent in a suburban planned-community kind of way.

Other restaurants of note. As usual breakfast at Uptown is superb, especially with great company. Lunch at Bloomingthai was maybe the best thing we had. The Spoon was nostalic and filled with very creaky professor couples approaching 90. And Samira was rollicking fun but not really very interesting cuisine-wise.

Late night at Atlas Ballroom was everything a foos-ball filled terrible drink fest should be (they do have fernet back there). Kind of creepy dive bar for the win! We had a blast.

On our way out of town we went through Tibet.

Bloomington is a nice little academic village in an otherwise strip-malled state filled with Jesus and corn. POSH earns a very low four showerheads (more like a three plus) mostly on the merits of its excellent staff. We may just be locked into returning.