Radisson Blu Mall of America

The honest review

Let's compare the two options directly, because that's how most families choose between them.

The Radisson Blu Mall of America and the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America share the same heated skyway connection to Mall of America on Level 4. Both are physically connected to the mall. Both have indoor pools. Both are in the same Bloomington building complex.

The difference: the JW Marriott is a 5-star property at $280-$450/night standard rooms, with finer finishes, more polished service, and JW brand cache. The Radisson Blu is a 4-star property at $160-$280/night standard rooms, with 4-star (not 3-star) quality that's genuinely solid, and the same skyway connection.

For most families making a weekend trip to see Nickelodeon Universe, the $120-$170/night price difference means $240-$340 savings over a 2-night stay — roughly one extra person's full day at Nickelodeon Universe, or a very nice family dinner in the mall.

**The skyway advantage explained**

Mall of America sits in Bloomington, Minnesota. Minnesota in fall, winter, and spring means cold — sometimes very cold. The heated skyway from the Radisson Blu (and JW Marriott) to Level 4 of the mall means you never have to take children outside to get to the park, aquarium, or stores.

This sounds trivial until you're trying to wrangle a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old into coats, boots, and hats on a 15-degree morning in December to walk through a parking structure. The hotels without the direct skyway connection (Embassy Suites, Hyatt Regency, and the many hotels along 24th Avenue) require a covered walkthrough of the parking structure — protected from wind and precipitation, but still outdoor-cold. It's 3-5 minutes, not 20, but with young kids that matters.

The Radisson Blu's skyway is the same connection as the JW Marriott's. There's no quality difference in the physical connection. You walk through the same skyway to the same Level 4 mall entrance.

**Rooms**

Radisson Blu rooms here are nicely appointed for a 4-star property — not JW-caliber soft goods and finishes, but noticeably above a standard Marriott or Hilton in the same tier. Two-queen rooms comfortably sleep four. Junior Suites add a sitting area with a pullout sofa, which gives parents and kids separate zones in the evening — useful for the "kids want to keep watching TV at 10pm" situation.

The hotel offers some family suites with two bedroom configurations — these sell out well in advance for peak weekend bookings. If the family suite matters, book 4-6 weeks out.

**Indoor pool**

Radisson Blu's indoor pool has a waterslide, which beats many comparable hotels' basic lap-pool configurations. For families spending 2-3 days at the mall, having a waterslide available for the "we need a non-mall activity" morning slot is practically useful.

**Dining**

FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar is the signature restaurant — American grill-style, family-appropriate, above average for hotel restaurant quality. The FireLake wine program is recognized nationally. But practically, most families eat in the mall (dozens of options 90 seconds away via skyway) more than they use the hotel restaurant.

**Getting to the airport**

MSP Airport is 5 minutes by car or about 12 minutes via the Blue Line light rail, which has a stop inside Mall of America. If you're flying in, you can take the light rail directly from the airport to the mall station and walk to the hotel via skyway without a car. The transit connection is better than nearly any airport-adjacent hotel in a major US city.

**Who this is right for**

The family that wants the MoA skyway connection — the core structural advantage for this destination — at 4-star quality and a meaningfully lower price than the JW Marriott. Weekend family trips (2-3 nights) centered around Nickelodeon Universe. Families flying into MSP who want to skip car rental for the MoA portion of a trip (light rail → hotel skyway works cleanly).

**Who should consider alternatives**

Families who want the absolute best rooms and service (JW Marriott is worth the premium for them). Budget-first families who can live with a short walk through the parking structure (Embassy Suites at $150-$200/night provides suite-style rooms and included breakfast at meaningful additional savings).