Biddle Hotel and Conference Center

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.

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.

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.

The price you pay and what LITTLE you get is amazing. Basically you are paying for a 5 star hotel that is just slightly better than a Red Roof Inn. The rooms are small and somewhat run down. The staff at the desk are not helpful and act as though they are doing you a favor. If it were not for my family members using the facility for their wedding I would have left after the first night. The Candlewood suite nearby is 1000’s of times better and half the cost.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 décor 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 1^st 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.

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

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!

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.

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.

Spartan would be the best word to describe the rooms.
I walked into the room and thought to myself, «hey, this is ok!» Then I realized that the TV, chair, desk, and just about everything but the bed was mini-​sized, most likely in an effort to make the room look bigger. It was small. Teeny even.
The place has that dorm-​room-​feel to it, and the bath had clearly been built in the 70’s. It was clean enough but just a little shabby, and it lacked the amenities I prefer — it did have free wireless but aside from that, no fitness room, no pool, no newspaper, no breakfast. The parking lot took eons to get to from downtown due to between-​class traffic.
I’d say the only reason to stay here is location. Aside from that, you’re better off elsewhere.

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.