HotelTonight – Mall of America Hotels at the Ready
There are certain attractions in the world that you just need to go and see for yourself. Man-made achievements are such that they stand out for obvious reasons, and I for one have always admired them. Whether we're talking about the Eiffel Tower, the Hoover Dam or any other massive and iconic structure, I want to experience all of them. That's why when I recently traveled to Minneapolis/St. Paul for work, I did what I could to finagle some extra time to go and see the Mall of America. I'm not a huge shopper, but that wasn't the point – this enormous achievement in engineering is something I had to see. I managed to schedule my flight home for 24 hours later than I would have returned originally, so that meant that I had a full day to myself to spend there. That seemed like a lot of time to spend at a mall, but as I found out this was no ordinary mall. I didn't even need to worry about lodging, as I would simply book a hotel room at the Mall of America with my HotelTonight app when I was ready.
The History
When I arrived at the mall, I was overwhelmed by its size. The first thing I wanted to do was learn about how it got here. I found out that in 1982, a new sports stadium was built downtown, leading to the move of the Minnesota Vikings and Twins from their old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The city decided to build a mall on the old site and after beginning to build it in 1989 it opened in 1992 with more than 300 new stores. The site has been growing, changing and adapting ever since and generates billions of dollars per year in economic activity.
The Attractions
As I mentioned above, the Mall of America may be home to hundreds of stores, but it's about a whole lot more than shopping. There are events here constantly, including musical performances that are done live, and there are more attractions than I can remember. There are things to do for kids, adults and just about everyone else. If you're so inclined, you can put your shopping bags down and ride on a roller coaster. That's right – full-on amusement park rides at a mall. I spent a good portion of the day just taking all of these options in.
The Dining
If you want your classic mall food, the Mall of America can obviously accommodate. However, at the end of the day I wanted a good dinner, and there were a lot of options available. I went to a place that looked like it was locally owned, and it smelled fantastic from the outside. I went in and ordered the fish and chips, and when it came out I knew I had made the right decision. It was scrumptious. The fish was cooked perfectly and the meat was flaky. The chips were nice and crispy.
HotelTonight – Mall of America Hotels Just for You
I had been walking around all day and I was tired. It was time for me to get some sleep. I opened my HotelTonight app and booked a Mall of America hotel room almost instantly. It was nearby, and I couldn't wait to sleep a satisfied sleep knowing that I had experienced another amazing human attraction.
