The Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown is a 136-room upscale hotel which opened in 2013. The site of a former lumberyard, the hotel sits along the Big Sioux River. Rooms on the river side have a beautiful view of the water, walking paths and green space. Being only six years old, I liked that the hotel was decorated with modern tastes and still feels new today. The hotel restaurant is even newer, having been built in 2016, while construction on a new Starbucks is ongoing. All of that is wonderful, but I felt the hotel was a little too pricey for its location. Being in downtown Sioux Falls is not the same as being in downtown New York or Chicago and shouldn’t be priced that way.
Location
The hotel is located in downtown Sioux Falls overlooking the Big Sioux River. It’s only about a 10 minute drive from the Joe Ross Field Airport and just minutes from Falls Park, which is a public park surrounding the city’s falls.
I came into town from the East and found the blocks leading up to the hotel to be rather run down and sketchy looking. Between the hotel and Falls Park is more of the same. The area is a combination of industrial buildings and dilapidated commercial and residential buildings as well. It has the feel and look of a town hit by economic hardship.
On the other hand, just about two blocks to the south and west of the hotel is the heart of downtown Sioux Falls. This area, which is anchored by Phillips Avenue, is much nicer with lots of restaurants and shopping. Unfortunately I was there on a Sunday night and it was raining. Most places were closed and the weather meant I couldn’t walk around at all. I did drive down Phillips Avenue, just to check it out quickly, and it was a cute looking couple of blocks.
Lobby
The hotel lobby is clean and contemporary. It’s a big space with the restaurant off to the left, check-in to the right and a seating area towards the back. On nice days, the patio along the river would make a nice spot to sip on a coffee or read the morning paper.
Checking-In
The check-in process was very quick. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I received a room on the river side of the hotel and a free hot breakfast voucher.
The Room
Since the hotel is just a few years old, the carpet and wallpaper are in great shape. The hallways are bright and modern.
The bedroom was clean and had a king bed, desk and television.
It also had a small kitchenette equipped with a microwave, fridge, and coffee machine.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was clean but overall pretty average.
Dining
Inside the hotel is the CRAVE American Kitchen and Sushi Bar. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of twelve CRAVE locations in the country, it’s only one of two located outside the state of Minnesota.
The vibe inside the restaurant was actually pretty cool, which fits in with the modern hotel’s atmosphere. The restaurant’s menu is huge, with American staples like sandwiches, burgers, salads, and flatbreads. They also have more unique and Asian-inspired options like rice or quinoa bowls, poke bowls and lots of different sushi.
Free Hot Breakfast
As part of my Hilton Honors Diamond status and MyWay selection, I received a voucher for a free hot breakfast. MyWay is a feature of the Hilton Honors program that allows Gold and Diamond members to choose extra benefits based on personal preferences. I took advantage of the free voucher the morning I checked out of the hotel.
After sitting down at an available table, a waitress came by to see if I wanted to order anything from the chef. I placed my order and then walked over to their self-service station to see what they were offering. There they had a waffle maker and toaster as well as various breakfast condiments. Oatmeal was also available at the chef’s counter.
While I waited for my order, I could watch the chef working in the kitchen.
When my food was ready, the waitress brought it to my table. The eggs, sausage and breakfast potatoes were really tasty and a great way to start the day!
Miscellaneous
I wasn’t at the hotel for more than 12 hours total, so I didn’t get to explore or take advantage of many amenities. While I’m told they have a pool, a note on the hotel’s website says that the pool and whirlpool spa are permanently closed. If a pool is important to your stay, I would call ahead and make sure the information on the website is indeed correct.
If you want to workout during your stay, they do offer a small fitness center. And for business travelers, they have a 24-hour business center and over 7,000 square feet of meeting space.
Bottom Line
If you want to stay downtown, there are only a few hotel options to choose from. The Hotel on Phillips is closest to the action, followed by the Hilton Garden Inn and then Holiday Inn. The Hilton Garden Inn is a solid choice for those wanting clean and modern decor. However it’s also the priciest hotel downtown. The nearby Holiday Inn is about half the price, while the newly refurbished Hotel on Phillips is priced in between the two. The Hotel on Phillips is an upscale boutique hotel that’s been built inside the 100-year old Sioux Falls National Bank building.
If I wasn’t staying exclusively at Hilton Hotels on this trip, I would’ve seriously considered the Hotel on Phillips. It looks just as nice, if not nicer, and is definitely newer. In the end, you can’t go wrong with any of these three hotels. And if being downtown isn’t a necessity, there are tons of other options along I-29 at very reasonable rates.
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