Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory
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Due to the COVID-19 situation, travel had been restricted and I was not planning any trips; however, due to family situation I needed to travel to Decatur, Georgia. There are only a couple of hotels in the Decatur area and the Courtyard was the closest to where I needed to go. It was easy to book the room through the Marriott website, but I would say that the prices were generally higher in the Decatur area versus other areas in Atlanta (Downtown or Perimeter). During the booking process, there were constant notices regarding traveling during the pandemic and links towards each individual states response and guidelines for traveling during the pandemic.
When I pulled up to the hotel, they had the doors restricted to either card access or you
had to be granted access into the hotel (similar to what hotels generally do at night but this was now the policy during the day). In front of the check-in counters were tables where the keys were presented and where guests were asked to remain (which was approximately 6ft behind the check-in desks). On the tables were printouts detailing the current situation and what services were and were not going to be available during the stay. Since I was only staying for one night these did not apply to me but had I been staying more nights, if I wanted to my sheets changed I would be given a bag with sheets, towels, toiletries, and other housekeeping items and I would change my own sheets and towels, place the dirty linens in the bag and place the bag outside the room to be collected. Considering there were not a lot of people in the hotel nor waiting to be checked in, the process was very quick and the service was good.
From the outside, the hotel did not look updated or renovated - it was decent but not brand new - however inside the hotel looked like it had been renovated and updated and had a really nice open lobby. As you entered into the hotel, on the right hand side was the check-in counters, a mini service area with drinks, food, and other items for purchase, while on the left were some couches. Straight ahead was a massive lobby with lots of chairs and tables to sit and relax on. You had to cross through the big lobby to get to the elevators, and along with right-side was a conference room, the business center, as well as other meeting rooms; along the left side was the hotels restaurant (which was closed).
My room was on the 4th floor and there were two elevators on either side which could
take me up to my floor. The hotel was laid out like a U with rooms on either side and a the lobby in the middle; the window in the rooms would either face the outside or the lobby - my room faced the outside. As you opened on the door, in the entryway on the right was the bathroom while on the left was a open and big closet. The closet contained room for storage, a luggage rack, as well as an iron and ironing board. The big bathroom contained a large sink, a toilet, and a bathtub; bathroom toiletries were limited but the shower had refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (which smelled really nice). Further into the room, on the right side was a little nook which contained the coffee maker and on the left side was a mirror. Along the left wall were mini-open shelves which contained the fridge at the bottom and the ice chest and glasses on top. This was connected to a shelf that had the TV on top of it and that led into the desk which a chair. There were plugs along the wall and lights above the desk - mini lights and a lamp but more lights were needed (especially at night) and while there were plenty of plugs, there were no USB ports. Along the right side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle. The nightstand contained plugs and outlets and on the headboard were mini lamps as well as plugs - there were plenty of outlets scattered throughout the room. The beds were big and comfortable, the bedframe seemed old as it kept making noise everytime someone moved - the beds provided a good nights sleep for one night but I am not sure I could handle the noise for multiple nights. The room also contained a sitting chair next to the wall and a massive window which let in lots of natural light.
Amenities in the hotel included a fitness center, an indoor pool, a business center, meeting rooms, a restaurant, a mini-service area, complimentary wifi, and a parking garage (not complimentary). Since I was only there for one night, I did not inquire which facilities were open given the current situation. I did use the wifi which was complimentary and did not require a code; the wifi was decent but sometimes spotty especially when you moved around the room. Overall, it was a nice stay at the Courtyard. The rooms were big, the beds were decent, there were plenty of outlets in the room, and the lobby was huge with lots of sitting area.
From the outside, the hotel did not look updated or renovated - it was decent but not brand new - however inside the hotel looked like it had been renovated and updated and had a really nice open lobby. As you entered into the hotel, on the right hand side was the check-in counters, a mini service area with drinks, food, and other items for purchase, while on the left were some couches. Straight ahead was a massive lobby with lots of chairs and tables to sit and relax on. You had to cross through the big lobby to get to the elevators, and along with right-side was a conference room, the business center, as well as other meeting rooms; along the left side was the hotels restaurant (which was closed). 
