Stay Report: Courtyard by Marriott Houston I-10 West/Memorial (Houston, Texas - May 2022)

 Stay Report: Courtyard by Marriott Houston I-10 West/Memorial
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I have been traveling to Houston many times and have stayed at many hotels, some good and some not so great.  I used to stay in the Galleria area but now I prefer to stay at the Memorial area due to proximity to transportation and services.  There are many hotels in the Memorial, some new and some existing and each has positive and non-positive aspects.  We normally stay at one hotel in the area but when we were booking, that hotel was very expensive so we had to look for another hotel and noticed the Courtyard I-10 West/Memorial.  I have passed this hotel but had never stayed there so decided to check it out.  Courtyard is Marriott's business minded hotel so they have nice rooms, a bar and a restaurant, and free parking but no free breakfast and other free amenities that either Residence Inn or Fairfield.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott website and app. 

The hotel is located on the I-10 service road near Memorial Mall.  The entrance to the hotel is shared with another hotel, two restaurants and an indoor skydiving area.  As you enter the hotel, there is a hallway to your right and the restaurant and bar to the left.  Further inside, on the right side is the check-in area where check-in was quick and we received our keys. We took the hallway right next to the door to the elevators and went up to our room on the 5th floor.

The hotel looks and feels new and is very spacious so does not feel cramped nor compact.  The sizecontinued into the room as the rooms are also spacious and very comfortable.  As you enter the room, on the right side was the bathroom and the closet.  The closet contained a place to hang clothes as well as the iron and ironing board.  The bathroom was very spacious and contained a sink, a toilet and a shower.  Bathroom toiletries included a bar of soap next to the sink and refillable body wash, shampoo and conditioner in the shower; there was no lotion available in the hotel.  Further into the room, on the right side were two large double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were spacious, very comfortable, and provided a good nights sleep.  The nightstand in the middle had small lamps above and power ports and an alarm clock.  There were also outlets on either side of the bed but not many lights - that was the only negative about the room was the lack of lighting.  In between the bed and the large window was a chair and a lamp.  Across from the beds was a luggage storage place, a nice large desk with power ports, and against the wall was a cupboard with a fridge on one side and on the other side a microwave on top and ice bucket and coffee machine on the bottom.   The main advantages of the room was the spaciousness of the room - nothing felt cramped nor tight - and the plethora of amenities in the room.

The hotel is a full-service hotel so amenities included a restaurant, a bar, a gym, complimentary parking and complimentary wifi.  The gym was a decent size and had enough equipment for a good workout, the parking had plenty of spaces and the wifi was decent; I did not try the bar nor the restaurant.  Overall, it was a really comfortable stay at the Courtyard.  Easy and accessible parking, spacious rooms, and good service yielded a pleasant stay.

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory (Decatur, GA - May 2020)

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.    

Stay Report: Courtyard Houston by The Galleria (Houston, Texas - December 2014)

Stay Report: Courtyard Houston by the Galleria

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photo courtesy of Hotels.com

Even though there are many hotels within the Galleria area - some good and others not - new hotels are being built in the area and I like to try them to find the best hotel in the area.  The Courtyard Houston Galleria is located a block of Westheimer and is near the Galleria Mall, about a 5-10 minute walk.  The hotel and the Homewood Suites share the same building, which takes up the entire width of the block.  The hotel itself as zero curb appeal as the entrance to the building looks like an alley way that is open on both sides.  On one side of the alleyway is the entrance to the Courtyard while the Homewood Suites entrance is on the other side of the alleyway.  On the main level is the entrance to the parking garage as well as the lobby; the lobby is located underneath the garage and rooms so its looks more like a basement lobby.  

photo courtesy of Priceline.com

As you enter the lobby, on the right side is the check-in desk while on the left side is a really big restaurant and sitting area.  The restaurants serves breakfast (complimentary depending on which rate you booked), lunch and dinner.  Courtyard has partnered with many sports teams so there is a big TV in the lobby surrounding by coaches so guests can watch the games.  The lobby also contains the 'open' business center which contains 3 computers and a printer tucked on one side of the restaurant.  While the computers were quite slow, the availability of the computers and the printer is a nice addition.  Beyond the check-in desks was a lobby that contained other facilities such as the entrance to the parking garage (which has a daily charge) and the entrance to the pool and gym.  On the other side of the lobby was another hallway that led ot the meeting rooms.  The elevators to the rooms were located in the middle, and in front of the elevators was a table which contained scented-water and cookies on Sunday (chocolate, oatmeal and macadamia).


Check-in was efficient and I quickly received my key and proceeded to the room.  The room itself was pretty decent in term of size and comfort, it was just dark.  As you enter into the room, you enter in a corridor which leads to the bedroom area.  In the corridor, on the left is the bathroom which contains a toilet, a sink, and a shower.  The bathroom also contained the rooms only mirrors, which is a bit inconvenient as if someone is using the bathroom then no one can utilize the mirrors.  In between the bathroom and the room area was a little nook which contained a fridge on the bottom and a coffee maker on top.  The nook was built to look like a mini bar as there were shelves above the nook which contained the glasses.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

The bedroom area itself was open and wide,  This room had two double beds with a shared nightstand in the middle.  The beds were spacious, comfortable, and provided a good nights sleep.  The lamps on the shared nightstand had plugs on the bottom making charging devices very easy.  On the other side of the wall, across from the beds, was an armoire which contained storage space as well as an iron and ironing board.  The closet was big, only partially opened up, and did not seem like the best use of the space.  Next to the armoire was a desk that contained the TV, the telephone, another lamp with more plugs (additional plugs were located underneath the desk, and a pull out table.  In between the second bed and the window was sitting chair, and there was enough room to put the pullout table in this area with half the people sitting on the bed and the other half on chairs.  Overall, te room was spacious, modern, and clean but very dark as there was not enough light (especially at night in which the lack of light and the dark furniture made the room even darker and hard to see.)

As I said earlier, both hotels shared facilities between each other and these facilities included a pool and a

photo courtesy of Hotels.com

gym.  Each hotel also had their own restaurant, their own complimentary wifi, their own meeting rooms, and own business center.  The wifi was complimentary and the speeds were decent enough.  Even though they shared the fitness center and pool, both were very small as the pool looked like an oversized hot tub and the gym had two treadmills and a stairmaster (not enough for one hotel let alone two hotels to share).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby, but the availability of the computers and printer was helpful.  The hotel also provided complimentary water and coffee in the lobby, which a nice gesture of service.  Lastly, the two hotels shared a parking garage which was not complimentary.  The costs (at the time of the stay in 2014) was $16/day which was lower than some in the area but still not complimentary.

Overall, it was a decent hotel near the Galleria mall.  The plus points of the hotel included an updated, clean, and spacious room with decent service and a good location.  The negatives were the paid parking, the small gym and pool, and the lack of lighting in both the hallway and the room.  The hotel also does not have a lot of curb appeal, and while that something I really do not care about I do know others who do as 'it does not feel like we have pulled up to a hotel; rather to a bland apartment building.  

Stay Report: Courtyard Hong Kong (Hong Kong - June 2012)

Stay Report: Courtyard Hong Kong
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I was flying on Cathay Pacific and was stopping in Hong Kong, so I decided to extend my step and visit the city.  I had booked my stay through Cathay Pacific Holidays as they have some great deals on hotels and tours within Hong Kong.  In addition to the room, the packages for hotels include transportation to/from the airport as well as breakfast.  In looking through their list of hotels, I wanted something that was affordable and nice but also had access to transportation and services - I found all of that in the Courtyard Hong Kong.

The Courtyard Hong Kong is located on Hong Kong Island and is located near the business district and the wharf.  The hotel is walking distance to the trams that run across the island and is also walking distance to the metro station.  There are also many shops and restaurants close to the hotel.  Additionally, the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to some of the business and shopping district (within a certain radius). 

photo courtesy of Marriott

The hotel itself looks modern and nice.  The entrance is located on the first floor, carved out of the building.  As you enter the lobby, on the left hand side is the small check-in desk while straight ahead is a column with the elevators.  The lobby is not that big, as the bottom floor is taking up mostly by the drive-up entrance and the tiny lobby.  There are some chairs to sit against the wall as you wait for your bus or transportation.   Check-in was efficient and I took the elevator up to my room.

My room was on a high floor, was comfortable, spacious, and had a nice view.  As you entered into the room, on the left hand side was the closet and storage space; this area also included a safe for your personal valuables.  On the right hand side was the bathroom, which was nicely decorated and was a good size (not too big but not compact).  The most interesting feature of the bathroom was the glass wall which faced out of the bathroom and into the bedroom and then into the window so you a nice view of the outside from the bathroom.  There were shades that came down in case you wanted privacy in the bathroom. 

photo courtesy of Marriott

Next to the bathroom was the king-size bed, which was comfortable and very spacious and provided a good night sleep.  On either side of the bed were nightstands.  Across from the bed was a TV with storage underneath and a desk that face towards the room.  Between the bed and the window was a chair to sit and enjoy the views from the window.   The window span across the wall and provided great views of the city down below as well as the river and the ships.  While this was a nice view, the hotel also provided black-out curtains to block out the su and noise to get a good sleep.  

I spent most of my time exploring the city so I did not get a chance to explore the hotel facilities such as the fitness center or the Café.  I did experience the wifi, which was free and a decent speed, and the complimentary breakfast.  The breakfast was in the restaurant on the 2^nd floor and it was buffet that had a nice spread that was extremely filling and delicious.  Local newspapers were also available to read. 

photo courtesy of Marriott 

Overall, the hotel provided a very nice room with modern amenities, a comfortable bed, convenient access, and an overall enjoyable stay.  What made the stay great was the customer service, as the hotel provided great overall service.  One example of the excellent service happened on the day of my departure – the bus was coming early to take me for my early flight, and this meant I would miss the complimentary breakfast.  The hotel offered to make me a breakfast/snack bag to take with me to the airport.  This was extremely thoughtful and provided the extra touch which made the stay even more pleasant.

Stay Report: Courtyard San Jose Escazu (Costa Rica - October 2017)

Stay Report: Courtyard San Jose Escazu (Costa Rica)
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When looking for a place internationally, I am usually looking for a hotel that is centrally located either to the sights I want to see; located near public transportation; and/or located near other services such as food outlets and supermarkets.  When I was looking for places in San Jose, Escazu neighborhood stood out as a nice place and I found a good redemption for points deal with the Courtyard hotel so I booked that hotel.

The hotel is located on the side of a highway, right next to a mini plaza and walking distance to a major shopping area.  To get to the major shopping area, there is no sidewalk so you have to walk on the street with the cars – the hotel also provides a complimentary shuttle there but it costs $2 for the return.  I walked the walk a couple of times, and while not the safest thing to do, it was alight.

From the outside, the hotel looks modest and decent – not great and not brand new, but not too old.  You walk into the lobby with the check-in desk on the left hand side and the restaurant and bar on the right hand side.  Check-in was smooth, we received our key, and proceeded to the elevators.  The elevators are located behind the check-in desk in a corridor which also contains the entrance to the outdoor pool, the meeting rooms, a lounge area for the dining area, and the gym.  Both the gym and outdoor pool are relatively small, but decent enough for the smaller hotel.  We took the elevator to the 4^th floor to our room.

The room itself was a standard Courtyard room, with a bit more room.  As you entered into the room, on the left was the bathroom.  It was a standard Marriott bathroom with a shower, a toilet, a sink, and a hair dryer.  Across from the bathroom was the closet which also contained the safe, an iron, and ironing board.  Right next to the closet was a small nook.  On top of the nook was the coffee maker and glasses, while below was the fridge.  As you moved further into the room, you entered the area for the beds.

On the left side were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were fairly comfortable, a nice size, and provided a decent night’s sleep.  Across from the bed was the chest of drawers with a TV on top and next to that was the desk.  On the side of the desk were additional plugs, and this was a nice touch as guests are always looking for additional plugs.  Across from the desk was a sitting chair that looked out onto the balcony.  The room came with a balcony which overlooked the outdoor pool.  The balcony also had patio chairs and a table.  Overall, it was a nice spacious room with the standard amenities.

The additional services at the hotel included a restaurant, a bar, an outdoor pool, a gym, a shuttle, as well as free wifi.  I utilized both the shuttle and the free wifi.  We took the shuttle to the main plaza, it was complimentary on the outbound but needed to be paid for the return.  The wifi was pretty good and strong enough to stream movies and check mail.

Overall, it was a standard stay at the Courtyard San Jose Escazu.  The only negative was the location – it was walking distance to the main plaza and to other restaurants and bars, but there were other hotels on the other side of the road (a 5-10 minute drive) which were more centrally located to the surrounding areas.

Stay Report: Courtyard Chicago O'Hare

Stay Report: Courtyard Chicago O'Hare
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I was stuck at O’Hare International Airport overnight and the next morning – so I could either sleep in the airport or find a hotel nearby.  When I have been stuck at airports before due to weather, the hotels around the airport usually have inflated prices, but I was surprised to see that the hotels around O’Hare were decent.  I looked around and the Courtyard O’Hare Airport was having a sale so I decided to stay there.  Courtyards are known to be decent hotels with good service, so I booked a king-bed room for one night.  The hotel provides complimentary airport shuttle, and luckily the shuttle was waiting when I arrived.  The shuttle provides services to and from the airport as well as to any services – restaurants, stores - that are on the to the airport.  It was a quick drive from the airport to the hotel. 

The hotel is located next to a block of hotels, and is right next door to the Hilton Garden Inn (some other drivers would get confused as both hotel entrances are right next to each other).   The hotel itself is built like a standard Courtyard.  As you enter into the hotel, there is restaurant and bar on your left hand side while the check-in counters and ‘the market’ are to your right.  In front is the business center – two computers plus a printer – as well as computer station to print out boarding passes.  There is additional seating, tables and patio that leads to the pool.  The hotel also offers a fitness center.  Check-in was easy and I proceeded to my room.  The elevator to the rooms was a bit confusing – I went past the check-in desk and towards the rooms on the 1^st floor and about a-quarter down the hallway was the elevator that took to my 5^th floor room.  It was an odd layout.   While the lobby looked updated and modern, the hallways and the room itself looked a bit dated. 

I entered my key and opened my room and first impression was that the room was smaller than other Courtyards I have been too – it was comparable to a New York City hotel room that are compact.  When you entered into the room, there was a bathroom on the left and an entry way that led to the main room.   The bathroom was divided with the sink on one side and across was a closet, with a doorway in the middle that led to the toilet and bathtub.  While everything was decent, the look and feel of the room felt dated.

On the other side of the closet was the bedroom.  As you stepped into the bedroom, on the left was the king-size bed with two nightstands on each side.  The main bed was supposed to be a king but did not feel as big as a king, felt more like a bigger queen-size bed.  The space of the room was small on the other side of the bed there was only room for the nightstand between the bed and the wall.  On the side of the wall where you entered, diagonal from the bed, was the TV stand with drawers underneath and a connected desk.   On the other side of the wall, across from the desk, was a sofa with a table in front.  This sofa pulled out into a sofabed.  Overall, the bed was comfortable enough for one night but the room felt compact. 

As I was there for one night, I did not get to try any of the hotel amenities except for the wifi.  The hotel offered free wifi which was strong and able to stream videos without disruption.  You could also sign into multiple devices without charge or disruption to the speed.  This was a very nice feature of the hotel.   

Overall positives include access to the shuttle, amenities included free wifi and fitness center, while negatives included dated hotel and compact room.