Stay Report: Le Méridien New York, Fifth Avenue (New York City - October 2024)

    Stay Report: Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue
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We were traveling to New York and generally when in the city we stay at the Innside by Melia (review here) due to its central location and walking distance to transportation, restaurants, and other attractions.  The plan was to stay at that hotel again but the rates were very high so we decided to look at other hotels within the area and that is when we found the Le Meridien New York, Fifth Avenue.  We booked the room through the Marriott website, as they were having a deal/promotion, and the hotel was one of the few that provided two double beds and advertised that it could fit up to 4 people.

The hotel is located on Fifth Avenue between 30th and 31st street in KoreaTown.  The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk from Herald Square, and closer there is a WholeFoods two blocks away and a Dunkin Donuts and CVS literally down the block; all to say there is a lot to do and the hotel is centrally located.  The hotel itself does not look like much from the outside and does not really look like a hotel; the lobby also does not really look like a lobby and is very narrow.  As you enter the door, you are facing the check-in desk, and its a tiny desk.  Next to the check-in desks are the elevators and on the other side is the small seating area, the 'business center' which is a computer and printer, and the entrance to the restaurant.  The square footage of the lobby, especially the check-in area was very tiny and if there was a group checking in it made access to the hotel and lobby somewhat tricky.  We checked in, received our room key and proceeded to the room.  The elevators did come generally quickly and they were average size elevators; other hotels in New York have the tiny elevators in which barely 1-2 people can fit and they are slow.  Even though the website advertised that the room can 'accommodate up to 4 people' and offered pictures of a spacious room, the narrow size of the lobby continued to the room.  

The room had all the basic amenities but was in a narrow space with little extra room and was not spacious at all.  As you entered, there was a small hallway which led into the room.  In the hallway, on the left were coat hooks which was nice since there was limited closet and storage space.  On the right side was the open bathroom in which the sink and tiny shower, with a clear door, was open to the room and hallway while the toilet was behind a sliding door; there was really no privacy and no space in the bathroom (there were tiny shelves up on the wall that barely had enough space for a toiletry bag).  

As you entered into the room, along the left side of the wall was a wooden shelf which was your storage/desk space and also contained the coffee maker.  The shelf was long but was a bit narrow so difficult to add multiple items.  Above the shelf was the TV and between the shelf and the window was the narrow closet which had a place to hang items on one side and pull out shelves on the other.  There was not a lot of space in the room so when you pulled out the shelves in the closet you basically hit the bed.  The beds were along the other side of the wall and they were full/double size beds and provided a decent nights sleep.  There was one desk in between the two beds as one bed was basically next to the window and on the other side of the other bed was a small space with a chair and tiny table.  There was a luggage rack in the closet and we set up that in this space to at least get the suitcases out of the way so you could walk and maneuver around the room.  Again the room had all the basic amenities but 1) it was tight and narrow and 2) could barely accommodate 4 people or generally 2 people with luggage.

The hotel did have amenities including complimentary wifi, a restaurant, and a fitness center.  The wifi was strong and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The fitness center was located in the basement and was a decent size; next to the fitness was also a huge bathroom area with 6 stalls which seems like a wasted space.  When we checked in, and we realized many other guests also received this as well, we were given credit at the hotel which could be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or cocktails at the restaurant.  Most people used it for breakfast and it was a regular restaurant menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you ordered what you wanted and you could use the credit to cover the costs.  The server at the restaurant was nice but they seemed understaffed given the amount of guests they had.  Also the food was decent and they were accommodating to various dietary restrictions but the food did not have a lot of flavor and if we did not have the credit seemed wildly expensive for what it was.

Overall, the hotel was centrally located and provided easy access to many restaurants and attractions.  The rooms were narrow and the bathroom was not well designed.  The elevators were quick and spacious and there was not a lot of rush either in the lobby or in the elevators so it did not feel overwhelming.

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: Marriott Chicago O’Hare (Chicago, IL - August 2021 )

   Stay Report: Marriott Chicago O'Hare
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I was traveling to Chicago for a couple of days, but because of travel plans we needed to be close to the airport so we focused our search into hotels in this area.  In my search,  I was looking for hotels that had airport shuttles but also had access to the L Train and in my search I found the Marriott Chicago O'Hare.  The hotel matched all the criteria I was looking for and it was available for a reasonable price so I booked it.  After I booked it, I called to confirm the details of the shuttle and the service I received was not great; I thought it was a one-off but actually that was the type of service I was going to receive throughout my stay.

My family arrived before me and even though we had called to confirm the airport pickup and shuttle times, we were told 'just call when you arrive and the shuttle will be there'.  Every time we asked we got a different response - one person said the shuttle ran on a schedule and another said that it was upon request.  We tried taking the shuttle three times - once from the airport, once to the airport, and once again to the airport and each time it was EXTREMELY delayed and/or it was a guesstimate as to when it would actually go.  After that, we stopped using the shuttle at all.

The hotel is located about 10 minutes away from the airport and is located across the highway from the

Rosemount train station.  The hotel looks like it was built in the 1950's with a high hotel and a huge parking lot.   You have to cross the huge parking lot and walk across the highway on a pedestrian bridge to access the train - its not bad during the day but can be a little sketchy at night.  There are plenty of restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance and there are lots of delivery options available as well (we did a delivery option and when it was delivered to the hotel, they were told to leave it on the table in the lobby.  We went down to pick it up and no one confirmed to ensure it was our order so you can pick up any order you want).  

The lobby was designed in a circular fashion with the check-in desks to the left, the bar and restaurant straight ahead, the elevators to the room on the right, and the concierge desk also on the right.  We checked-in and were not given any information and in fact the attendant could not have cared less (even though there was no one behind us).  We received our key and proceeded to our room.  Even though the area for the hotel was large and the hotel building looked large, the rooms were smaller than I expected.  As you entered, there was a bathroom on the right and a closet on the left side.  The bathroom was standard and contained a sink, a toilet and a bathtub - the only negative about the hotel was the minimal space.  The closet was also a standard hotel closet and contained shelves, a place to hang clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well as a safe.  Further into the room, on the right side were the 2 double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were decent and provided a good nights sleep - again the space between the beds were tighter than anticipated.  In front of the beds was a chest with a drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  Next to that was a desk on wheels so you can move the desk around the room.  Along the wall were windows which were a nice addition as it allowed light to come in and make the room feel brighter and bigger.  In between the beds and the window was an armchair and lamp - it was a nice addition but there was not enough space for all the furniture so it felt cramped.

Amenities in the hotel included restaurants, fitness center, a concierge, wifi, and airport shuttle.  I already talked about the poor service regarding the airport shuttle, and due to the limited time I did not have time to try out the other amenities.  I did try the wifi but it was not strong and kept dropping; it was so bad that for work I used my own hotspot versus the hotels wifi.  Overall, it was a disappointing stay at the hotel.  The only positives were easy access to transportation and easy access to services but everything else from customer service to room quality was negative.

Stay Report: Element Arundel Mills BWI Airport (Hanover, MD - April 2020)

 Stay Report: Element Arundel Mills BWI Airport
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Travelling has change da lot during the pandemic.  A lot of people were not traveling as much so some hotels completed shuttered while others stayed open but reduced or eliminated some services and amenities.  I had to travel to Baltimore for work and I was going to use the hotel as a base for a couple of days so wanted a more extended-stay hotel.  I had previously stayed at Element Hotels and have enjoyed them, from the environmental approach to the mini-suites and complimentary amenities.  I checked the distance and the price and both seem to be good so booked the hotel through the Marriott website, which was easy to do.

The hotel is located near Arundel Mills and is about a 15-minute drive from the airport.  The hotel does provide a shuttle to/from the airport as well as some surrounding areas.  The design of the hotel reminds me of Europe as there are two Marriott-hotels connected to each other - Element and Aloft.  They have separate entrances and separate amenities but seem to be connected in the backend.  For the Element, the front of the hotel contained the parking lot and the entrance to the hotel; Element also provides complimentary bikes and those were also parked outside.  As you entered in to the hotel, there was a small check-in desk on the right and the left was the kitchen where generally the complimentary breakfast would be provided.  Straight ahead was a long and narrow sitting area/communal area with lots of couches and chairs.  These faced to the large windows and patio which also contained chairs and a bbq area.  After check-in, we received the key and proceeded to the room (the Element always provides their own luggage trolley's to assist in transporting your luggage - a great idea).

Element rooms are designed as mini-suites and resemble a New York studio apartment with a bed, a

sitting area, bathroom, and a mini-kitchen.  As you entered the room, on the left was a spacious bathroom with a large counter and small sink, a toilet, and a shower; there was soap for the sink and refillable shampoo/conditioner and body wash in the shower. In the hallway, across from the bathroom, was a closet with an iron, ironing board, and a place to hang your clothes.  Further into the room, along the right-side of the wall was the mini-kitchen which contained a sink, a stove, a large fridge, a dishwasher, plates, glasses, a sponge, and dishwashing liquid; there was also a mini-sink and a coffee maker on the large counter space.  Running along the side wall, above the chaise lounge chair, was the window which was large and let in lots of natural light.  Across from the kitchen, along the left-side of the wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable, large for two people, and provided a goodnights sleep.  There were also plenty of outlets near the bed or on the nightstand to charge all your electronic items.  In between the beds and the kitchen was an extended desk which contained the desk on one side and the TV stand at the end; the TV could be flipped towards the couch or the bedroom.  Even though there were lots of items and amenities in the room, it did not feel compact or stuffed (like some other hotel rooms) but felt more like a studio apartment in New York City. 

Usually, the Element provides lots of amenities for its guest including complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, access to luggage carts, a full-stocked and large gym, a bbq grill for guests to use. a large patio to host bbq and outside activities, as well as a large indoor seating area for guests to enjoy.  Due to the pandemic some amenities were not available or were curtailed, including breakfast which was available as a takeaway bag from the front desk and included fruit, a breakfast bar, yogurt and a bottle of water;  at the time of the review the gym was open and many people were using it throughout the week.  Also, due to the pandemic their housekeeping services were drastically reduced so if you needed something, you generally would ask the front desk for it.  Safety-wise, masks wearing and social-distancing signs were plastered everywhere but the compliance was generally up to each guest. 

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Element.  Good aspects included a comfortable hotel room, complimentary amenities such as wifi, gym access, and parking, and overall a nice vibe at the hotel.  Areas for improvement include a better breakfast serving and consistent service (some service was great while others were ok).  

Stay Report: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Baton Rouge South (Baton Rouge - November 2020)

 Stay Report: SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South
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Hurricanes are common place in New Orleans and sometimes they are destructive and other times not.  This past hurricane, Hurricane Zeta, was unusually powerful with high winds that caused extensive damage to the electricity poles.  For that reason, we were without power for at least 3 days before we decided to go to Baton Rouge to spend the night, charge some electronics, and just relax.  I have previously stayed at a SpringHill Suites and enjoyed the spacious rooms and complimentary amenities, so based on this I decided to book the SpringHill Suites Baton Rouge South.  

From the exterior, the hotel looks like a standard Springhill Suites.  Inside, the lobby included the check-in desks, a small pantry to purchase forgotten items, a nice relaxing lounge/sitting area, as well as the restaurant where the breakfast is served in the morning.  The hotel was only three floors so the first floor contained other hotel features such as business center, the pool, complimentary coffee/tea in the lobby, and a washer/dryer.  At check-in the service was basic, I was not greeted as a Rewards member, and the staff did the minimal of their job; I was only there for one night so just received my key and proceeded to my room. 

For some reason I received a room reserved for disability access so the layout was a bit different.  As

you entered the door, the room was smaller than other Springhill Suites but bigger than a standard hotel room.  As you entered, there was a large entryway to accommodate disability equipment.  The door to the bathroom was on the left while the right had space to move around or put a luggage rack.  The bathroom itself was bigger and had handle rails, but the counter space on the sink was very tiny and could barely hold anything; the hotel did provide soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner and towels.  Back in the room, the beds were located along the left wall and we had a room with two double beds so both beds were against the wall with a nightstand in the middle; there were also outlets available on the nightstand.  Along the right side of the wall was open armoire which contained shelves on top and a microwave and refrigerator on the bottom.  Connected to that was a desk which contained a lamp (with outlets) as well as a TV.  Continuing along the rightside was a couch that was in between the desk and the window and there was a TV mounted on the wall across from the couch.  It was a decent size room but generally Springhill Suites have bigger rooms, so I was not sure if this was a modified version or if this was another type of hotel room that was turned into a Springhill Suites.

The hotel provides a decent amount of facilities for guests to enjoy including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a fitness center, laundry facilities, indoor pool, business center, and complimentary coffee and hot water.  The wifi was open, did not involve any passwords or login and could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The pool, fitness center, and laundry were open to everyone and while not large facilities were decent enough to provide the basics.  The hot water + coffee were available throughout the day and the complimentary breakfast was available in the morning - normally it is a buffet but given the pandemic it was modified to where you come and select prepackaged cereals, fruit, yogurt, muffins, etc and take them back to your room to eat.  Its a basic breakfast and its decent and glad hotels are still offering this service.  Overall, Springhill Suites provide the guests with a good night’s sleep and a lot of a facilities.  The room is not perfect, but it’s decent and they are generally clean and spacious.

Stay Report: Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Virgin Zion National Park (Virgin, UT - October 2020)

  Stay Report: Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Virgin Zion National Park 
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I was traveling to Zion National Park and was staying there for one night, and when I looked online Fairfield Inn was giving the best rate and the reviews looked decent.  I have stayed at Fairfield Inn before and generally they were decent but I never really had high expectations; but my last stay in Houston at the Fairfield Inn exceeded my expectations (see review here).  That was my mindset going on - a decent hotel that provides complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary wifi.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott website, and once booked it was easy to manage through the Marriott app.  

The hotel is actually located in Virgin, Utah which did not seem that far from the park on Google Maps but when driving it did take about 15-20 minutes (depending on traffic).  The location is beautiful as its surrounded by nature and a background of mountains.  All of the hotels in the area have the same general look, which is nice because it makes it uniform and also does not impeded the nature scenery.  The look is very wide but not very tall - and the Fairfield Inn had two floors.  The look is more like an old-school motel with a courtyard in the middle and rooms surrounding, but the hotel looked and felt updated and modern.  As you enter the lobby, the check-in desks are to the right while straight ahead is the kitchen and dining area.  There are hallways to the left and right that lead to the guest rooms as well as other amenities, and there are entrances on either hallway and in the middle of each hallway to the rooms.  The check-in process was not that great - the barely college-age workers did not have any customer service skills at all and their uniform also looked unkempt so it was not a great representation of neither the hotel nor the brand.  From the outside and inside, the hotel looked modern and updated so I received my key, a paper to the amenities available, and made my way to the room.

The room itself was an updated version of the standard Fairfield Room.  As you opened the door, on the left-side was the bathroom while straight ahead was the main part of the room.  The bathroom had the sink on the left-side and a long counter that connected to the half-wall which provided some privacy to the toilet.  There was a walk-in shower on the right-side and hooks for towels/clothes next to the shower; the shower contained Paul Mitchell refillable shampoo, conditioner and body wash (there were the same products at Courtyard in Atlanta - review here - and they were very nice).  Usually there is a closet across from the bathroom but this time there was an open/updated closet between the closet and the room.  Half of the closet was open and provided more space to the room while other parts were closed to allow privacy; and part of the closet was connected to a storage area on which you could place your luggage.  The new design to the closet looked nice and updated and still kept the amenities of an iron, ironing board, a safe, a fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker + coffee.  Further into the room, there was a king-size bed on left side of the room with a nightstand on either side.  Across from the bed was a large desk with a chair, and above the desk was the TV mounted on the wall.  Right next to the desk was a stand with a luggage place on top and drawers on the bottom.  The room provided a lot of amenities for the guests to enjoy, it was spacious, the bed was large and comfortable to sleep in, there were plenty of outlets spread across the room and next to the bed, and overall it was a nice and comfortable room. 

Fairfield Inn has some standard amenities at all its hotels including complimentary parking,

complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, and a fitness center.  The fitness center was open despite the pandemic, but there were signs asking everyone to keep safe and were a mask; the fitness center was big, had lots of updated equipment and had a water station.  The parking was vast and you could park next to a variety of entrances; the wifi was complimentary and fast enough to stream videos and check email.  Fairfield was still providing complimentary breakfast, but you stood in line to select from the limited menu and then you took the items back to your room to eat.  You could choose cereal, bagel, muffin, and/or fruit as well as coffee and/or juice and there were toasters and cream/sugar on the side for guests to partake it.  While it was not a vast selection, I am glad that Fairfield was still able to provide this service to guests.

Overall, it was another pleasant stay at Fairfield Inn.  They seem to be upgrading and updating their hotels and the renovations seems to be improving the experience.  This hotel was updated; the rooms were nice and spacious; there were plenty of amenities for guests to enjoy; and the hotel was spread out so you could practice social distancing.  The hotel did have plenty of signs asking guests were masks and there were plenty of entrances that you could utilize.  The only negative was that it was a longer drive than expected to Zion (but you also avoid traffic) and the check-in experience was not great; but other than that it was a great trip.

Stay Report: Element Houston Katy (Katy, TX - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Element Houston Katy 
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I travel to Houston a lot and normally I stay in or near The Galleria but this time I was going for a different reason and needed to be near Sugar Land, Texas.  Even though Sugar Land is a part of Houston it was further out of my way so I wanted to find a happy medium and through search I found the Element Houston Katy.  I have previously stayed at Element Hotels and have enjoyed them, from the environmental approach to the mini-suites and complimentary amenities.  I checked the distance and the price and both seem to be good so booked the hotel through the Marriott website, which was easy to do.  

The hotel's location is a bit odd as it is basically located in the Costco parking lot and behind some apartments.  It seems like the track of land was divided in half, with half of the land going to Costco and the other half going to apartments and the hotel.  From the roadway, the apartments come first and then the hotel is in the back; it just seemed unique to me.  In the front of the hotel was the parking lot and then the entrance to the hotel.  As you entered in to the hotel, there was a small check-in desk on left and left was the kitchen where generally the complimentary breakfast would be provided.  Straight ahead was a long and narrow sitting area/communal area with lots of couches and chairs.  These faced to the large windows and patio which also contained chairs and a bbq area.  After check-in, we received the key and proceeded to the room (the Element always provides their own luggage trolley's to assist in transporting your luggage - a great idea).

Element rooms are designed as mini-suites and resemble a New York studio apartment with a bed, a

sitting area, bathroom, and a mini-kitchen.  As you entered the room, on the right was a long but narrow bathroom with a large sink on a counter (the size of the sink reduced the counter space), a toilet, and a shower; there was soap for the sink and refillable shampoo/conditioner and body wash in the shower. In the hallway, across from the bathroom, was a closet with an iron, ironing board, and a place to hang your clothes.  Further into the room, along the left-side of the wall was the mini-kitchen which contained a sink, a stove, a large fridge, a dishwasher, plates, glasses, a sponge, and dishwashing liquid.  There was also a mini-sink and a coffee maker on the large counter space.  Continuing along the left-side of the wall, next to the kitchen was the TV which was mounted on the wall.  Along the right-side of the wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable, large for two people, and provided a goodnights sleep.  There were also plenty of outlets near the bed or on the nightstand to charge all your electronic items.  In between the beds and the kitchen was a desk and chair on side, which faced the kitchen, and a chaise lounge chair which was against the side wall and also faced the kitchen.  Running along the side wall, above the chaise lounge chair, was the window which was large and let in lots of natural light.  Even though there were lots of items and amenities in the room, it did not feel compact or stuffed (like some other hotel rooms) but felt more like a studio apartment in New York City. 

The Element provides lots of amenities for its guest including complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, complimentary breakfast, access to luggage carts, a full-stocked and large gym, a bbq grill for guests to use. a large patio to host bbq and outside activities, as well as a large indoor seating area for guests to enjoy.  Due to the pandemic some amenities were not available or were curtailed, including breakfast which was not as extensive and mainly included mini-packs of cereal, yogurt, and breakfast bars which you could take to-go.  Also, due to the pandemic their housekeeping services were drastically reduced and this put pressure on the front-desk, which having difficulty in responding to this pressure.  Safety-wise, masks wearing and social-distancing signs were plastered everywhere but these were not enforced nor were guests ever reminded by staff.

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Element.  The hotel room was nice, the amenities were still available, and the general vibe were good.  The service was a bit strained and the lack of adherence to safety protocols was a bit concerning.

Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott (Seattle, WA - September 2020)

 Stay Report: Seattle Airport Marriott
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I was flying from New Orleans to Bozeman via Seattle (see report here) and was only supposed to be transiting in Seattle, but unfortunately my flight from Seattle to Bozeman was cancelled.  I was flying with Alaska Air and I went their customer service desk where I got rebooked on the next flight, given meal vouchers, and given a hotel voucher for Seattle Airport Marriott.  The hotel provides a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel so we made our way to the shuttle area to catch the shuttle.  According to the hotel, the shuttle departs every 20 minutes from the hotel to the airport and makes rounds, so your wait depends on the number of passengers getting off and various stopping points in the airport.  While the free shuttle is nice, given the hotel's size and the number of passengers, the shuttle filled up really quickly with the passengers + luggage so the hotel should think about utilizing a bigger shuttle during certain times of the day.

The shuttle took about 10 minutes to get from the airport to the hotel.  We entered the hotel lobby which had three c

heck-in desks on the right-hand side, a sitting area in the middle, and the restaurant and bathrooms off to the middle and left hand side.  As there were a lot of guests checking in, and only two check-in desks open, there were lines at each of the stations and guests were supposed to socially distance while standing in line (although this was not monitored nor enforced by staff).  Once I got to the front, my check-in process was very quick as I was only going to be there for less than 12hrs.  Once I received my key, I was given instructions on how to get to the room and they seemed more complicated than necessary; apparently the hotel has two distinct and separate towers that are only connected through a second floor entryway.  The directions were somewhat clear from check-in to the room, but from the room back down to the lobby the directions were NOT clear and there were many guests roaming around trying to locate the lobby.  There were two elevators, and no other guests next to us, so it was easy to socially distance in the elevators.

It was a long walk down a hallway to get to our room and once we got there, space was a premium because it was a very tiny room.  You entered into a hallway which led into the bedroom area, and in the hallway on the left-side was a sliding door to the bathroom.  The sliding door was a nice touch but it did not slide all the way, nor stay in that position so the bathroom was never completely shut.  Inside the bathroom consisted of a sink, a toilet, and a shower as well as bathroom toiletries such as lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and towels.  The bathroom was width wise narrow but had more space lengthwise.  The hallway also contained a large entryway which could be used for those with disability assistance; we used it as storage for our luggage since the main room was compact.  Further down the hallway, on right-hand side, was an open closet with a rack and hangers, an iron and ironing board, and a luggage rack.  Continuing along with right-side of the wall, into the bedroom area, was a desk that was both a working space, a storage space, and also contained a coffee-maker on top.  That was connected to the entertainment section which contained a TV on top and a chest below with drawers and a fridge; the TV was a smart TV and there was a port panel on the side to connect various items to the TV.  

Across from all of this, along the left-side wall were the beds.  We had requested a room with two beds so there were two Queen beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were comfortable enough to sleep and were large enough to comfortably sleep two people.  In between the two beds was a nightstand and in between the beds and the window was a long chaise which was nice in providing extra space, but was a bit cramped in terms of space for the room.  Space was generally at a premium and on top of that there was a lot of furniture, too much in my opinion, given the size of the room.  A plus point of the room was that there were plenty of outlets and USB ports throughout the room - next to the bed, on the desk, on the nightstand, and next to the TV so you could charge as many devices as needed.

As I said, we were only there for less than 12hours so I was not able to enjoy all the facilities of the hotel.  The hotel does have complimentary wifi, there was a restaurant/bar, ice machine, a fitness center, and a business center.  The airline had provided meal vouchers so I had picked up food from the airport, but the hotel's restaurant did have late hours to accommodate late arriving passengers.  

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Seattle Airport Marriott.  The positives were the nice clean room, the many outlets throughout the room, the comfortable beds, and the spacious grounds.  The negatives were the tiny room, too much furniture so the room felt cramped, and the lack of signage around the spacious hotel.  While it would not be my first choice, it was a nice and decent layover hotel.

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

Stay Report: Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory 

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

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: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center (Overland Park, KS - November 2015)

Stay Report: Sheraton Overland Park Hotel 

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of Marriott.com

A family friend was getting married at the Convention Center, so we decided to stay at the Sheraton as it connects to the Convention Center so it would be easier access.  From the outside the hotel does not look like a Sheraton, more like an upscale Hampton Inn.  As you walk inside the lobby, the check-in desks are to left and the elevators are behind the check-in desks.  To the right is the walkway to the convention center while straight ahead is a small sitting area and behind the partition is the hotel's restaurant.  Check-in was done quickly and we received the key and proceeded to the room.

The room was a standard hotel room with standard amenities.  As you entered the room,

on the right was the bathroom while on the left was the closet.  The closet was standard with hangers to hang your clothes beneath a shelf, a safe, an iron, and ironing board.  The bathroom was also standard with a tub, a toilet, a sink, and bathroom toiletries.  The room itself was also standard and it was a bit dark.  On the right side, against the wall, were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  Additional furniture included a desk next to the chest, as well as a chair and lamp next to the window (the window looked out onto the parking lot).  While the room did not contain a fridge, there were plenty of outlets to plug in the devices so that was a nice touch.  The beds were extremely comfortable but both the room and bathroom looked liked a renovated older hotel (and you could clearly hear the bathroom through the wall).

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is a full-service hotel so there are amenities for the guests to enjoy including a fitness center, a pool, meeting rooms, parking, hotel restaurant, and wifi.  The parking was complimentary and there were plenty of spaces available; and the wifi was also complimentary and the speeds were decent.  As we were there for a wedding I was not able to try the fitness center or the pool, but the easy access walkway to the convention center (where the wedding took place) was convenient.

photo courtesy of Booking.com

Overall, the hotel provide a comfortable bed and a decent room; however, it did not feel like a Sheraton.  The overall feel and look of the room felt more like a Hampton Inn or a mid-priced budget hotel rather than a full-service Sheraton.  The hotel is a decent place to stay and it's a convenient location to the Convention Center,  but when you book a Sheraton you expect a Sheraton experience; we booked a Sheraton and received a Hampton Inn experience.

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites by Marriott Houston Brookhollow (Houston, TX - June 2012)

Stay Report: TownePlace Suites Houston Brookhollow
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

I travel to Houston a lot, sometimes for pleasure and sometimes because I live in a hurricane-prone city so we need to evacuate.  In one of those instances of evacuation, I was looking for hotels in Houston.  I normally stay near The Galleria but that usually fills up quickly so this time I decided to book a bit out of town.  I found the TownePlace Suites in northwest Houston off of Highway 290.  Having driven through this area, I was familiar with the area so was comfortable with booking the hotel.  It was easy to book and manage the hotel through the Marriott app. 

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel is located on the side road of Highway 290 and there are many restaurants, shops, and hotels around the area.  The hotel is set aback from the main road, behind the shops and restaurants, and it looked decent enough from the outside.  We pulled up to the lobby and as you enter the front door, on the left was the lobby and straight ahead was the elevators; to the right of the entrance was the dining room and lounge where free breakfast was available.  To get to the room, we took the elevators to the second floor (there are only two floors to the hotel) and walked across a walkway that was open and underneath was the lobby.  Since it was an open lobby and walkway, this meant that all the noise from downstairs could be heard and amplified upstairs (it was loud and unpleasant).  The room we received was located right next to the lobby so we could hear all the noise and then some.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

When we opened the door to our room,that is when the unpleasantness began.  The room smelled of cigarette smoke (even though we had booked and received a non-smoking room), and when I say smelled it reeked of the smell.  As you open the door, on the left side is a small open kitchen with a sink, a fridge, and drawers for basic items.  Just beyond the open kitchen is a desk that faced out the window.  On the other side was the bathroom which was standard with a toilet, a tub and a sink but the furnishing all looked old; beyond the bathroom was a sitting area with a couch/sofa bed.  In between the sitting area and the desk was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV stand on top.  Next to the couch was a half wall that separated the sitting and bedroom area.  In the bedroom area were two double beds, a nightstand in between, and a closet next the window.  Even though the place is called a ‘suite’ there were no partitions or separations between the rooms so everyone could hear everything – it didn’t feel like a suite, more like a loft that somebody had just designed into separate areas.  The designs of the furniture also smelled of smoke and looked dated – the room overall had a dated feel to it.
   

photo courtesy of Marriott.com

We had reserved a room for 3 days, but we could not see ourselves sleeping in this room for 3 days so we went downstairs to ask to be switched to another room.  The lobby attendant was anything but helpful or friendly and, without even looking or bothering to make any effort, said ‘we are full for tonight’.  Since we had arrived late in the afternoon/early evening, I understood that all rooms may not be available that evening so we said that we had reserved for three days so could we switch tomorrow – again we got a surly ‘no’.  When we informed the attendant of the smell, we got the response ‘well, it’s a non-smoking room’.  We had replied saying we understood it was a non-smoking room but it still smells so is there something they could spray to at least make the room a bit more pleasant for tonight – again a surly ‘fine!’ and huffed away.  It wasn’t so much the response but rather the lack of customer service (combined with the uncomfortable room) that made us decide to go looking for another hotel that night.  While we were at dinner, we noticed a hotel across the street from a different hotel (check out that review here).  We drove over, talked to the lobby attendant who was nice, customer-friendly, acknowledged our participation in their rewards program, and provided us with a bigger, more spacious room at a lower cost!

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

After we returned from dinner, we informed the hotel we were checking out the next morning and no one asked ‘why you are leaving after one day since you had booked three days’ and that is the main issue with the hotel – the lack of customer service and lack of customer attention.  It was our first experience at a TownePlace Suites and it was unpleasant so stayed in one since and avoid booking their properties!  To end on a positive note, the hotel does provide some complimentary amenities for guests including complimentary wifi, parking, breakfast, a fitness center, a bbq/picnic area, a pool/whirpool, as well as on-site laundry facility.