Overall Rating: 107/130 - Solid.
Class of Room Booked: 2 Queen
Class of Room Stayed: 2 Queen with Balcony - Pool View (status Upgrade)
Price per night (with taxes): $450 - Varied heavily - main night of convention over $600, others $180)
The Quick Hits:
Would I stay here again? Yes, for an event
Value rating based on price paid: Fair (Price was higher than usual due to large event)
The Details:
Hotel Design Location and Layout:
Location (10/10 – Met Expectations) – Its one of the two hotels closest to the convention center. The Hall C entry doors are less than a 3 minute walk from hotel entrance if the Grand Plaza is open (some events like this one close it for pre-function space and security.)
Hotel Lobby/Common Areas(7/10 – Met Expectations) – It's a nice large lobby, with a decent check-in space off to the side making for good crowd flow. Oddly, one of the pool area entrances is through the bar.
Hotel Amenities(8/10 – Met expectations) – Sit down and casual dining options (see below), gift shop, nice size pool with plenty of shade. Attached meeting space if needed.
Room:
Design and Layout (7/10 – Met expectations) – Standard 2010s Marriott layout with a new TV. Could have used another chair.
Comfort(8/10 – Met expectations) – Beds were quite comfortable
Condition(8/10 – Met Expectations) – Wear and tear consistent with a high traffic hotel that hasn't been remodeled in a while.
Amenities(8/10 – Met Expectations) – Standard Marriott toiletries - the towels were better than usual.
Staff:
Front Desk/Service(7/10 – Met Expectations) – The gentleman who checked me in was a little grumpy, but everyone else was just fine.
Housekeeping (8/10 - Exceeded Expectations) - Mostly exceeded because still daily. But the room was always cleaned immaculately.
Other Staff (10/10 - Greatly Exceeded Expectations) - I'm putting the bell staff in this category. This was a BUSY and chaotic weekend and they HUSTLED to make sure everyone got what they needed but were always cheerful and willing to help.
Food Service:
Paid Dining:
Restaurant/Cafe (8/10 - Exceeded Expectations) – While pricey, the food in the nFuse restaurant was really quite good and had a nice varied menu with plenty of options. Service was a little slow one night but they were packed.
Room Service(NA) -
Complimentary Dining:
Breakfast (10/10 - Exceeded Expectations) - If you have lounge access, on weekends you will get a voucher for nFuse, which is a far superior offering. While nothing extraordinary in terms of offering, everything was kept hot and full, eggs made to order, and the service was great.
Club/Executive Lounge (if Applicable) (8/10 - Met Expectations) - Standard Marriott exec lounge - small buffet breakfast, evening appetizers (voucher for restaurant on Friday and Sat when lounge is not operating food service), light desserts and 24 hour snacks and drinks.
Other Areas:
Special Perks(bonus points) -
Other:
Family Friendly: As much as any convention hotel - the pool is nice and the staff seems to do a good job of catering to kids as needed.
Pet Friendly: Unknown
Notes/Summary:
If you are attending a convention next door, this is a solid option depending on pricing. That said, there are about 20 hotels within a 10 min walk, so check other options depending on plans. The location made it a great option to take things back to or get from room as needed.
About my system - All scores are based on expectations, where 7.5 = met expectations, 10 is highly exceeded, and 1, well, something went horribly wrong. Expectations take into account a number of factors, such as price paid, brand, and location. They will vary greatly from the Waldorf Astoria to a Super 8. All scores are averaged and translated to a score out of 10. 1 Trip Advisor dot applies for each 2 points, so 4 dots is the most likely scenario.
