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Trip Report Marriott Residence Inn Suncoast Parkway (Tampa Fl area)

Trip Report Marriott Residence Inn Suncoast Parkway (Tampa Fl area)

 
Old Feb 24, 2008, 5:51 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Somewhere between Singapore and the US
Programs: Qantas Platinum, SQ Krisflyer PPS, UA 1p, Marriot Lifetime Platinum, American EXP
Posts: 988
Trip Report Marriott Residence Inn Suncoast Parkway (Tampa Fl area)

This is a newly opened property, I believe that it may have opened on 2/11/08. I have work to do in FL and relatives in the Tampa area so we selected this property since it is near them (it is the closest marriott property, we have stayed at the Waterside(very nice), and the Westshore (old and in need of a makeover), and even the Airport Marriott (not bad but it us at the airport and that is not our destination). But this location makes our commute shorter and easier so we were looking forward to this stay. So here is the report so far, since I am still at the property.

Easy to get to right off the Suncoast toll road
Nice enough looking property for a hotel
Check-in still working out some issues, but overall not bad. Do not know how it would be if busy, we were the only ones checking in at that time.

Room nice enough we are in a studio I always think they try to put too much furniture in a small space, and I was not disappointed. The furniture placement seemed odd and not conducive to how someone would actually use the room. I confirmed with the staff that we were the 1st guests staying in that room, so that explains the designer furniture placement. Makes you wonder if they ever give thought to how people would use the space. Then things got a bit odd, there is a dresser with a LG LCD (about 32:^) on a swivel on the dresser. But the placement of the dresser blocked walkng to theother side of the bed. Turns out the coax to the tv was to short and that is why the dresser was placed at that location. Unplug the coax and move the dresser solved the problem short term. Hotel staff needs to get a longer cable. Usually my pet peeves are shower heads but in a new property I was not expecting problems, but I was pleasntly surprised to find a RAIN shower head (nice). The staff told me that the biggest complain they are receiving is about the High Speed internet access, I have had 0 issues with this my Mac connected instantly to the wireless network every time with good speed.
I was speaking with the staff about the bed, over the past 20 years I have spent 5 years in hotels. comfortable bed and nice shower and a clean room and the hotel will not even know I am there. The beds at this property are the worst I have ever come across (including wore out beds in a roadside motel in Tn, and a board with a pad somewhere in Germany). These mattress's are so hard that if you sleep on you side if you sleep you will wake up in pain. I even tried the sofa but that did not last too small and thought about the concrete floor it was that bad. If you sleep on your back you will probably not have any issues. We checked with the staff to see if different mattress's are in different rooms, no. We asked if they had pads we could put on the mattress, no. I then asked for two additional comforters 2 blankets and sheets to be sent up. We put the comforters in and the sheet over them and tucked in the sides. We now made our own pillow top mattress. If this was not convenient to where we are going I would have checked out yesterday, but with out newly engineered solution we can stay the next two nights.
BTW, I was told by the manager that these are the same mattress used in all Marriott's, my experience says this is not true. But , if this is the mattress Marriott is upgrading to, run away and don't look back.

Last edited by swanscn; Feb 24, 2008 at 6:07 am
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Old Feb 24, 2008, 6:06 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
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[QUOTE=swanscn;9304542] .....The beds at this property are the worst I have ever come across (including wore out beds in a roadside motel in Tn, and a board with a pad somewhere in Germany). These mattress's are so hard that if you sleep on you side if you sleep you will wake up in pain. .....
BTW, I was told by the manager that these are the same mattress used in all Marriott's, my experience says tis is not true. But , if this is the mattress Marriott is upgrading to, run away and don't look back.[/
QUOTE]

This is a little scary - I was in a brand new RI this week in Tampa/St Pete - the Treasure Island location. About the same opening date - we loved the hotel, and were given a 2BR suite upgrade..........but the one thing I instantly noticed was the hardness of the mattress. I thought perhaps the mattress pads or whatever weren't in yet - but if this IS a new chainwide mattress, well - as the OP says - not good. (and I can sleep anywhere at any time on any surface............)

Other than that - if you want a OF hotel in kind of a neat retro style area, Treasure Island is the place - and right now they are running a 1BR Grand Opening special rate of $159- not bad for OF in FL in Feb! ^ Breakfast was above average, service was excellent, staff was very pleasant. New decor - granite countertops & stainless appliances - balconies with ocean views from all rooms, plenty of parking. We would stay here again.........
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Old Feb 28, 2008, 7:11 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Florida
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Sorry

My apoligies to the posters above. I read this post just before a multi-night stay at the same hotel, which I am still in the middle of. As I was reading the posts, I was thinking - there is no way a mattress is that hard, these people must have very sensitive backs or just plain don't know what they are talking about.

Well, I now see what a mattress made of solid granite feels like. Those have to be the absolute hardest things I have ever felt, and that includes the mattresses where you can change the setting of to make it softer or harder.

I spent one night on the bed and that was all I could handle. The next night I tried the fold out sofa bed and it was much better, so I will spend the rest of the nights on it. There were no sheets for yet so I asked the front desk to send up some sheets during the day and said I was not able to sleep on the regular bed. Right away she started to nod and said "too hard, isn't yet". Seems they have had several people complain and she has gone to given people many different comforters and blankets in order to try and make it softer, such as the OP tried.

I agree with the OP comment, if this is the mattress that all Marriott's will be going to, my time with them will be coming to an end. No way could I handle using those things on a regular basis.

BTW - there was no problem with the tv and the dresser, so either it was just specific rooms or they have changed the cables in all of them.
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Old Feb 28, 2008, 8:02 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
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Originally Posted by sophiegirl
Other than that - if you want a OF hotel in kind of a neat retro style area, Treasure Island is the place - and right now they are running a 1BR Grand Opening special rate of $159- not bad for OF in FL in Feb! ^ Breakfast was above average, service was excellent, staff was very pleasant. New decor - granite countertops & stainless appliances - balconies with ocean views from all rooms, plenty of parking. We would stay here again.........
Do you know how long they're running that special? DH is going to be down there March 16 - 19 and I haven't booked him in a room anywhere yet.

Deb
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Old Feb 29, 2008, 4:13 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NC
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Debbiebones -
as of this AM, the GOR was not available, but an advanced purchase with no penalty was...............I would book and then keep waiting fot the GOR... OR check some other sites and file a BRG if GOR. Whatever you do, don't wait - always better to have a res that can be cancelled penalty free than to hope it will still be there when you want it - - - -

FLOIR -
which hotel were/are you in?
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Old Feb 29, 2008, 6:19 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Florida
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Originally Posted by sophiegirl
Debbiebones

FLOIR -
which hotel were/are you in?
The RI in the title, the Suncoast Parkway location. Sorry, I forgot that the TI location was also mentioned in the post, I should have distinguished between the 2.
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Old Jul 8, 2008, 6:24 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Alexandria, VA
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Does anyone have an updated report on this property? Mainly, is there anything around this property? Looks to be simply convenient to the highway.
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Old Jul 9, 2008, 6:43 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Florida
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Posts: 344
Originally Posted by RiverVisual19
Does anyone have an updated report on this property? Mainly, is there anything around this property? Looks to be simply convenient to the highway.

There are several places to eat within walking distance, almost sharing a parking lot. I don't remember the exact names but there is a deli, a BBQ place and at least 2 sit-down service places.

Across the Veterans, which may or may not be walking distance, it is not that far but crossing the on and off ramps of the Veterans would be required and they can be busy, are several stores including a big box (which I want to say is Target's) and several other shopping and eating places.
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