Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, Princeton, NJ [Master Thread]
Jan 12, 2009, 8:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central New Jersey (EWR, ABE, PHL)
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Posts: 953
Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, Princeton, NJ [Master Thread]
Had a quick stay here Thurs thru Sat last weekend....long story, I'll skip that part....call it a matress run with an EEO coupon while i needed to be closer to town than home.
ANYWAY.....
Checked in, not recognized as a PP but given keys to a CL room. This hotel is, eh, weird. It was a Scanticon years ago (the late 80s, when I opened the ORIGINAL Princeton Marriott across route 1, which is now a Westin...but I digress) then the Doral, and within the last year-ish or so, a Marriott.
It's 4 floors, one of which is seemingly below ground. Sprawling building. Rooms are on the small side, bathrooms are miniscule! (The door hits the curved shower rod!) My room had 2 beds, chair and ottoman, 32-ish inch flat screen (not HD), a desk & chair, spare chair, small dresser, small closet, robe & slippers!!, and a fridge and coffee maker.
Comfy enough...at least the featherbed toppers weren't so squishy that I sank way down and couldn't breathe!!
Checked out the CL-there was a nice woman attending the lounge. Great food display if you like sushi! (I don't) Also, egg rolls, cheese, veggies, 3 kinds of bottled water and the usual booze, beer, wine and sodas.
Headed to the bar. The bar has a nice menu with sandwiches and apps. The dining room has a small menu and I really didn't want to for out 36 bucks for a filet at 9 PM. Had a burger which was served on a COLD toasted bun on a cold plate!! (Don't ask!) Belgian beer was good. Pointed this out to MOD and he comped the check. Also mentioned I wasn't offered my gift. He went out to the desk, came back and said they tried to call me, I said nice try to get out of paying me. He maintained they were within the "first hour.." Whatever....got my points, would rather have had the 100 bucks...and where does it say in the T&C "well, we will offer your PP gift when we get a chance...."
Friday AM headed to the CL...saw an attendant for 2 seconds then she went to hide.....decent array of cereal, instant oatmeal, fruit, juice, etc. AND for the hot item, they had nicely poached eggs. (I don't eat poached eggs but they were in little cups, looked great and the man eating them said they were! They looked like they do on TV!!)
So...grabbed coffee and went to report, for the 2nd time, that my heat didn't work. (Also after check in, one bathroom light was out and the desk clerk was a little confused when i said i wanted it replaced while i was at dinner!)
Mom and I arrived back on Saturday, and again the heat still didn't work. It finally got fixed! I opted to change to the TFB rate and the buffet was nice. You order your eggs from the line cook who is also making food for Room service, and it's weird. The way the line is set up, you have to look between 2 shelves of the hot plate thing where they put up the food....hard to describe, but if you are short, it's hard to order--actually hard to see the chef! And it's noisy!
Ham omlete was OK...had a weird taste. BUT the oatmeal(cooked) was great, as was the granola. Bacon was actually crisp. There was also pancakes and waffles to order....sausage and the standard marriott buffet fare. Since mom wasn't feeling well, the manager got me a tray and containers so i was able to bring her something to eat. The manager offered to just send it up from room service as well...very nice!
All in all if you need to be in Princeton, this isn't a bad choice.....after the initial bumps, the staff wound up being pretty nice......it had been a very bad week for me, so i may have been crankier than usual!
The halls and rooms still need some TLC, but all in all it isn't a bad hotel.....but it's not worth more than 129 on weekends and i think that's a little high............again, used an EEO BOGO at check out with no issue and I think i got my last couple nights for the rest of the mega bonus! yippee!
If anyone has any questions, i will try to answer!
ANYWAY.....
Checked in, not recognized as a PP but given keys to a CL room. This hotel is, eh, weird. It was a Scanticon years ago (the late 80s, when I opened the ORIGINAL Princeton Marriott across route 1, which is now a Westin...but I digress) then the Doral, and within the last year-ish or so, a Marriott.
It's 4 floors, one of which is seemingly below ground. Sprawling building. Rooms are on the small side, bathrooms are miniscule! (The door hits the curved shower rod!) My room had 2 beds, chair and ottoman, 32-ish inch flat screen (not HD), a desk & chair, spare chair, small dresser, small closet, robe & slippers!!, and a fridge and coffee maker.
Comfy enough...at least the featherbed toppers weren't so squishy that I sank way down and couldn't breathe!!
Checked out the CL-there was a nice woman attending the lounge. Great food display if you like sushi! (I don't) Also, egg rolls, cheese, veggies, 3 kinds of bottled water and the usual booze, beer, wine and sodas.
Headed to the bar. The bar has a nice menu with sandwiches and apps. The dining room has a small menu and I really didn't want to for out 36 bucks for a filet at 9 PM. Had a burger which was served on a COLD toasted bun on a cold plate!! (Don't ask!) Belgian beer was good. Pointed this out to MOD and he comped the check. Also mentioned I wasn't offered my gift. He went out to the desk, came back and said they tried to call me, I said nice try to get out of paying me. He maintained they were within the "first hour.." Whatever....got my points, would rather have had the 100 bucks...and where does it say in the T&C "well, we will offer your PP gift when we get a chance...."
Friday AM headed to the CL...saw an attendant for 2 seconds then she went to hide.....decent array of cereal, instant oatmeal, fruit, juice, etc. AND for the hot item, they had nicely poached eggs. (I don't eat poached eggs but they were in little cups, looked great and the man eating them said they were! They looked like they do on TV!!)
So...grabbed coffee and went to report, for the 2nd time, that my heat didn't work. (Also after check in, one bathroom light was out and the desk clerk was a little confused when i said i wanted it replaced while i was at dinner!)
Mom and I arrived back on Saturday, and again the heat still didn't work. It finally got fixed! I opted to change to the TFB rate and the buffet was nice. You order your eggs from the line cook who is also making food for Room service, and it's weird. The way the line is set up, you have to look between 2 shelves of the hot plate thing where they put up the food....hard to describe, but if you are short, it's hard to order--actually hard to see the chef! And it's noisy!
Ham omlete was OK...had a weird taste. BUT the oatmeal(cooked) was great, as was the granola. Bacon was actually crisp. There was also pancakes and waffles to order....sausage and the standard marriott buffet fare. Since mom wasn't feeling well, the manager got me a tray and containers so i was able to bring her something to eat. The manager offered to just send it up from room service as well...very nice!
All in all if you need to be in Princeton, this isn't a bad choice.....after the initial bumps, the staff wound up being pretty nice......it had been a very bad week for me, so i may have been crankier than usual!
The halls and rooms still need some TLC, but all in all it isn't a bad hotel.....but it's not worth more than 129 on weekends and i think that's a little high............again, used an EEO BOGO at check out with no issue and I think i got my last couple nights for the rest of the mega bonus! yippee!
If anyone has any questions, i will try to answer!
Jan 30, 2011, 9:20 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Suburban Philadelphia
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,392
I just grow tired of story after story of Marriott's failing to pay plats when not given the arrival gift. I myself allowed myself to get snookered a couple months ago.
Pointed out to the MOD that they hadn't offered gift (after a return trip to the front desk a few hours after check in), and she said "Oh, he already gave you the points." I let it go.
Next time I'm making a stink. Sorry to thread-jack.
Pointed out to the MOD that they hadn't offered gift (after a return trip to the front desk a few hours after check in), and she said "Oh, he already gave you the points." I let it go.
Next time I'm making a stink. Sorry to thread-jack.
Jun 1, 2016, 6:36 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,107
If no one posts before your stay, please do a trip report to provide updated info on the property. Much appreciated. Thx.
Here's what I have on the lounge (last update was in 2014)
* Princeton / Princeton Marriott at Forrestal / CLOSED Weekends, New Year's Eve, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day; Open for breakfast only on weekends; 11/07/14 update
Cheers.
Here's what I have on the lounge (last update was in 2014)
* Princeton / Princeton Marriott at Forrestal / CLOSED Weekends, New Year's Eve, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day; Open for breakfast only on weekends; 11/07/14 update
Cheers.
Aug 1, 2016, 1:48 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Avis President's Circle
Posts: 408
As promised, here's a quick review on my stay last week:
A. The property itself is one of the more peaceful, relaxing Marriott's I have stayed it. It's located in a forested area with very little road/traffic noise.
B. Service -- Service was excellent throughout the stay. Staff members were friendly and engaging. I asked for dining tips and got a nice brochure on local restaurants along with multiple personal recommendations. Nearly ever day, I had someone approaching me and asking if everything was going well.
C. Room -- I'd give the room a solid B. I had an upgrade to a larger corner room. It had this strange bar extension and room for a reading chair and ottoman. Furnishings looked updated. Plenty of power outlets. Great water pressure and temperature. Yes, it still had a real desk with comfortable chair! Huge LG flat-screen. The only reason for the downgrade is *no* sound insulation for hallway noise. It was particularly bad the first night, and luckily got better...but any conversations in the hallway carried straight into the room.
D. Concierge Lounge/Dining -- The lounge is a definite "meh". It looks to be a converted conference room with a buffet table at one end. Options included scrambled eggs and oatmeal aside the usual continental suspects. Horribly crowded every single day at 7AM. I bypassed it in favor of the hotel restaurant, which had eminently reasonable pricing for breakfast (eg, $12 for American). This surprised me as I found Princeton restaurant pricing trying very hard to emulate their New York/Chicago big brothers.
Oh, and most importantly...they're still offering *real* room service!
All in all, I recommend staying here without hesitation as long as you're prepared to deal with hallway noise leakage.
A. The property itself is one of the more peaceful, relaxing Marriott's I have stayed it. It's located in a forested area with very little road/traffic noise.
B. Service -- Service was excellent throughout the stay. Staff members were friendly and engaging. I asked for dining tips and got a nice brochure on local restaurants along with multiple personal recommendations. Nearly ever day, I had someone approaching me and asking if everything was going well.
C. Room -- I'd give the room a solid B. I had an upgrade to a larger corner room. It had this strange bar extension and room for a reading chair and ottoman. Furnishings looked updated. Plenty of power outlets. Great water pressure and temperature. Yes, it still had a real desk with comfortable chair! Huge LG flat-screen. The only reason for the downgrade is *no* sound insulation for hallway noise. It was particularly bad the first night, and luckily got better...but any conversations in the hallway carried straight into the room.
D. Concierge Lounge/Dining -- The lounge is a definite "meh". It looks to be a converted conference room with a buffet table at one end. Options included scrambled eggs and oatmeal aside the usual continental suspects. Horribly crowded every single day at 7AM. I bypassed it in favor of the hotel restaurant, which had eminently reasonable pricing for breakfast (eg, $12 for American). This surprised me as I found Princeton restaurant pricing trying very hard to emulate their New York/Chicago big brothers.
Oh, and most importantly...they're still offering *real* room service!
All in all, I recommend staying here without hesitation as long as you're prepared to deal with hallway noise leakage.
Aug 1, 2016, 10:07 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,379
Agree that breakfast in the lounge is crowded with typical offerings. Evening offerings tend to be better and lounge is typically quieter both during appetizer hour and later dessert service.
Dec 19, 2016, 1:20 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA MM; UA-S; HH-D; Marriott-LTP
Posts: 223
Brunch?
I've received some conflicting information and wondered if anyone knows if the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal still has the Sunday buffet? I remember it used to be quite extensive back in the day. While reviewing the Grounds For Sculpture website, I noticed they have Marriott Rewards offers including brunch, yet when I called, they say there is no brunch, despite it being listed on the Marriott website. Just curious.
Last edited by notmypetunia; Dec 19, 2016 at 1:23 pm Reason: Now reflects exact name of hotel
Feb 25, 2018, 7:20 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
I am 'borrowing' from rlfor's format and quotes.
Stay, Thursday, February 22 (MR Gold)...
A. The property itself is one of the more peaceful, relaxing Marriott's I have stayed it. It's located in a forested area with very little road/traffic noise.
B. Service -- Service was excellent throughout the stay. Staff members were friendly and engaging as most Marriott staffs are. The front desk had a variety of local travel information available.
C. Room -- I'd give the room a solid B. In the 'concierge wing'. I do not think it was upgraded, but it appeared to have been recently renovated. But as with most Marriott bathrooms, it was small. The door had to be closed to open the shower door. I dislike steamy bathrooms. Plenty of power outlets. Great water pressure and temperature. Yes, it still had a real desk with comfortable chair! Huge LG flat-screen. No hallway noise.
D. Concierge Lounge/Dining -- The lounge is a definite "meh". It looks to be a converted conference room with a buffet table at one end. 'Dessert' options were numerous and the liquor was self-pour (nice feature), on the honor system, and there was a good variety of beer (although my counterpart tried a Corona and he thought it was 'old' and got a replacement). Breakfast options included scrambled eggs and oatmeal aside the usual continental suspects; no bacon or sausage. And no newspapers either (yes, I like to read the paper in the morning - keeps me away from e-mails for another hour or so). Not crowded at 6:30-7, but it was a Friday morning.
Stay, Thursday, February 22 (MR Gold)...
A. The property itself is one of the more peaceful, relaxing Marriott's I have stayed it. It's located in a forested area with very little road/traffic noise.
B. Service -- Service was excellent throughout the stay. Staff members were friendly and engaging as most Marriott staffs are. The front desk had a variety of local travel information available.
C. Room -- I'd give the room a solid B. In the 'concierge wing'. I do not think it was upgraded, but it appeared to have been recently renovated. But as with most Marriott bathrooms, it was small. The door had to be closed to open the shower door. I dislike steamy bathrooms. Plenty of power outlets. Great water pressure and temperature. Yes, it still had a real desk with comfortable chair! Huge LG flat-screen. No hallway noise.
D. Concierge Lounge/Dining -- The lounge is a definite "meh". It looks to be a converted conference room with a buffet table at one end. 'Dessert' options were numerous and the liquor was self-pour (nice feature), on the honor system, and there was a good variety of beer (although my counterpart tried a Corona and he thought it was 'old' and got a replacement). Breakfast options included scrambled eggs and oatmeal aside the usual continental suspects; no bacon or sausage. And no newspapers either (yes, I like to read the paper in the morning - keeps me away from e-mails for another hour or so). Not crowded at 6:30-7, but it was a Friday morning.
Mar 13, 2018, 8:42 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ABE
Programs: DL, US, AA
Posts: 63
My wife & I stayed here on Saturday 3/10. I was using up a CAT5 certificate before it expired and made the reservation just prior to this property flipping to a CAT 6. At check-in I inquired about a room upgrade and was given a suite (MR Gold). The room was quiet and comfortable with no noticeable noise from hallway as others have mentioned. The lounge was open on Sunday morning for breakfast - nothing too special but the basics were there. The only new item I can really contribute here is that the FDA informed me that their new M Club would be opening on March 20. It will be located up front by the restaurant which is a much more convenient location than the current lounge. Overall, a very nice place to stay with friendly staff - I will likely visit again.
Jan 4, 2021, 2:00 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Posted in the overall Princeton Marriott thread. Marriott Forrestal is not recommended. Better off staying in one of the many other Marriott properties in the area.