sanfran8080

I stay at the Marriott Crystal City every time. It's very easy to get to and from DCA and the metro stop is beneath the hotel.

CMK10

FWIW, I had an excellent experience at the CY in Ann Arbor

MBS MillionMiler

As a resident of MI, I can agree with a lot that is said in this thread...

I just stayed at the Ypsilanti Marriott/Eagle Crest a few weeks ago. The hotel was pretty nice, breakfast was average at best, service was sufficient.

The Livonia Marriott was one of the most inconsistent stays I've ever had at a hotel. Overall, a fair-at-best property, but two of the rudest FD clerks I'd ever experienced, then a few days later, I was helped by one of the best FD agents I'd ever experienced. Housekeeping was atrocious. I found the restaurant to be sufficient.

LOVE The Henry. Have had 2 amazing stays there. Great breakfast, great staff, beautiful property.

Also LOVE the Dearborn Inn. Last time we were upgraded to a free-standing 'replica house'...The Poe House. Yes, it was old, needed updating and had a bit of a musty smell, but WOW...It was pretty cool, and HUGE. It was nice to have our own 'house' for a few nights.

HATE the RenCen. Too big. Old rooms. Lackluster staff. Tiny rooms. But great views (of Canada).

(All of my stays above have been on weekends, mostly in the summer--all of the above properties we've tried when going down for sporting events, and 'making a weekend' of it, except for the Livonia Marriott, which was during the week).

Tanic

But is is one of the few FS that are still a Cat 5 award, which makes this a convenient hotel to burn a voucher if you need to be downtown.

I agree on the views - an upper floor room facing downriver is hard to beat.

bldr1k

The JW in Grand Rapids is probably the best US Marriott I stayed in all year.

Da5id

My number one place to stay when in Grans Rapids. I've met many nice employees in the CL's across the country but Cleo is one of the very best. And they have a killer espresso machine with Illy beans.

Texas Booster

I get to manage an event at MACUL at the COBO Center in March. Looks like I get to choose between the downtown CY and the RenCen FS.

Haven't been to downtown Detroit in a couple of decades (back when it was fun!)

Your recommendation on hotels, transportation (People Mover?) and other opportunities to discover the real Detroit?

JHake10

I have been staying at the Ypsilanti Marriott/Eagle Crest 4 nights a week for the last 2 months. The rooms are pretty generic and plain (typical Marriott), the concierge lounge is pretty good and the staff are friendly.

Once my flight was delayed and I checked in at 2:30 AM and the manager did not charge me for the night since I showed up so late.

AATrout

It's a solid choice. Two Marriots are within a few blocks of each other. The Gateway Marriott is a little newer, and both connect to the underground for metro access.

I probably logged 150 nights in the Gateway before relocating here, and I stop in the hotel as a guest in the CL when business friends are in town - the Gateway is where they always stay. I think the Gateway is in the top 10% of all Marriotts I've stayed in. There is a lot of good dining on Crystal Drive from a few blocks S all the way to 23rd. St, and you have access to the Mt. Vernon trail along the river thru a pedestrian underpass. I always stayed there -vs- DC when I had travel here.

Also, Crystal City between the area just S of the DCA access road and I-395 also has a decent Courtyard and a new Ren. These two are sort of isolated, but not a bad walk to 23rd.

The Key Bridge location is beat up, but if you run or like to walk the C&O towpath is right across the bridge. OTOH there's not much in the way of decent dining in that part of Rosslyn.

My most recent trips to Michigan had stays at the Troy Marriott and 4-5 at the GR JW Marriott. The former is a good property, but you have to drive everywhere. The GR JW is a top-tier property and once you've parked you can easily walk anywhere downtown for business or dining.

CMK10

My brother and his wife were married in Ann Arbor and spent their wedding night there. They go back yearly for their anniversary and are always treated well.

CJKatl

Michigan
Nobody's mentioned it, but the Troy Marriott is actually very nice. The hotel is updated, well maintained and has great service.

Agree that the Ypsilanti FS is a very good basic Marriott with a more than decent CL. The staff is awesome. I've been upgraded to a huge, beautiful suite and I, too, was not charged for even a half day when I needed the room until six in the evening.

Agree that the Livonia FS is one of the worst in the Marriott fold. The CL might be the single worst in North America. It's way too small, staffed by surly people who disappear for ages and sometimes has nothing more to offer than warm water and small bags of potato chips. Recently, there was no juice at breakfast. After eating, I went down to the lobby and asked. I went back to my room, got my stuff, left and checked again on my way to the elevator. Still no juice. As I was leaving the CL, the attendant came in and said, "You must be the guy who complained about the OJ. You got me in trouble." Umm, no, her disappearing for half the morning got her in trouble. And she is an improvement over the gentleman who used to be there in the mornings who would sit and watch TV instead of keeping the place stocked.

The Southfield FS is as generic as they come. Not good. Not bad. Generic.

The RenCen is one of my favorite properties, but only because of the view and the awesome CL, with its Sundae Bar.

Washington, DC
The Mayflower's awesomeness blinds me to its flaws.

In the Dulles Airport corridor, the only decent hotel is the Ashburn SHS. The FS is a dump.

In the Fair Oaks area, the best choice is also the SHS. The FS is a dump.

In the across the bridge VA suburbs, the Arlington Rosslyn RI is a great choice, except for earning half the points. I recently stayed in the Key Bridge Marriott, in a renovated room on a high floor with a view of the river to the north, and was pleasantly surprised. My first stay there was in the seventies as a child, and it's nicer now than it was then.

In DC, my favorite go-to Marriott properties are the FF on H St and the CY DC/US Capitol. I'd rather stay at a lesser property that exceeds its standards than a better property that falls short. The FI is in Chinatown, which is funky and convenient and less touristy, and the CY is always less expensive and is on top of the Metro station, making it easy to get around. Neither of these properties is too big, and neither has the pretensions that some of the other in-the-District full service properties sometimes vibrate. (Mostly from other guests, not staff.) Again, I like the Mayflower and, so long as you are not looking for a hotel actually near Georgetown, the Marriott Georgetown is a good, basic Marriott. (I miss Blackie's, though. Used to eat there a couple times a month when I lived on 22nd St.) I've not stayed in the properties near the zoo, but many like those.

In the MD suburbs, the Bethesda FS and the Gaithersburg properties are each very good. Hmm, wonder why?

Cargojon

Shame that the IAD FS has turned into a dump. Wife and I used to spend weekends down there before we had kids, you could get a weekend night for literally $50 on an M11 or M12 rate. Wasn't bad back then, but that was 6+ years ago. Haven't been there since.

entropy

I stayed at the Wardman Park this past week.

Terrible CS, was assigned a 2-double room instead of king. When I asked for a King, they said they were sold out. (Gold Elite) ... tried again the next day again and was denied, but when shown availability showing Kings available.. they somehow found one. Check out not extended beyond 2pm.. They have >1000 rooms here....

hockeyinsider

I stayed at the Livonia Marriott. Received my first upgrade, ever -- despite staying there three times a month for the last year. I never knew they had suites. Anyways, the suite on the fourth floor was very tired. The sixth floor executive rooms are much better. All you get in the suite is space. Otherwise, it was very tired. Showerhead dangling from the wall, broken deadbolt, no working remote control or telephone in bedroom, and no dining table in living room but an entire wall of old cabinets (but nothing in the cabinets) and sink, and way too much seating (full-length couch, a chair and footrest, and two sitting chairs in the corner all facing the desk and wall-mounted TV). They do, however, provide a robe, mouthwash, and dental kit in the suite. Livonia still provides good platinum service on weekends with coupons for the restaurant, where the food is good but the service is diner-level. Fitness room has been redone in the last six week or so. All new treadmills.