I needed some extra nights to reach legacy Marriott Platinum status for 2018, which would be my 10th Platinum year and thereby qualify me for Lifetime Platinum Premier status once that is awarded officially in 2019. This Courtyard property happens to be the closest and cheapest property in the vicnity for me to easily use. 

The Courtyard doesn't look like much from the exterior, but the interior has been thoroughly renovated and updated.

There is a small gym:

There also is a small laundry room:

The outdoor pool, spa, and courtyard area is reasonably pleasant, but there can be considerable traffic noise from Jamboree Avenue.

Check In

Check in was pretty easy and quick. I'd already been upgraded to a king suite due to my Plat Premier status (they never indicated any awareness of my Ambassador status, and I never bothered my Ambassador about this booking!). I indicated that I didn't really need the king suite if they needed it in their inventory for other guests, but they assured me it was fine for me to have it. 

Room

The King Suite was surprisingly spacious, though the closet was tiny.

Small balcony and view over courtyard pool and Jamboree Avenue:

The room was pretty quiet, but you could hear if someone from the courtyard was shouting or speaking loudly right below the room. This was the 4th floor.

The air con worked very well, and shower pressure was decent. Wifi was adequate at 10 Mbps down and up.

Service

Service was pretty good with a few misses. I had a nice welcome amenity:

Housekeeping was efficient. The phone wasn't always answered quickly--a few times I called the front desk and waited more than 10 rings for someone to pick up or I had to call back. But everyone was friendly and trying to help.

Location

The location at the intersection of Jamboree and Main Streets is very convenient, just a block off the exits to the 405. John Wayne Airport is just a 5-10 min drive and there is an airport shuttle on demand--you just need to give them some notice. Newport Beach is about a 15 min drive down to the peninsula. Laguna Beach is also a 15 min drive. The Irvine Spectrum, South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island shopping malls are all an easy 10 min drive. 

Overall

Overall, the hotel is quite pleasant and is in a very convenient loocation and with very good rates. I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for reasonable and modern, clean accommodations near the Irvine/John Wayne vicinity.