Horace

Marriott's Autograph Collection is growing again. This time, it's The Siena Hotel, a 79-room luxury boutique hotel in Chapel Hill, NC. From the press release, dated September 10, 2013:It's great to see the Autograph Collection gaining such excellent properties. The Siena Hotel is currently ranked number one in Chapel Hill on TripAdvisor.

The press release also includes two other other new additions to the Autograph Collection: The Lexington, New York, NY (which already has its own thread on the Marriott Rewards forum on FlyerTalk) and the Castle Hotel, Orlando, FL (which has already been mentioned in Master thread for new hotels and disposales! on the Marriott Rewards forum on FlyerTalk).

SkiAdcock

So, is it actually open? If so, hopefully someone will do a trip report after they've stayed there.

Cheers.

vatraveler

It's been open since 1987. Nice property.

SkiAdcock

I meant as Marriott. Thanks for the update. Hopefully we'll get a trip report post Marriott taking over.

Cheers.

squeeler

I am sitting in the bar this very moment. My first impressions are totally positive. One of my favourite hotels in this area is the O.Henry in Greensboro; this seems to be on a par. My room is beautifully furnished with king bed, arm chair, love seat with stools and more. The bathroom looks great, with a large shower cubicle.

The bar is small, with a very comfortable seating area on the other side of the main door.

They offer a shuttle service to Chapel Hill and Carrboro, so plenty of access to bars and restaurants without need to drive.

I have tried many of the Marriott properties in the area, this is really superior. Rate of $169 is very good as well, but not the cheapest.

BostonFlyer1624

Looks like a great prop. Maybe I'll make a trip next March.

SkiAdcock

Do they have an exec lounge? If not, do they offer brekkie coupons? If they offer brekkie coupons, are they for cont'l brekkie or full brekkie? If cont'l, is there an upcharge to full & if so, what is it? Please post & I'll add the property to the exec lounge sticky. Thx!

Cheers.

squeeler

Hi Sharon

No lounge. I was offered 750 points or free breakfast.

There were restricted breakfast options on the menu for people who had a 'bed & breakfast' deal. The a la carte was not cheap - I ran up a bill of $30 quite easily.

One of the things I loved was the peace and quiet. I could not hear the chap upstairs using the loo; there was no banging of doors. I realised I was in an upgraded corner room, which may have made a difference.

I have booked my next stay in the area at the Siena. So much better than the other Marriott sub-brands. Happy to stand anyone a drink who has a bad time here!

Oh, and the breakfast hostess was from Bristol, UK. Lovely lass.

mjh5o

Checking out of the Siena this morning, and I must say it is a great option for the Chapel Hill or Durham area. Check-in was quick, and I received a very warm welcome. The staff member even offered to bring me some drinks. He showed up a few minutes later in my room with 4 full size, complimentary bottles of water.

Couple of other notes:

*Great upscale soaps and shampoos: "Treatments", a Hunter Amenities Brand
*On site gym is very small, but as a guest, you have free access to two local gyms, the YMCA (with an olympic size swimming pool), and Kinetix Fitness.
*As previous posters mentioned, a full breakfast is free for elites, which includes room service! Breakfast was great, with most of the ingredients (meat, eggs, produce) sourced from the local area.
*Parking is free
*And my favorite--the hotel has a permanent corn hole (bean bag game) setup out front.


Overall, a great experience and I will be sure to return the next time I am in the area.

Kacee

I just spent two nights here.

Property has pros and cons. Positives:

1. Rooms are spacious and well furnished.
2. Breakfast benefit is really excellent for a Marriott. Food quality was very high and the coffee is outstanding.
3. Free parking.
4. Very friendly staff.
5. Privileges at the local Y.
6. Fantastic running on trails that are half a block away.

Negatives:

1. Doors open directly into the room. My bed was maybe eight feet from the door. I really don't like this. Although the noise from the corridor wasn't as bad as I feared it might be.
2. Hotel fronts on E. Franklin, a major thoroughfare. So at least half the rooms will have lots of traffic noise during the day. Chapel Hill dies at night, so not really an issue for sleep.
3. Late night/early morning staff was pretty clueless. Could not explain the breakfast benefit. Daytime staff much more professional.
4. No bathtub.
5. The fitness center on property is kind of a joke (but Y is only 5 minute drive away).

If I stayed here again, I would ask for a room in the back, away from the traffic noise. Would also try to get one of the higher room classes in the hope they have an entryway separating door from room.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated!

Cheers.

adviso

Recently stayed for one night. As a Plat was upgraded to a junior suite. Suite was beautiful with 2 chaise couches and a large bathroom. Very good service overall and the food in the restaurant is tremendous. Only negative was a bunch of teenagers attending a function in one of the ballrooms that were hanging out in the lobby and very loud. The lobby area is not that large so the noise definitely impacted our ability to enjoy a cocktail in the adjacent bar. Also received free breakfast in the restaurant for being platinum.

NDDomer86

I had two recent stays here, one in a "Studio Suite" and one in a "Large Studio Suite".

Both rooms had the entryway open directly into the room though the bed in the "Large Studio Suite" is tucked into a small alcove so not directly by the door.

However, hallway noise was not an issue on either stay.

3galsontour

Perhaps most interested in hearing about the breakfast options and the potential for an upgrade. One review from more then a year mentioned that it was "grandfathered" in so it does not offer any benefits to platinums. Still - looks like a nice hotel to stay at for the college tour slog but I just want to get an understanding of what to expect. Many thanks.

Kacee

huh? All the reports in this thread (including mine) confirm elite breakfast benefit.