Stayed for three nights over the weekend of Dec 21. Rate was $98 per night on a AAA discount. Spoiler alert: it was a steal at that rate.
Won’t go into detail on location as it’s been covered numerous times other than to say it’s ideal - convenient and very pleasant.
Checked in late in the evening. One employee at the desk and no other guests in the lobby area, quick and easy, and we were upgraded to an Executive King on the 7th floor.
The common areas: it is apparent the hotel has been recently renovated. Though per this thread the work was done about a year ago, it almost feels as though everything is literally brand new. No signs of wear yet. Nice lobby bar and restaurant concept with a very large wall-screen tv, low and high top seating, and a high ceiling with very unique lighting. Loved the feel and unlike many Marriott lobbies it’s a place you’d genuinely want to spend time as a guest. The guest floor hallways also feel brand new though the monotone grey color scheme is a bit overwhelming. Two minor nitpicks on the refresh would be the elevator cabs were not redone (and they need it) and for some reason - which I can’t quite put my finger on - the porte cochere and entry doors aren’t up to snuff with the rest of the build. They just feel cheap, dated, or both. A couple lobby pics posted below.
The room: very large, probably 500+ sf, with a big sectional sofa and the bed “off in the distance” in the corner with its back to the building’s exterior wall. Huge tv and real desk - though no “real” closet as others have mentioned. The closet setup didn’t bother me but an old fashioned hang it all up inside a closeable door closet it certainly is not. I didn’t get any pics but the pictures on the hotel website are accurate. Just like the common areas the room felt brand new. Overall I really like the new Marriott decorating scheme though, like the hallway, it’s a little too grey for my taste. The bathroom was a highlight as it’s incredibly bright with all new surfaces - very high quality - and great fixtures. Super hot water and good pressure.
M Club: see my notes a few posts above but I was overall very impressed. Can’t comment on the lack of Friday and Saturday night apps because the only night we went in for apps was Sunday. That said, Sunday night had a nice spread of high quality hot food. Meatballs and polenta, some mushroom apps, hummus trays, etc. Unless you were ravenously hungry you could make a decent dinner off of it. The servers as some have mentioned aren’t overly polished but they were incredibly attentive and friendly - I’d take them over a stuffy waiter any day. The whole lounge just felt higher quality than any other Marriott lounge I’ve experienced. Usually at least in my experience the lounge isn’t something you’d go out of your way to use - but my wife and I found ourselves stopping in regularly for a snack, coffee, water, etc. As I noted above one of the highlights is the coffee bar. Always fresh hot Illy coffee available plus the excellent self serve latte and cappuccino machine. We had a full breakfast in the lounge every morning of our stay and were very happy with it each time.
Lobby bar and restaurant Visiteur: good vibe and good food. We had a flatbread pizza late one evening and it was delicious. The alcohol is slightly pricey but considering the city and location didn’t feel extortionary. This outlet serves its purpose well.
With some minor dings for a few common area touches that need improvement, this is an otherwise very nice property that I would not hesitate to choose again.
