mileshound

I have to work for 2+ weeks in Downtown Philly about 1/3 mile form the downtown property. I will be MR Gold at that point.

I have read nasty things about the downtown Marriott service. Would it be better for me to stay by the airport and train/cab it into town or suck it up and stay downtown.

At least by the airport I can catch a Phillies game.

socrates

I've only stayed there a few times....but I've always thought the staff at the convention center hotel to be great

bdschobel

I agree with socrates. I've stayed at that hotel many times and never had a bad experience.

Bruce

FormerLurker

This is admittedly only one stay, so hopefully was an aberration, about about a year ago, they refused to honor Plat upgrade, refused to provide concierge level (with rooms available), put me next to an elevator, lost my car in their valet garage for 2 hours, double billed for the room, and gave someone else the key to my room on day two of the two-day stay.

mileshound

I'm glad your stays were good. I will book it. I read some older posts and people did not have good things to say.

OldTWAPlatGuy

I hame stayed both at the downtown Marriott and at the downtown Courtyard, with good results. There you have many good choices in the area for restaurants. It has always seemed odd that Marriott has two properties within a block or two of each other.

kid

Just to let ya all know that there are 3 Marriott properties only a block away from each other including the Residence Inn (next to Courtyard) for about 2 years now - and if you count the Ritz Carlton around the corner, it would actually be 4. Since we go to Philly often, Ive stayed in all of them a few times and they are just fine. My dad says the Marriott is a little too big and he also told me that they got an excelent new manager, Billy, who he knew from Baltimore and likes.

MSP Flyer

I stayed there (on a TZO Travel Zoo rate of $69) last summer for 4 nights - and had a acceptable but not great experience. I had booked at $179 before I found that rate on flyertalk.com - thank goodness. It was worth $70/nt - not $179/nt!

I am Plat and got my Plat gift and access to the conc lounge - although I did not get an upgrade nor did I get a room on the conc floor.

The only issue for me - the Conc Lounge is a h&ll of a long walk. Once you get off the elevator - it is down a long hall way, another long hallway and yet another - all without any large signage. I just wandered around on that floor to find it. It is a very large hotel and now that I think about it - I am surprised there weren't rooms on that Conc floor. In any case - the Lounge was only ok. The evening apps weren't restocked (at 6.15p) - what ever they put out at 5pm apparently was it. There were several of us scrounging around. Then they were rude when I asked about a beverage. The breakfast also was mediocre. Again, I was there early (6.45) and it was very full, no place to sit (in a very large lounge) and again - already running out of food.

The issue is partially access - if everyone on the Conc Flr has access, including Gold and Plat (which in a large city - prob quite a few) - the lounge isn't run well and this shows. They should have lots of food, several people cleaning tables/restocking etc and plenty of eating space.

As for the area - there are quite a few rest and places around - including the great Farmers Market area - but that closes at 5.30 I think. The area is kinda urban - kind of scary - but ok. All in all - average - but I certainly would consider somewhere else if it was better $ or location.

b1513

I have stayed at the downtown Philly Marriott at least 20 times and have never had a bad experience. I have stayed, also, at the Philly Downtown Courtyard by Marriott (across the street from the regular Marriott) about 10 times and have never had a problem there either. I've also stayed next door at the Residence Inn and that was fine as well, but that was my least favorite of the three.

Bobbie

rgoel

Mileshound,
You can see photos and reviews of the Philly Marriott hotels at HotelScoop:
http://www.hotelscoop.com/bestOfPhiladelphia.php

Thought this might be of help. In my opinion, the Philly Marriott is the best for room and service.

GG

Oh where to start... we have stayed at the Marriott downtown several times and never Not had problems. Even the 10 night stay where we were paying for a suite was hardly perfect - and most of our points only posted after repeated phone calls and faxes. The reps were sympathetic, and in fact told Lex that they were used to problems with that hotel.

They finally made us so mad this past December that we just walked out - and over to the Hilton Garden Inn 2 blocks away. (Not all that fancy, but just fine, and yes we were upgraded to a suite-like object, as good as they had. And no argument about breakfast, either.)

I don't think I have ever seen such a shockingly badly run Concierge Lounge as the one we experienced during our 10 day stay a while back - repeatedly, day after day, there was no food when we showed up, and often no drink. This was the case at both breakfast and in the evening. During some of the time, they were very busy because of a group that had been senselessly upgraded to the Concierge wing (and don't get me started on that), but it was like that before the group was there, and after. (You may ask why we cared if we got upgraded; guess it was Hope Springs Eternal, and the principle of the thing...)

Anyway, the airport Marriott isn't anything to write home about either. We have not stayed there in several years, not since the time it took us 10 minutes to get out of the parking garage, with no car in front of us. The attendants - who were standing, chatting, in plain sight - simply couldn't be bothered to come to the booth! When we complained to the hotel, they said it wasn't their people, so not their problem.
Yeah, right.

I gather the downtown CY isn't too bad; and we used to have decent stays at the Marriott out in Valley Forge. But sorry Marriott has had the last penny they'll ever get from us in the PHL area.

LexPassenger

from a previous thread:

One of the most appalling stupidities at Philly downtown was that they downright LIED to me. I asked for a room on the concierge levels (the wing was closed) and was told NO ROOMS were available. Since there is now internet access everywhere, I promptly went to a terminal and BOOKED a concierge room! When we showed this proof, we were offered an "upgrade" to a murphy-bed equipped parlor (as a "suite"). But we could not have a concierge level room because "our rate was not high enough".

At least I suppose these customer unfriendly liars were honest about that!

Philly downtown is managed abominably and hardly any of the operation is customer friendly. When we chewed out the restaurant manager for not training the staff properly THREE OTHER PARTIES got in line behind us to complain --- because they saw we had the balls to do it!

Philly downtown is a ghastly property --- avoid it unless you have a very high tolerance for indignity and suffering.

allikator

I'm in the PHL Airport Marriott 5-6 nights a month. They remodeled winter 2003, so all the rooms are pretty new with down comforters and comfy beds.

The concierge lounge is pretty well stocked for breakfast and happy hour snacks.

This hotel has the best hotel gym ever. Really big with lots of equipment and a good lap pool.

I take the train downtown when I need to go there. Really easy.

With the remodel, I think the Airport Marriott is nicer than the one downtown.

Edited to add that I've always been upgraded to a bigger room with a sittig area and access to the concierge level at the PHL Airport Marriott even as a lowly silver.

mileshound

I've been at the downtown Marriott for 4 nights and it is fine.

I think I have and answer to rumors of the of food running out in the lounge. They follow the food times to the letter. They put it out at 5:30 and take it away at 7:30 when they put our desert. They have not run out all week but if you show up late it is gone.

The staff has been very friendly. I have absolutely no problems staying her the next 2 weeks.

Marcell

I'm planning a trip to Philadelphia, PA in 3 weeks and I need to know your thoughts on the following hotels: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (on Market Street), Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City (Penn Square) and the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown (on Juniper Street).

In particular, the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (on Market Street) has valet service, but no indication of self-parking. Is there available street/public parking available near this hotel. If so, what is the going rate?