gpapadop

What do you think it's the best property in the Southeast Michigan area (up to an hour drive from Ann Arbor)?

I did a search and got some feedback already. People seem to prefer the Dearborn Inn mainly for the different feel of the property. I was there for a seminar last year and was not impressed, way too stuffy and "senior feel", I was not impressed.

This is going to be for a wedding anniversary, we are ditching the kids at a friend's house and would like to check in at a nice hotel that has a spacious room/bathroom (jaccuzi bonus), great bed/sofa, and a nice view would be nice. Quality of restaurant is no biggie. We are planning to use the free night cert I received from getting the MR visa card.

I am a lowly silver by the way.

Thanks for the comments.

p.s. I have plenty of Hilton and Starwood points...If no Marriott property is distinct, is there any HH or *wood property that is clearly way above all others you may recommend?

CraigS

The Ren Center Marriott has always been my favorite. Its close to the casinos and downtown restarants. Great views to the city on one side and the river on the other. They do have nice suites there- they have a sepatate living area, 1/2 bath, with frech doors leading into the bed room. ...You would have to pay for the room or talk them into letting you pay for an upgrade...

craz

sorry a dup

craz

Theres the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn. Its a business park area.

flighttime

If you want to try something new try the Royal Park Hotel, about 25 minutes north of Detroit. [http://www.royalparkhotel.net/]. Depending on what other activities desired, RenCen downtown, Omni downtown, Westin Southfield would work as well. For novelty, Westin at Northwest main terninal in airport is close to Ann Arbor.

gpapadop

Thank you to all for the suggestions. I chose the Marriott at the Renaissance and booked it with no problems for this Saturday.

ohmark

Let us know how your stay went.

OldTWAPlatGuy

Although my stays have been exclusively for business, I have stayed many times over the past 8 years at the Courtyard in Ann Arbor. The staff is very friendly and helpful and the area is full of great restaurants. For an extra $10 per night I usually get a suite and spread out.

socrates

That hotel has a great location....close to pretty much everything (as you said) including downtown A2.....but I'd say Dearborn Inn and Downtown Ren Cen are my 2 favorites in the area

gpapadop

Just back from a one night stay at the Marriott at the Renaissance Center

When booking this on the free certificate from getting the MR Rewards Visa credit card, I made sure I told the rep to include "wedding anniversary, upgrade kindly requested if available". There is a lot of construction around the area so allow some time to get there. The only entrance to the hotel now is available from the back of it by Beaubien Street (signs are posted). Valet parking $20, parking lot across from the hotel is $15 for over 24 hrs, very accessible. AS you walk in (remember you are now at the back entrance, front is blocked by construction) you take the elevator up two levels to get to the lobby. Very grand looking lobby, quite impressive. Almost no lines at all at the Elite line (I am Silver). I was very nice to the rep and kindly asked for an upgrade and a room with a nice view if possibe since we are celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary. Rep tells us we got a free upgrade, thank yous and on. We ask for directions to the People Mover (the little train that goes around downtown for only 50 cents). Since the People Mover station at the Renaissance is under construction/renovation, the rep came out and walked with us for a minute or two and showed us how we can get to the Millender Center people mover station through the skywalk. I thought that was very nice touch.

OK, on we go to the elevators. Around we see A LOT of high school kids running mad...apparently there is a conference going on and there is about 3,000 kids staying here! First sign that this stay was going downhill fast. We got room 5806. I have been around long enough to realize that you know you got an upgrade only when you walk into your room. After a long wait for the elevators, loud kids around us crammed in the elevator, many stops we finally get to our 58th floor. Across our door we see an OPEN door clearly marked "For staff use only" and "Keep closed", well it is wide open, all kinds of towels and other cleaning material for the housekeepers all over the place and a slight "cleaning" smell. So, we open the door to our room only to be VERY disapointed. There is just no freaking way that this was an upgrade. This is a small room with a bed size more of a queen instead of a king size we had requested. I have gotten much bigger standard rooms in Hilton and Starwood properties than this, upgrade my ...*. The only nice thing about it was the pretty nice view of the Detroit River and Windsor, Canada in the horizon, at night it was pretty nice but still the view is somewhat obstructed by the next tower with at least twenty floors on top of where you are. Mrs gpapadop did not let me call the front desk and complain and ask for a real upgrade. Bathroom very standard, water pressure very low as we found out this morning. Great selection of tv channels with hbo. Great selection of first run movies at 10.99 each.

Bed was very standard, nothing even close to Heavenly Bed quality. I like hard pillows, only one was semi hard, the others all soft. Did not bring laptop, did not check out room service food, did not try the restaurants of the hotel. We were planning to hit the pool only to find out that there is NO pool!!!But the health club and sauna/steam room are open 24 hrs (did not visit them). The lack of a pool is a major thing for us since we enjoy that very much. We were very surprised to see no pool in such a hotel!

GM has done many renovations in the Renaissance Center, it is very nice walking around it. Again, the kids running wild everywhere. Unfortunately, they were also kind of loud at night, it was not easy getting to sleep being interrupted from running/yelling in the hallway and next room, ice buckets getting filled, a louder than usual thermostat, and louder than usual water pipes from other rooms. I don't mean to sound too whiny about the noise but if you are aperson who can not sleep if there is no complete silence you probably won't like it here, maybe they should have invested in better sound suppression material.

So, got to sleep very late only to wake up at 7.30 from the freaking alarm...This is one of my pet peeves, housekeeping must make sure they have turned that off when they clean the room for a new guest!!!

In the morning, we pulled the curtains to see what the view is like during the day only to see some VERY dirty windows...my gosh, they looked that they have not been washed for a VERY long time, kind of messed up the view!

No folio slipped under the door in the morning. At 10.30 knock on the door from housekeeper with "do not disturb" sing posted, told her to come back later. Room coffee was decent, nothing spectacular as was the furniture and carpeting.

Check out process was standard, no lines, and no smiles or even "how was your stay with us?" or even an attempt at small talk.

Again for the price we should not complain. The best part of the stay was indeed spending time with each other without the kids, recapturing some of the former passion, and the nice dinner at Fishbones. We will likely not stay in this hotel again and if we have an opportunity to spend a free night in SE Michigan this hotel would not be near the top of our list. The best features of it is its location and you may get a nice view, that's it.

ohmark

Thanks for the report gpapadop. I've yet to hear anybody who praised the service at this property; a shame because service is usually one area that Marriott excels at.

glg

If you go through that skywalk across the street to the People Mover, there is a CY in that building that has a pool. Last time I was at the Marriott (late 2000), they directed me to the CY pool for a swim. I booked future stays at that CY.

fletch050

Spent a lot of time in Detriot this summer for business--the Dearborn Inn was an older but elegant hotel, and close to clients. For another project, the Marriott Ypsilanti was convenient, and had a great golf course--the course is used by the E. Mich. U golf team and has some challenging holes.

gpapadop

Just a few updates:

The People Mover station at the Renaissance Center has been reopened after two years of construction.

I go to the Ypsilanti Marriott every Monday for my Rotary Club meeting. They always treat us very nice there and the food is great. And the Golf Course is FIRST class. I have been inside the rooms, nothing spectacular...never spent the night there. The new manager of that hotel is doing a great job, service significantly improved since he came aboard. Great place to have a conference!

snorkmaster

FYI - renovations at the Detroit Airport Marriott have begun. When I checked out today, the front desk advised that the first renovated rooms should be available next week.

At this time, the Concierge Lounge is closed, so breakfast is offered in the restaurant, and a makeshift concierge lounge has been set up in the Livonia Room at night.