Can someone tell me what the basic difference between these two properties are other than Fairfield includes breakfast?

They're both 10 points per $.

Thanks.

In the past, Courtyards were nicer hotels and more oriented to the business travellers. However, due to recent changes to Courtyard, I almost prefer the Fairfield Inn over Courtyard. If I can't stay at a FS Marriott or Renaissance, I try to find a Springhill Suites.

My exp is typically Courtyards are in better condition, more updated rooms, and usually have a restaurant. However, I will take a SpringHillSuties or a Res Inn any day over them both!

The Fairfield Inn brand still has definition and relevance.

In suburban locations, there frequently isn't much difference between FI and CY except for the fact that Plats/Golds don't get breakfast at CY.

I stay in Courtyards often these days - even in spite of the Gold/Plat situation - because they are frequently around $45/nt. whereas FI tends to stay up in the $60-70 range. (I'm talking basic suburban Courtyards, mostly in North Dallas, the "old" style without renovated lobbies.)

In large cities, you'll occasionally find a CY that approaches a FS hotel with a true restaurant, lobby bar, or other amenities. Downtown Chicago has a good one, Seattle has a decent one (although they aren't the friendliest hotel), and the one near DCA airport is quite nice.

It's a funny brand...ranges from sub-FI to near-Marriott/Renaissance depending on where you are.

Wow ... I'd kill for CY/FI prices like those on the SF Peninsula! I had to negotiate just to pay a little less than 3x your CY price in an FI!

Many of the Fairfield Inns have indoor pools/hot tubs vs. outdoor at Courtyards.

Fairfield Inns have a high degree of consistency. They are almost all recently built properties with the same quality of furniture and style of decor. They offer free continental breakfast.

Courtyards are less consistent. A few of them are in older buildings badly in need of renovation and are, on the whole, less nice than FIs. But most CYs have nicer rooms, furniture, and decor than FIs. Many offer a limited service restaurant or full service restaurant, though without the free continental breakfast available at FI.

I prefer CY over FI in most cases. I dislike FI's foam mattresses and cheap-looking fluorescent lights. I dislike the free, crummy breakfast, too. I'll buy my own down the street for $5.

You can hit or miss with both brands, mostly with the older properties. The newer properties are uniformly nicer. In some cases, such as Fairfield Inn & Suites, the rooms are very comparable to many (some would say most) Courtyards. In some locations though, Courtyards are TRULY nice, and close to the quality of the full service brands as far as the facilities go, but not as nice for the service level, because after all, CY is a "select service" (meaning limited service) lodging brand. If all you are looking for is a clean, quiet room, generally either FI or CY or SH will do the trick, and then it is just a matter of location and price.


As a guideline, this chart might help you:

Full Service Lodging (all 10 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per night stayed)

Marriott Hotels & Resorts
JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Renaissance Hotels
Ritz-Carlton
Autograph Collection Hotels & Resorts
Edition Hotels & Resorts
Marriott Conference Centers

Select Service Lodging (all 10 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per night stayed)

Courtyard by Marriott
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
SpringHill Suites by Marriott

Extended Stay Lodging (see below for points per dollar spent)

Marriott ExecuStay (2.5 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per 3 nights stayed)
Residence Inn by Marriott (5 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per night stayed)
TownePlace Suites by Marriott (5 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per night stayed)
Marriott Executive Apartments (2.5 points per dollar spent, 1 room night credit per 3 nights stayed)

Thanks everyone (any additional comments are surely welcome too ). I think in both cases, the properties I'm looking at have been around a while. They're about $20/nt difference with the CY being the more expensive.

In my experience, the CY brand has been more consistent and just a step above FI. Most of the FIs I have stayed in have had smaller rooms and cheap, flimsy bath towels. The FI in Springdale, AR comes to mind. To me, the FIs have a cheap feel to them. However, there have been exceptions to this. I stayed in a new FI&S just outside of Knoxville, TN that could have easily passed as a SHS had it not been for the lower-tier breakfast. Still, my experience with FI has been more negative than good so I avoid the brand altogether; but that's just my preference.

In the end, it doesn't hurt to do a search either here on FT or over on TripAdvisor to see what recent reviews from your fellow travelers have to say about a specific location.

Other than what others have shared, most of the FI I've stayed in don't have closets; most of the time there is a little nook by the bed with a minimal shelf with a rod and some hangers. If the price between a FI and CY are pretty close, I'll give the nod to the FI and the free breakfast.

I've only been in maybe two or three FI locations which did not have closets (the Fairfield Inn Montgomery, AL comes to mind), but I can also say the same for being maybe two or three CY locations which did not have closets, and the same can certainly be said for a few SH locations which did not have closets either (the Springhill Suites Phoenix Downtown, on Van Buren) comes to mind. I think that the hotels which do not have closets (except SH, which are designed that way) are "refugees" from other brands, such as MAYBE Motel 6, Super 8, or Econolodge.

I get the sense that perhaps hotel chains expanded so rapidly in North Dallas that they've sort of overdeveloped the market. The suburbs along I-635 and north of there are awash in midscale properties...all of which are *usually* available at comparatively inexpensive rates.

I don't really follow hotel economics closely...all I know is that whether I'm hitting Megabonus, Crack the Case, FFN, or a Starwood promo, there are always plenty of properties to choose from throughout this area. And it's usually *not* the lowest brand in a chain that is the cheapest. (Sheraton is always cheaper than Element, Crowne Plaza is sometimes cheaper than HIX.)

The downside: you get what you pay for. I think back to all of the roadtripping I did in college and high school - sports teams, weddings, or just general group debauchery. We stayed in Red Roof Inns and the like. But now these groups jump on the Internet, see these Courtyard rates, and there's no need for Red Roof Inn anymore. @:-) I've had more than one noisy night and have scratched a couple of properties off my list for this reason alone.

A few miles away in downtown Dallas, the market seems more "normal" - higher rates, higher demand leading to occasionally sold-out hotels, etc.

The truly palpable difference is the mattress. I get a better night's sleep at Courtyards.