never met a RI that I didn't love.. however I do love some a lot more than others. I don't particularly care for the high rise ones in most cities... They are quite small. I am not too fond of the ones that are either a studio or penthouse suite.. I like the separate 1 BR's. Someone stated if you have kids these are great.. well only if its a separate bedroom otherwise it may as well be a SHS. My beef like the rest of you is the full service prices but not the full service MR benefits.. i.e.. 10pts per buck.. but thats a rewards issue not a RI issue.

I do find it hard to stay at a RI when I am alone, when I can get a SHS for the same or less price and get 10 pts per dollar..

Um, actually no hotel offers free amenities.

Different hotels simply package different things into their product bundle. Depending on what products you actually want in addition to your hotel room, you might not like this. For example, a non-breakfast-eater is required to "buy" breakfast 100% of the time at Residence Inn. There is no unbundled "hotel room only" product available. Granted, most Residence Inn guests are excited about buying the breakfasts; otherwise they would have picked another property. But the point is that there are no "free" amenities.

I'm currently staying at a Residence Inn where they are refurbishing the entire hotel, and I understand this is happening generally across the brand. I'd have to disagree with the poster who said he liked RI because you can take the kids - that would be one reason for me to stay away if I'm travelling on business

I've done lots of business stays at RI. I've never had a problem with unruly kids. Yes, there are families there, but they don't pose problems. The kid-problems I've encountered - busloads of high-schoolers doing an overnighter, that kind of thing - usually end up lower on the hotel food chain. Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, etc. Residence Inn is usually out of their budget range.

I've encountered a few kids groups in a Courtyard I used several times - they usually appeared on weekends and seemed to be a Cheerleaders convention or something

Amen to that...my #1 reason for not stayign at RI. They can take this idea of brand loyalty or whatever it is...and stick it. I travel for business and have had cleanliness issues at RI, horrible smells, and the whole "hospitality" concept at the front desk with Platinums is just absent.

Points aside RI's are a great value. Even their smallest rooms are twice the size of a standard hotel room, free cold and HOT breakfast daily which usually sets you back $13-$16 in a full serivce hotel, free evening happy hours that I can make a meal out of with free beer and wine, free high speed internet which usually set you back$10-$12 per night, free shuttle service within a 5 mile radius, free grocery shopping service if you want it. The brand was intended for long term stays, but I find it great for shorter stays also.

Residence Inn Beverly Hills- I am currently staying here on a long term work project. This Hotel is GREAT-newly renovated, new Marriott beds, breakfast includes omelettes COOKED TO ORDER, great happy hours with bar b que night, deli sandwich night, reliable free high speed internet in the suites and wirless in the public space. Plus the staff is great. From the GM to the Front Desk to the Valet parkers...I feel like I am family here and I am paying LESS than other West LA hotels and getting more. ^

I guess it's all about personal experience. I have stayed at several RI's here in Canada but because they are in most cases very new, all the fit & finishings, etc. are in good order. Have yet to stay at any I've been in any way less than pleased with. I like the RI brand and don't think they need to call it's poisition into question, just address standards on a case-by-case basis and make upgrades where necessary. I can only imagine how much it takes to launch a new brand and promote and advertise it before it becomes accepted.

I'm usually pick RI's half the time for my Marriott stays. As long as they are NEW RI's and haven't been beaten to death. I like the free HS Internet and the larger room with kitchen. Free breakfast works for me too. What I don't like is the cheaper bedding materials as well as the towels you can read the paper through. And I'm not thrilled by the 5 points per $.
But I know what I'm getting at RI going in and it's my choice. There are usually full service Marriotts, CY's, Fairfields and Springhill Suites in the same area. I weigh the price/value relationship and find myself at RI's more often than not.

Why is it important to note that the smells were due to a "cultural cross section?" Personally, I am an American, but I find the smell of hotdogs nauseating (and rather "bizarre"), so I wouldn't appreciate my next-door neighbor cooking those. Why not just say that you didn't like the smell of whatever was cooking?

Did you call down to the front desk, to see if someone could ask them to be quieter? Or ask for a different room?

Why is wired Internet a negative? I bring along a wireless router that's about the size of a deck of cards, so I have wireless Internet wherever I want it. I much prefer this arrangement to the hotel's wireless Internet, which I find to be quite flaky. Especially at Marriott properties, it seems. In the past two months, I had a stay at a Fairfield where I actually had to switch rooms (which I hate doing) because the wireless didn't work at all in my original room, as well as stays at a TownePlace and a SpringHill Suites where I tolerated extremely unreliable wireless access because I didn't feel like switching rooms. Never had problems with wired access, at any hotel, in many, many nights...

Personally, I like Residence Inns. They sold me with the one I stayed at in Cleveland on one of my first business trips, which had a gas-operated fireplace. Come in from the chill of Cleveland in March, flip a switch, and poof! fire. I also like that I have a little more room to spread out in, even though most of my business trips are shorter. Although I don't usually cook (at home either ), I do like having a refrigerator, microwave, etc. for any restaurant leftovers. And I like that there is usually a wider variety of TV channels at RI's compared to regular Marriotts. I am a much happier camper when I have Comedy Central for my "Daily Show" fix

But the 5 pts/$ really does suck, especially since most of RI's "free" amenities can be had at Fairfields or SHS for significantly less per night.

Sorry if my xenophobia is showing. What I was pointing out was the incompatible mixture of cooking odors. If the first Star Wars movie had featured a food court instead of a bar, it would have smelled like this. I'm sure someone was cooking hot dogs somewhere in the building.

Wired internet is less mobile unless I buy additional hardware. Not a biggie - I just got annoyed when the phone rang and I couldn't take the laptop with me. I have been given rooms where the wired connection is broken. I haven't had a problem with wireless connections.

I called the front desk to ask for quiet in the courtyard. I received lip service. No one actually went out and asked the group to quiet down. This is similar to my experience 2 years ago asking for corrections to housekeeping issues at the same property. Yes, Mr BamaVol. Of course, Mr BamaVol. Nothing fixed the following day. I hate changing rooms. I have 5 changes of clothes hung in the closet (assuming there are sufficent hangers) and put away in the dresser and food in the fridge, and my shoes are off, and the laptop is fired up, etc.

I like the fireplace, too. Had one at a RI in Youngstown a couple years ago. I don't miss it in September - Cleveland lows were in the 60's last week.

And as far as TV is concerned, I like the local cable system there just fine. I enjoyed a couple channels I don't have at home like VH1 Classics.

Oh man, I forgot about the 5 points. We're heading to the Downtown Chicago RI soon and I was already thinking about what to do with the points.

Hey...I'm headed for that one too!! Three weeks from now...

I'd complain about the points except for the fact that it was the only Marriott property in town available that weekend... So RI it is. (I've stayed there before. It's a decent Residence Inn.)

I have only stayed at three Residence Inns. Two were fantastic (one near Burlington, VT and one near Detroit, MI) and one was terrible (Bloomington, MN).

I doubt I will book a stay at a Residence Inn while traveling for work. I see the Residence Inn as an ideal place to stay for a ladies' weekend I can also see how it is a good place to stay when traveling with kids.

I'll be at the RI on Walton Place in Chicago from 9/29-10/2. Maybe we can get a mini-Do together.....