Can't recall when/if I've been to a Courtyard, but will be there next week. How does the brand compare to Doubletree? Any thoughts?

Depends on the properties. Generally, D-Tree is a full service hotel in the same general category as a Marriott (but without the consistency and customer service that make Marriott a Marriott). D-Tree is now a Hilton brand and occupies roughly the same territory as a Hilton, but maybe one slight branch lower. Good warm chocolate chip cookies. CY is a non-full service Marriott brand that is a few definite rungs below the Marriotts and Renaissances, and a rung above the Fairfields. In the Hilton chain, you might say a Courtyard is equivalent to a Hampton (with inner corridors). Note there are some exceptions in that some CY's are in desperate need of renovation, and some DT's have not been kept up. Newer C-Y's in big cities or downtown CY's in medium size cities tend to be a little more upscale than CY's at a freeway exit, and there have been good reports on the "re-invented" CY's. Most DT's have full service restaurants; most CY's don't, but do have breakfast service (for a charge). When making a choice, I recommend considering the individual property rather than the brand. I would tend to choose CY because of Marriott loyalty and Marriott Rewards. If HHonors was a major program for me, I would choose DT.

I dont know if this helps but CY's have free internet. Also my recent stay in San Diego in Old Town area was awesome. The hotel was renovated and service was great and internet was not slow. They served lots of kinds of cookies and cofee complimentary, and newspapers under every door free of charge. The best were quite comfy for a CY. The Holiday Inn and Best Western around were more expensive but were quite poor in quality. I also stayed in a CY in DC 2 miles from DCA. It was nice as well. My fav however, off the lower service Mariott hotels, would definately be Residence Inn, personal fav was the Residence Inn Buffalo Amherst, NY

Doubletree also has free HSI. Also free cookies.. if that matters. And free papers as well. So nothing you mentioned gives CY any advantage over DT.
Personally, if you're on both reward programs, and price or points aren't an issue, generally speaking, a full service DT (as they all are) would be preferred over the CY.

I've yet to find a Doubletree location that I would stay at twice. If there is a Courtyard in the area, I'd wager that it is at least 15 years newer than the DT. As a Hilton Diamond, I would gladly hop over to a Courtyard if it meant avoiding a DT. Now a HGI on the other hand would generally win over the Courtyard IMO.

I wouldn't hesitate rebooking the Doubletree's in Portland and at the PDX and SJC airports.

As other's have mentioned some CY's are showing their wear and tear.

For me the choice depends more on location and price and how long I'll be there.

Bob H

I'll second that. The SJC Airport Doubletree is one of the nicest hotels we've stayed in. Their customer service is 5 star, and the rates were pretty decent for weekend stays.

We've stayed in six or seven of them and always had good experiences. Have only been to Courtyard twice, and found them clean, accommodating, and friendly. But definitely a step below DT in luxury.

I beg to differ, my friend. Two DTs that are amazing - DT Roanoke, Virginia - was there a few years ago and it was top notch. Also DT in San Jose, Ca.

Nice, nice , nice.

Thought I would report that I stayed at the referenced property and it was great. Nice room and bedding, excellent lobby staff. I would put it at just a touch below FS Marriott. Definitely comparable to, or slightly better than, my most recent experience at Doubletree. Plus, Marriot Rewards, ^ !

Thanks to all for your thoughts.

The same goes for me. I've stayed at three Doubletrees, and had negative experiences at all three. One of them was so bad I wrote a long letter to the hotel; I never even received a reply.

I stayed at the Doubletree-Tysons Corner this past Monday night on a pointsaver reward stay. This was my first stay at a Hilton hotel in over 3 years.

The good: Free wireless internet, 2 Doubletree cookies given upon checkin, and free Washington Post at front desk were available. I do not know if this is common, but I was also given 2 half liter bottles of bottled water five minutes after entering my room. I do not have status with Hilton, and I got my Hilton points through mypoints.com and erewards.com. The business center offered free access to online computers, printing, and photocopying. The people at the front desk were friendly, and late checkouts up to 2 pm were free as long as you are an HHonors member.

The not so good: This hotel needs a major renovation. Except for the wireless internet, the hotel looks like it was state of the art circa 1985. The elevators were rather small and dark. I was only able to get online with one of the three computers in the business center. (I needed to print something out.) The rooms are dark, and the light fixtures are not as bright as the ones found in Marriott/Courtyard hotels. The shower curtain and bathroom resembled a dingy Courtyard more than a Hilton/Marriott. Also, the hotel rooms lack an automatic climate control. The exercise room had several cardio machines, one Nautilus platform and several sets of dumbbells. It would have been good to include a workout bench, which would have increased the versatility of the dumbbells. The gym was definitely below my expectations. I also noticed that they charged if your toll free call exceeded 60 minutes.

This Doubletree had a mix of what I would expect from a full service hotel and a hotel along the lines of the Hilton Garden Inn/Courtyard. I did not try room service, breakfast or dinner at this hotel so I cannot comment on the quality and service of their dining operations.

I would try Doubletree again if I could find a newer property to stay at, but I prefer Marriott hotels because of the better consistency in service.

Not to split hairs, but the Hilton Garden Inns are more in line with the CY. Hamptons don't have a full service restaurant, whereas HGI and CY usually do. Hampton is really a step above a Fairfield and one slightly below the CY.

Respectfully, I disagree. Most CY's do not have a full service restaurant; just breakfast. There are lower quality CY's and lower quality Hamptons. But, I think the average ones are comparable. I think the average HGI is comparable to both, but generally nicer than non-renovated CY's and outer corridor Hamptons. (Just my opinion, and does not apply to the newly renovated/"reinvented" CY's). But this whole thread, comparing Doubletree to CY, is comparing apples to oranges. Might as well compare a Renaissance to an HGI or a Sheraton to a Holiday Inn Express. If you want a full service property at a, generally, higher rate, then choose one; if you want limited service at a lower rate, then choose the other. There are fine properties in all of these brands. But there are an awful lot of tired CY's and DT's out there.

This discussion highlights one fact: none of these brands are consistent. I would never consider a Courtyard as a direct competitor to a Hampton, but I'm sure there are markets where someone can provide an example of where the Hampton rocks and the Courtyard stinks.

At this end of the chains, the only ones I like are Hampton, HGI, and the brand-new CY's. But I think of 'em in this order as far as the branding goes, starting with DT at the top of this part of the chain, ignoring the brands above that. (I'm a Gold in both programs, so no real bias either way there.)

(1) Doubletree. Range from true 3-star to 2.5 star. Usually full-service, but there are some skanky ones. North Tampa Doubletree Suites - not full service and no servicable Internet of any kind. I went through a little bit of DT run when I was doing Conquest bonus mattress runs, but now I pretty much avoid 'em.

(2) Courtyard. Usually 2.5 star with a few newer ones that creep up into the 3-star range. The "median" CY is still the non-full-service variety we are all familiar with in suburbs. A lot of them are getting tired, but like others have posted some of the new ones rock. Chicago, DCA Airport, etc.

(3) HGI. I've never seen a full-service HGI. These are usually 2.5 stars, but I never see anything I'd call a 3, simply because the brand never tries to be that. I love HGI's when I can get 'em, as they are usually newer, very clean, and priced right. But they are definitely branded as an ever-so-slight notch below a Courtyard. In most markets, I'd pick an HGI over the standard older CY. But CY has the higher end properties.

(4) Hampton. Clearly below the CY and the HGI - the general rule here is a 2-star motel, but definitely the best-of-breed in that category with some creeping up to 2.5 stars. (Quincy, IL has a nice one.) If I'm roadtripping, I look for Hamptons and nothing else. I've been surprised and delighted by smart, friendly people at Hampton Inns in tiny, tiny towns. But...they don't attempt to compete with CY or HGI. They are what they are. Thing #1 I like about Hampton: interior corridors.

(5) Fairfield Inn. Not much to say. The good ones are 2-star. The bad ones don't deserve stars. In fairness, they tend to price below a Hampton, but when it's late at night and I'm picking a hotel blindly, I'm probably going to pay a few bucks more for a Hampton.

Respectfully, I think you are pretty well on with your thoughts here.