Which Courtyard in Seattle is it that you like?

I will stick with HILTON properties. I have had many bad experiences with the overall Marriott product. I loved CY in the 90's, but it does not compare to HGI today. Give me a Hilton bed over a FS Marriott bed anyday. I think they actually put those pillows at the FS properties in a pressing machine.

Marriott has no comparable brand to ES, which to me is a great value.

I stayed at the REN MCO airport recently. It is not a bad hotel, but I did not find the overall feel of the room to be warm and comfortable. The renovation is a new face on an old body. The infrastructure seems the same.

Add this FI to the bad list: St. Charles, MO

As far as PC stands. I avoid HI and have had mixed feelings about CP. I did stay at the Intercontinental Tampa over the weekend. Very nice property. The problem is that rest of the PC hotels are not consistent.

Some of us find that to be an advantage! The ES properties I've been to in the past couple years tend to be the most dated properties of all. I think one actually had a Black and White TV. (Kidding.)

Seriously, the design in so many ES properties is off. The bathroom door opens towards the bedroom door which means you have to walk way into the living room to get to the bathroom. The problem is the curtain next to the front door never closes the entire way, so everyone can see right into the room and watch you. (I try not to do this as I walk down the hall, but sometimes you see things you don't want to see! If I can see you in your room as I walk down the hall, then you can see me when you walk down the hall!)

Thanks for the heads up. If you need to be in that area again, the very nice FS-West property isn't that far, you're driving against traffic in the morning and it's usually a pretty inexpensive property.

Given the choice between the CY Bellevue/Redmond and the FI next door, I will stay at the FI; the rooms are pretty much identical (except for no closet/wardrobe to hang clothes) and there's a free breakfast. Oh, and there is an elevator, too! :)

Another very good Courtyard is the Courtyard Marriott Dusseldorf.

If you read the Hilton forum, there was a thread discussing Embassy Suites' plans to downsize the rooms to a SpringHill Suites configuration. :td:

I agree about HGI being miles ahead of CY in the mid-tier limited service category.

The average FS Marriott (and Ren) are consistently better than the corresponding FS Hilton brands, IMO. I would stay in a HGI sight unseen but I would never stay at a FS Hilton without searching FlyerTalk and Tripadvisor first.

I think we all know who the target customer is (or was) supposed to be. The question is how they're going to continue appealing to mid-tier business travelers in a market segment that's grown crowded with competition.

In-house benefits such as free wifi and continental breakfast are not the end of the story. Location is awfully important. CY is convenient to a lot of suburban office parks, which is where a lot of my business travel takes me.

I'll admit, I sometimes choose CY over a slightly more desirable hotel because I'm chasing nights or points with MR. But there's a limit on how much more I'll spend to do it. Generally I won't pay more.

I wasn't referring to your original words. Not at all What I was referring to was my observation that sometimes a negative comment or two about CY sometimes brings on numerous other negative remarks. Hence my "legion of bashers" choice of words. My main point was simply that probably most of us on this board have a systemwide positive view of the Marriott brands despite occasional appearances to the contrary.

As for the clubhouse.....none needed. I'd rather see the free breakfast for elites.

Hope that explains it. :)

Ok, I guess I have been staying at some of the better ES lately.. While I do not find many of them to be up to FS Hilton/Westin standards, I do find most to be much more than adequate.

I have seen the new prototypes of the ES.. There is a new one opening this fall at CMH. Looks like a very nice property, though I am not a big fan of the modified atrium designs.

Some really nice ES properties that should be given a chance..

ES - ABQ
ES - SJC - Santa Clara SV
ES - LAX North
ES - Anaheim
ES - PHL

There are many more, but I will spare the list.

Some of the ones that I would seek alternatives for are..

ES - Lake Buena Vista.. I have stayed there a few times and just do not get the hype. TV is very limited. Pool area is nice.
ES - Tampa Westshore... Interesting renovation. Bar staff is great, but the rooms are very average at best.
ES - SEA.. I would like to see it after the renovation.
ES - Winston-Salem... Rooms are ok, but the bar plays that rule of two drinks at the evening reception... Prefer ES at GSO.

I have not had the issue with the curtain being open as I know how to push that chair back so nothing is getting a peak.... I do not recall having too many issues with the bathroom door either. Sometimes the furnishings, especially the sofa are a bit uncomfortable.. That is one issue that I have seen to be pretty consistent.

I still beg to differ at the FS Marriott vs. FS Hilton. Granted some of the DoubleTree properties require more research, I have not had issues with the FS Hiltons. They are a little less cookie cutter than Marriott. If design is key, Starwood seems to control that department. Marriott still seems to be stuck in time when it comes to appealing hotel decor. A bit conservative if you will. I used to love them and stay frequently, but time has gone on and they don't seem to have followed.

As far as the St. Charles situation, The Marriott West is quite a ways from the FI St. Charles. It is in Chesterfield. I would prefer to stay at the fairly new ES next door to the FI. (I have heard pretty good things about that FS Marriott.FWIW)