ATL - Atlanta, Georgia / Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway

December 2014, Weekday-Holiday (Christmas eve), 1-night, King guestroom #509

The Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway is our favorite hotel when needing to stay in ATL overnight. Here is a link to the review of our prior stay in November 2013. 

Status perks and check-in

At check-in, the agent recognized my status, and said that the concierge lounge was closed. She provided a goody bag and a coupon for a free ($10 value) appetizer in the bar or restaurant. The bag contained a half-bottle of red wine, gummy bears, and pretzels. I loved the wine! Later, I thought I should have asked about water, too, since the bottled water in the guestroom was $3.50, and this was complimentary during our last stay. 

Delta Sky Clubs - Atlanta (ATL) and New Orleans (MSY)

Atlanta Sky Clubs

January 2014, Friday morning, ATL Sky Club - C concourse near gate 37

The setup of this sky club is one of my favorites in Atlanta. It has a spacious check-in area, there are plenty of seats with many tables, and it has an open bar area. This is also one of the cleaner clubs in Atlanta. Staff members were attentive to table cleanup from departed guests, and they readily removed discarded debris that patrons had left on counters or pushed to the side on their tables. Every time that I have visited either of the Sky Clubs in B concourse, the cleanliness has been substandard, so I am always glad when my connection is in a different concourse.

The Women's restroom has a full length mirror and there is counter space in addition to the sink counter. One thing I noticed in the Sky Club restrooms this trip is the change in quality of toilet tissue. The single-ply sheets in the restrooms were so thin, that twice as much was needed. Even though the tissue was thin, at least it was rippled in some of the locations, which made it slightly more durable. I do not understand how companies think they are saving money by using a lower quality product like this.

The check-in service was good, although the bar service was not. I have had great bar service in this club before; however, we were not impressed this visit. Delta has made a few Sky Club changes over the past year [mentioned in the next paragraph], and the unprofessional behavior of some of the bartenders just adds to guest dissatisfaction. The bartender in this club clearly said out loud, "You receive better quality when you tip." We heard her make this statement from our seats across the room. Since entrance to the Sky Club is not free, I resent being made to feel like I need to pay more to receive the benefits I have already paid for. Even though the bartender did not make this statement to us, we felt like it was implied by her actions. I have been in clubs before where my tip was refused because the employee said she was not allowed to take tips. And, I have read posts from others who claim they have no problem leaving a tip since they make six figure salaries. Well, I make no where near a six figure salary, so I do not usually tip in the Sky Club unless I receive exceptional service, and certainly not when the service is rude. I would really like to know what Delta expects from guests concerning this.

After the introduction of premium spirits for purchase in Sky Clubs, some of the included items changed. Sky vodka has been replaced with Gordon's vodka. Baileys and non-domestic beers are no longer included. The wine brands changed, although I am still happy with the red wine that is included. I do not know the exact details of the other included spirits, since I do not drink gin or any of the other offerings. The most recent change that has members upset is the huge increase in membership fees beginning May 1, 2014.

February 2014, Monday afternoon, ATL Sky Club - Gate A20 upper level
This Sky Club is another one of my favorites. This time, I observed a Sky Club sign in the concourse with an arrow pointing toward the Sky Club, which is located up the escalator by PF Chang's. When I previously visited this club, I had a difficult time finding it, and I did not recall seeing an overhead sign in the concourse before.

There were several people standing in the entrance and out the door when we arrived. The area was clogged up because guests were exiting through the entrance door (there is an easily visible exit door before the entrance), and because of the people that were just standing around. After I was able to enter, I learned what was going on, and what I witnessed next is probably part of the reason that Delta made some of their recent changes. It appeared that the club was nearly full, and then the agent said something about letting us go check for seats, if we wanted. A man in front of the two guests ahead of me got checked in, and then he proceeded toward the club with five guests (all of the people who had been standing in the way except for the two guests in front of me)! The agent politely called out to stop him. He said something like, "Sir, you are allowed two guests. Who are you going to leave behind?" The man said something like, "I'm sure they can be guests of these people in line." I did not reply, and neither did anyone else in line, so he ended up leaving the club (not too happily) with his followers. I had one guest with me, and even if I hadn't, I would not have accommodated this man. His mannerism exuded rudeness.

There were a few open seats and tables in the club when we entered, and we did not have any difficulty finding a seat. The Women's restroom in this club is spacious with a sitting area and several stalls.

A couple of the snack items in this club were different from what I usually see. I observed fresh apples, carrot and celery sticks, ranch dip, two cheeses, crackers, a marinated mix of fruits and/or vegetables, trail mix, honey pretzel mix, and caramel corn. I did not observe any mixed nuts or crunchy snacks, other than the trail mix and sweetened pretzels.  

The bar service in this club was subpar. I can only guess that what happened at the bar during my vist was a result of a guest tipping on a prior visit to the bar. I approached the bar behind two guests; one who was already being served at the bar. Another man entered the area after me. The bartender looked at him and asked him what he wanted. He replied with his order. I gestured toward the man in front of me, and said, "Excuse me. Him and then I were next." The guest who had ordered out of turn said that he would agree with that; however, since she had asked him, he had answered. True, she did greet him first; however, I would never accept assistance out of turn without pointing out any unassisted guests who were clearly in front of me. The bartender then greeted the gentleman ahead of me, and then me, to take our orders. When she gave the man behind me, his beverage, she loudly thanked him for his generosity for giving her a tip.

I am not a skimpy tipper, when I extend a gratuity for a service I think warrants tipping. Again, I would like to know what is expected from Delta Sky Club members. Why do some bartenders refuse gratuity, and why do some behave as though it is needed to provide good service? I do not like being made to feel like I need to tip to receive acceptable service for something when a tip should not be necessary. This is part of the reason we loved our recent experience at Sandals! We paid more upfront for our Sandals experience, and it was worth it. It seems like what we pay for Sky Club membership should cover standard tips, unless the guest wants to offer more for exemplary service.


New Orleans Sky Club - Gate D4

January, Friday afternoon

The check-in service was efficient and friendly, and the young male bartender was fabulous! He smiled, engaged us in conversation, and made us feel welcome. This is one employee who did not solicit a gratuity, and he was one who deserved it.

The Women's restroom was similar to the restroom in the Atlanta C concourse Sky Club. It had a full length mirror, and additional counter space.

The seating in the club was comfortable and adequate. I observed one TV near the center of the room.

February, Monday morning 
The check-in service was again efficient and friendly, and the female bartender provided satisfactory, although indifferent service. She did not smile, and even though my husband gave her a gratuity, we did not feel like this made any difference in service. We had hoped the young male bartender would be working again, because offering a gratuity to someone who deserves it is always a pleasant experience!

Food items included oatmeal with toppings, waffle pieces, snacks, yogurt, and white bagels with butter spread and cream cheese. I liked that a decanter of milk had been placed on the table next to the oatmeal. A coffee machine was located at the end of the bar. The only included beer choices were Budweiser and Miller Light.

This club was well maintained, and I observed several employees from the check-in area walk through the room to clean up items that had been left behind or discarded by guests.

Misc.

The food items offered in the clubs have not changed much over the years. I wish that healthier options were available, and I wonder what happened with the food for purchase program that some of the clubs were testing a few years ago. I was interested in that; however, my travels only took me to one of the Sky Clubs that had been testing this during the test phase--the club in Seattle (SEA). I have not seen or read anything about this program since then.

If this had been business travel instead of leisure travel, I may not have noticed the bartender actions, because I do not visit the bar when I am traveling for business. Unless, I am on my way home at the end of the week, and have someone picking me up at the airport, that is. Even though our visits were on weekdays, it seemed like a lot of the travelers were vacationers.

ATL - Atlanta, Georgia / Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway

November 2013, Weekday-Holiday, 1-night, King guestroom #546

Status perks and check-in

I contacted the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway about a week before our arrival, because we were not going to be arriving until around 9 p.m., and I wanted "late arrival" to be noted on our reservation. I also inquired whether the concierge lounge would be open during our stay. I was told that it would be closed, and that I would receive breakfast because of my Platinum status. I had already reserved a rate that included full breakfast; however, I had wondered about lounge access, because sometimes specialty coffee, bottled water, and snacks are available in the lounge.

At check-in, the agent recognized my status, and she provided two appetizer coupons to use in the restaurant since the concierge lounge was closed. She said that I could also get a beverage from the gift shop, if I wanted.

Guestroom

Guestroom 546 is located on the 5th floor of this 7 floor hotel, and it is not too far from the elevator. Since the agent had been so good about recognizing my status and providing extra perks during the check-in process, I had not asked her if I was being assigned a guestroom that met my preferences. I mistakenly assumed that she had taken care of everything. I do not know why she did not assign us a corner or concierge floor guestroom.

Even though the concierge lounge was not open, I am sure a guestroom on the concierge floor would have been more comfortable. It probably would have been quieter, and concierge floor guestrooms usually include bathrobes and bottled water. Our stay was Thanksgiving evening, and there was a lot of hallway noise that night and the next morning. We had had a long travel day, and really wanted to enjoy a quiet stay.



Other than my disappointment with the guestroom location, the furnishings were adequate, and the bed was superbly comfortable.

A closet was located next to the guestroom entrance door. The dry beverage area next to the closet included a single-serve coffeemaker with only one coffee packet, condiments with liquid creamer, a large bottle of water for $3.50, the ice bucket, and glass glasses. A small fridge was located in the cabinet under the counter. We got a second packet of coffee from the front desk clerk before going to bed that evening.

The sleeping and sitting area contained standard furnishings: flatscreen TV on an armoire, work desk and chair, soft chair and footstool, end tables, lamps, and two nightstands beside the king-sized bed. There was plenty of room to set the luggage rack up between the armoire and beverage area.

I do not understand why the desk photos on the hotel website look like the desk is rounded or tilted out on the end. The desk in this guestroom was flat against the wall. There would not have been room to walk through at the foot of the bed, if the desk had been placed on an angle. I wonder if all of the photos on the website are concierge or oversized guestrooms, because the rooms on the Marriott site look slightly larger than the guestroom we were in. The website also says that there is a laptop safe in the guestroom, and I did not see one. I may have missed this, although I thought I had checked for one.


The average-sized bathroom contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain on a curved rod. Everything worked fine. This is the first Marriott I have stayed in since the bathroom amenities have been changed to THANN and Aromatherapy.










Food & Beverage

Since it was late, and we were not planning to have anything to eat other than two appetizers with our complimentary coupons, we initially went to the lounge to eat. There were a few guests seated at the bar, and at one or two tables besides ours. After we had been waiting for several minutes, it appeared that no one was waiting on guests in the lounge except for the bartender. We then asked the host if there were servers in the restaurant, and we moved to the dining room to eat. The host did not seem to be busy, so I did not understand why she did not take beverage orders. Service in the restaurant was also lacking. The manager ended up serving us--she brought us water, took our order, and served our food. We waited several minutes after we had finished dining, and then I finally walked over to request a to-go box from the host. Since our coupons covered our food items, we left a cash tip, and then departed after this.

This hotel was definitely understaffed in the lounge and dining room the night of our stay. The manager was scurrying about taking orders, and helping where needed, while the other employees moved slowly, and did not seem to notice or assist outside their basic duties. Apparently, the manager was not very good at delegating, which is what was needed.

Our coupons were good for $10 each, and we ordered two appetizers for $10 each --  Country style chicken fingers grilled, and Margherita flatbread. I am sure that we could have ordered something more expensive and paid the difference; however, after our long waits, we were glad that we had not done that, because then we would have had to wait for our check. The chicken fingers was actually a grilled chicken breast, partially sliced into strips. This was good, and the honey mustard dip was excellent. The flatbread was disappointing, and I would not order that again.

The room rate we had booked included a full breakfast for two. The coupons we received said that they were good for the breakfast buffet. When we arrived for breakfast, I asked if I/we could use the coupon toward an item on the menu, and I was told no. When I stayed at the LAX airport Marriott, I was allowed to use my coupon toward an a la carte item, so this must be an individual property decision. The buffet was actually better than most buffets, and when I recalled later that I did not care for the menu choices or my breakfast entree at the LAX Marriott, I was glad that I had been told no.

The buffet included made to order eggs, which were excellent. There were several fresh ingredient choices for the eggs, with things like feta cheese and spinach. There were so many additional food items, that I do not recall them all. Some things I remember were: white, wheat, and swirl rye bread; three bagel choices, although none were whole grain; yogurt, fresh cut fruit, salmon with toppings (no tomato), cereal, oatmeal, grits, sausage, turkey or chicken sausage, bacon, cheesy potatoes, and many pastries and muffins. It was difficult to tell what some of the food items were because some of the signs were either missing or misplaced.

The toaster did not work well; once through did not toast the bread, and twice through burned it. I buy and consume chicken and turkey meats frequently, and I did not like the turkey sausage. It was dry and bland. Overall, though, breakfast was good. The egg chef was excellent.

Pool
When I chose this hotel, I did not notice that it does not have a whirlpool, which is one thing my husband likes. He went to the pool in the morning; however, he did not go swimming because he said that the water was quite cold.

Transfer from the International terminal and the Skytrain
I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the airport. I like that it is accessible via the Skytrain. We had to take a shuttle bus from the International terminal to the Skytrain, which did not take long. We boarded a waiting bus, and it departed as soon as it was full a few minutes later. This is the same shuttle bus that goes to the domestic terminal, and both locations are at the same stop. We then took the Skytrain to the Gateway center hotels. SpringHill Suites is across the street from the Marriott. This night, the rate at the SpringHill Suites was more than at the Marriott. The next day, we took the Skytrain to the domestic terminal for our flight.

Misc. and overall
I have wanted to stay at this Marriott when I was in the area before, because of the airport convenience; however, the rate has always been much higher than the Marriott Atlanta Airport hotel. Here is the link to my 2011 review of the Marriott Atlanta Airport. This night, the rate at the Marriott Atlanta Airport hotel was $12 less than Marriott Gateway; however, it did not include breakfast, and we would have had to spend more time waiting and riding the shuttle bus. I think that the Gateway hotels are the most convenient when needing to stay near ATL.

We thought the AAA rate at Marriott Gateway was an excellent value, although I was disappointed with the guestroom we received. I expected that as a Platinum guest, I would have at least received a corner, oversized, or concierge guestroom. We did not hear any noise from the airport or other guestrooms; just the hallway. Guests were not making a lot of noise in the hall; we could hear people speaking in a normal tone of voice, and we could hear doors opening and closing.

Atlanta, Georgia --ATL / Marriott Atlanta Airport

August 2011, Weekday, King guestroom

Status perks and check-in

I did not receive an upgraded concierge level room; however, the front desk agent coded my key for access to the lounge after I inquired at check-in. I was happy that she provided this, because my Marriott status was only Silver at the time of this stay.

Guestroom

The guestroom was comfortable, although it was kind of small. Even though the bed had a slight dip in the center, it was still comfortable. The desk chair, and the soft chair with footstool were comfortable as well.

There was an extremely wet area on the carpet, which I did not notice until I stepped in it that evening. The carpet color was not different where it was wet; however, I was surprised that housekeeping had not noticed it when cleaning, since it was obvious after being stepped on. The floor was wet enough that I brought it to the attention of the font desk agent when I checked out. I could not tell what had made the floor so wet, unless the HVAC unit was leaking, since it was in that area. I threw a towel on the floor after I had stepped in it that evening.

Food & Beverage

Water and soda were available in the Concierge lounge, along with alcoholic beverages for purchase. Evening snacks included potato salad, chips, and cheese and crackers. Two or three different desserts were served later in the evening. Scrambled eggs were available in the Concierge lounge in the morning with breads, coffee, tea, juices, and bottled water.

I had sushi in the lobby bar, which was excellent. The beverages were also good, and the seating was comfortable. The lobby bar was quite busy the entire evening, and we were lucky to get a seat.

Shuttle and misc.

I used the airport shuttle when I arrived and when I departed. It runs between the hotels and the airport every half hour. I waited about 20 minutes for the shuttle when I arrived. Only one other person rode the shuttle with me. The shuttle driver stopped at the Marriott Courtyard first, and the passenger got off. She walked through the hotel parking lot as if she was going elsewhere. It appeared that they knew each other, and that she was using the shuttle for a ride to someplace else nearby.

I found a great rate for this hotel, and was happy with my stay. This was an excellent value.

Atlanta, GA / ATL airport hotel -- Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport North

Status perks

I received two bottles of water and a breakfast coupon. I checked my profile before this stay to make sure it was set to receive bonus points instead of breakfast, and I also received my bonus points.

Guestroom

I received a basic king room on the 3rd floor. Since my profile is set for high floor, and this hotel has seven floors, I was slightly disappointed, although I did not say anything since I was only staying one night. The bedding quality and comfort were excellent--much superior to what I usually experience at a HGI. There was a fridge and microwave, as is standard for HGI properties. The coffee was very good, and liquid creamer was provided with the condiments. There were soap and shampoo dispensers on the shower wall, which I think is a great idea to cut down on wasted product and plastic bottle trash. I do not understand why some people seem to think this is unsanitary. It does not seem like this could be less clean than using the coffee pot or glasses in a hotel room. I would hope that housekeeping cleans the dispenser spiciest (which don't need to be touched anyway), just as we hope they wash the guestroom glasses. 

The Internet connection speed was slow--even with the ethernet cord. My room was overlooking the courtyard, which was a nice view; however, that is also where bar patrons sat to smoke and such, so it was kind of noisy in the evening. Other than the courtyard noise, the room was pretty soundproof. I did not hear much activity from the neighbors on the floor or above me.

Food & Beverage

I did not care for any of the food or beverages I had at this property. The menu was extremely overpriced. The calamari was heavily breaded, and my eggs were overcooked in the morning. The menu said that champagne splits were available; however, they did not have any when I requested one at the bar. Tiffany, the bartender, checked in the back room to make sure. Tiffany was personable and accommodating. She is definitely an asset to the lounge. The restaurant open time and service was kind of late/slow in the morning. It was a little after 6:00 a.m. before it actually opened, and I do not think the cook was working yet, because I waited over 15 minutes for my eggs. I was glad I was on the 7:00 a.m. shuttle and not the 6:30 one, because I would have missed that one.

Business center

The business center was the basic HGI center with on demand printing that worked fine. There is apparently Internet connection issues though, because it took me some time to access the Internet to print my boarding pass. There was a "reboot" icon on the computer, and the password was handwritten and taped to the screen, which made me think this was not an isolated incident.

Pool

I did not use the pool, although I did see that there was a nice indoor and outdoor pool.

Shuttle service

When I called the hotel a few days before my arrival, I was told that the shuttle runs automatically ever half hour. I called after I had been waiting a few minutes the day of my arrival to make sure, and found out I needed to call for the shuttle when arriving. Apparently the shuttle runs to the airport every half hour; however, it does not always stop at the pick up spot unless a guest calls. My driver when I arrived was very personable, although he missed the hotel exit, so it took us a little longer to get to the hotel. In the morning, the shuttle stops at the Hampton Inn after leaving the HGI, which I was not aware of. Fortunately, I had allowed myself plenty of time to get to the airport.

Overall

This hotel was less than two years old when I stayed here, so I was surprised to see so many carpet stains and areas that looked like they needed to be remodeled already. I think this hotel is a good choice, if the only thing needed is a comfortable bed. I do not think I would stay here again, because when I stay at an airport hotel, I usually don't have a car, and I also want something to eat or drink in the evening. Since I did not care for the food or beverage choices, I would choose a different hotel next time.