Holland, Michigan: Marriott Courtyard, hiking, downtown

February 2024, weekday, one-night

View from guestroom 509 in Holland Marriott Courtyard
Above: sunset           Below: sunrise

Double queen guestroom 509 in Marriott Courtyard

Using points, I reserved a two queen bed guestroom with a balcony. We did not need two beds; however, a king bed guestroom with a balcony was not available. I was glad that we were able to reserve a balcony guestroom using points.

Guestroom 509 in Holland Marriott Courtyard

This guestroom is on the top floor, and overlooks downtown. It was clean, comfortable, quiet, and spacious. Refreshment amenities in the guestroom included a Keurig coffeemaker with supplies, ice bucket, and small fridge.

Guestroom 509 in Holland Marriott Courtyard

Stow, Ohio: Courtyard by Marriott Akron Stow - near Cuyahoga National Park

May 2022, weekend, one night, king balcony guestroom 412

View from king guestroom 412 in Courtyard Marriott in Stow, Ohio

Arrival and gold perks

The entrance at this hotel was a bit scary/nasty when we arrived, and I should have taken a photo. The trashcan was filthy and full. The entrance mat was incredibly dirty/covered with debris. I had checked in via the app, and did not receive notification that my room was ready before we arrived after check-in time Sunday evening. The agent appeared to be assigning the guestroom after I gave him my name. He did not say anything, so when it looked like he was about ready to code the key, I asked him if he was giving us a room on the top floor, and if we could have an upgrade to a room with a balcony. He said a balcony room is not an upgrade, and that this could be requested. Odd, that there is no way to choose a balcony room when making the reservation. He then assigned us an odd numbered room with a balcony on the top floor. It was not the end room, and I do not recall for sure if it was 403 or 405.

Above: View from king guestroom 412 in Courtyard Marriott in Stow, Ohio
Below: Guestroom diagram on back of the door in king guestroom 412 

Guestroom 403 or 405, and 412

Odd numbered rooms in this hotel are on the expressway side of the hotel, and the sliding glass doors are not very soundproof. It was very noisy in the odd-numbered guestroom that we entered, first. I called the front desk agent from the phone in the guestroom to ask if there was a room available on the other side of the building. He checked, and then said he would meet us at room 412. It was great that we did not need to go back down the elevator to get new keys; however, I did not understand why we had not been assigned a guestroom on the obviously better side of the building to begin with. One thing I have loved about Marriotts during my years of travel, is that they usually assign elite members guestrooms in preferred locations. Not only are the even numbered rooms better because of the traffic noise; they also have a better view. Both guestrooms we were assigned had connecting room doors.

Guestroom 412 in Courtyard Marriott in Stow, Ohio
Connecting room door on left

Guestroom 412 was spacious and comfortable. It contained a curved sofa, king size bed, spacious work area, small fridge, and microwave. The two chairs and small table on the balcony looked clean, and the seating was comfortable. There was a screen in the balcony doorway, so we were able to sleep with the door open to the fresh air.

Guestroom 412 in Courtyard Marriott in Stow, Ohio
Hairs and dirt on desk chair below

Houston, Texas: Courtyard Houston Intercontinental Airport

December 2019, Weekdays, 2-nights, King guestroom 433

I fell a bit behind with my blog posts over the holidays, so this post does not contain as much information as usual.

Platinum perks and check-in

A room was ready for me when I arrived, although I had not received a notification via the app. I did not receive a room upgrade or breakfast. I asked about breakfast, because I had received it when I stayed at the Austin airport Courtyard a few months earlier. This is not a guaranteed perk for Platinum members when points are chosen; however, sometimes a property goes above and beyond the norm.

View from guestroom 433 at Courtyard Houston Intercontinental Airport

King guestroom 433

This is  a standard king guestroom on the top floor near the end of the hall. If the guestroom diagram is correct, this is the smallest room type in this hotel. The view overlooks the outside courtyard and airport parking. I heard occasional airplane noise; however, it was not bothersome. 

Guestroom diagram from back of door

I liked the walk-in shower, and Keurig coffeemaker. A small fridge and microwave were located behind the door to the right of the coffeemaker.

Austin, Texas: Courtyard by Marriott Austin Airport

July 2019, Weekdays, 2-nights, King guestroom #402

Check-in and Platinum perks

I checked in online before I arrived, and I received a notification via the app telling me when my room was ready. As a Platinum guest, I received a breakfast coupon for breakfast both mornings. I had requested late checkout, as I had an evening flight the day of departure. The agent did not confirm this at check-in, although a different staff member did accommodate this request when I inquired the following day.

Guestroom diagram from back of door

Guestroom 402

This guestroom is at the end of the hall on the 4th floor of this 5-floor hotel. I did not hear any overhead noise, although I did hear a lot of noise from hallway activity the first evening. The doors in this hotel are quite heavy, and the late night guests were not as thoughtful as the early morning guests about letting the doors close quietly. The windows are well soundproofed, and I was not bothered by any airport noise.

Guestroom 402 view from in front of closet

The bed was comfortable, and the desk work area was sufficient. A panel under the desk slid out for more room. There were electric outlets at the desk, and next to the bed.

Desk/entertainment area (refreshment center on right) for guestroom 402

The guestroom contained a coffeemaker with supplies, ice bucket, glass glasses, a small fridge, and a microwave. There was a charge for the bottled water visible in the photos.

Louisville, Kentucky / Courtyard Louisville Airport

November 2018, 1-night, 2-queen guestroom 501, weekend

Gold perks and check-in

I checked in via the app with a 7:30 PM estimated arrival time, and we arrived shortly after 7:30 PM. Our room had not been assigned prior to arrival, which did not make sense to me. I mean, what is the purpose of checking in beforehand, if it does not expedite anything later? We were initially assigned a guestroom, which did not match my preferences or requests--guestroom 314, which is near the elevator, and not on the top floor. The agent had not recapped anything, so when she handed me the key packet, I asked if the room has two beds. After I looked at the room number, I inquired about a room on the top floor. I told her we had been driving all day and really wanted to get a good night's sleep. I said I would prefer a room at the end of the hall in a quiet area with no connecting door. She reassigned us guestroom 501. 

App shows complimentary upgrade, if available.
I did not choose 3:15 arrival time; that is what was shown before I changed it.

I did not receive an upgrade, and I did not ask about this. Since there were three of us, an upgrade to a larger room with two beds and a sofa certainly would have been more comfortable. Guestrooms 502 - 510 look like larger rooms that are smaller than the suites near the elevator.

Guestroom 501

Guestroom 501

This guestroom is on the top floor at the end of the hall. It has a connecting room door, and fortunately, we did not hear any noise from the room next door. 

Guestroom 501

Springfield, Ohio / Marriott Courtyard Downtown

September 2018, Weekday, 1-night, Queen handicap accessible room #614

Plants in island along back drive next to parking lot

Gold perks and check-in

For some reason, I did not receive a notification via the Marriott app telling me my room was ready. I arrived a few minutes early of the check-in time I had chosen, and my room was ready. All Marriott rewards members get to spin a wheel for prizes at this hotel. I won free breakfast. Other prizes included different MR point values, something from the market, or a beverage in the lounge.

Sunset view from guestroom 614

Guestroom 614

I did not intentionally book a handicap room, and I did not realize that was my room type until I entered the room. Apparently, I am not the only one who has made this mistake, because when I returned to the front desk, I was told that many people do not realize that the "one queen bed" guestroom is a handicap room. This information is not visible during the reservation process or in the confirmation email, unless you click on the "room details" information. I was told the only other room type I could have is a room with two double beds. I prefer a queen bed to a double bed, so I kept the room I had been assigned.

Richmond, Virginia / Courtyard by Marriott Richmond Chester

January 2018, Weekdays, 2-nights, King guestroom 509 with balcony 

I had a difficult time choosing a hotel this trip. I really did not want to stay downtown and deal with the traffic driving in and out of the area when I only needed to visit the outskirts of town. Every hotel review I read for the hotels south of town had negative comments (Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Residence Inn, Marriott Courtyard--all of them). I scrutinize reviews quite a bit before deciding how much merit to give to the comments, and all of the unsatisfactory comments I read were similar: rude staff, mold, water did not work or get hot, had to change rooms, etc. I also read staff replies, which affects my perception, as well.

Gold perks and check-in

I arrived in the early evening after check-in time. I waited a couple of minutes behind one guest to check-in. The room I received was possibly an upgrade, although the agent did not say anything to me. In fact, he did not tell me anything about the guestroom until after I asked if it is on the top floor. He said yes, and then he told me the rooms had been recently renovated.

Ann Arbor, Michigan / Courtyard by Marriott

September 2017, Weekend, 1-night, King extended guestroom (suite) 431

Arrival and gold elite perks

The check-in process went smoothly, and I was impressed to learn I had received an upgrade to a king suite. I had reserved just a basic double-bed guestroom, and I have rarely received an upgrade at a Marriott Courtyard (I do not recall ever receiving one without asking). I have never understood why elite members usually only receive upgrades at full-service Marriott and Hilton hotels, and not all brands. My experience over the years has not been any different when I had Platinum or Diamond status, than it has been as a Gold member. This Marriott Courtyard is one of the best Courtyard hotels I have ever stayed in, and I was disappointed I did not have more time to enjoy it (I arrived just before dark, and departed at 6:30 AM the next day).

Suite 431 from entrance

Guestroom 431

This suite was super comfortable, and I loved it! My profile says high floor, and additionally, I had requested a guestroom on the top floor in a corner or quiet area. All of my requests had been fulfilled.

Hoover, Alabama / Marriott Courtyard Birmingham Hoover

November 2015, Weekend, 1-night, King guestroom 331

The sunset and sunrise views from guestroom 331 were great. In fact, I imagine the views from this guestroom are better than any of the other guestrooms. 

sunset view from balcony
in guestroom 331

Our overall experience at this hotel, however, was not the best. 

sunrise from guestroom 331

Check-in and arrival

I received an email from Marriott a day or two before my stay promoting "pre" check-in. It said that if I checked in on the Marriott app, I would be entered into a points drawing. I was not sure how the Marriott check-in app worked, so I decided to look at it. Based on my experience with other hotels, I expected to see a diagram of hotel rooms to choose from, and then be able to choose my room or back out of the process. Instead, after I entered my arrival time, I received a message that said I was all checked in. I did not even have the option to "confirm" my check-in before the process completed.

Before our arrival, I had read a review from a Platinum guest who was upset because he had not been given a balcony guestroom. I had asked for a balcony when I made my reservation, and when we arrived, I asked if the guestroom assigned to me, room 339, has a balcony. The front desk agent told me it did; however, she ended up reassigning me guestroom 331 instead. She said she was doing this because she was not sure if maintenance was done installing the new slider in guestroom 339. Her remark did not make sense to me, since I arrived at the hotel 1½ hours later than the time I had chosen for my arrival when I completed pre-arrival check-in.

guestroom diagram

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Courtyard Marriott Grand Rapids Downtown

March 2015, Sunday night, 1-night, King Jr. Suite #542

The guestroom information for this post will be shorter than usual because this is the same guestroom we stayed in the last time we stayed at this hotel in July 2014. I redeemed a free night certificate for both stays. My status had been Gold in July, and it was Silver during this stay, although it had been Gold when I made the reservation.

Status perks and check-in

I have stayed in the Courtyard Marriott Grand Rapids Downtown a few times, with both Silver and Gold status; I did not stay in this hotel when my status was Platinum. Several years ago, when I stayed in this hotel with Silver status, I received an automatic upgrade to an executive suite overlooking the river. I have never received an upgrade since then without asking for it, and I have never received that kind of guestroom again, although I have received upgrades after asking.

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Courtyard Marriott Grand Rapids Downtown

July 2014, Weekday, One-night, King corner guestroom #542

Status perks and check-in

We stayed at this hotel with a free night promotional certificate I had earned. I called the hotel prior to our stay to ask if parking was included and to request a room upgrade, if available. We have stayed in this hotel a few times over the years, and one time we received a suite guestroom with a separate bedroom. That stay was impressive--I had not inquired about an upgrade, and my status was only Silver then. That guestroom had an amazing view over the river.


When we arrived for this stay, we had been assigned a standard guestroom on the top floor. After I inquired about an upgrade, we were assigned an end king guestroom on the 5th floor. I do not know if this guestroom is considered a Jr. Suite or something different. The photos on the hotel website for the king guestrooms look like photos of the room we stayed in. The king guestrooms we have stayed in before were much smaller than this one.

Guestroom

This guestroom is located at the end of the hall behind a set of double doors in the hall, which could be closed. Our guestroom, and one room across the hall, were located behind the closed doors. The hallways doors did not have a keyed access. The guestroom across the hall was on the river side of the hotel. This guestroom has a view of the side street, Campau Ave.

The guestroom was spacious and comfortable. A closet was located by the entrance, and the bathroom was straight ahead from the entrance door.

The bathroom contained a long vanity, and a shower/tub combination. Paul Mitchell bathing amenities and good quality towels were provided. A hairdryer was provided in a bag, although I do not recall for sure if it was hanging on the bathroom door or if it was in the closet. I think it was in the closet on the shelf.

A small coffeepot with supplies was also located in the bathroom. Since the living area had so much space, I thought it would have been nicer to have the coffee in that area.



The open living and sleeping area contained a couple of different seating and working spaces. Two comfortable soft chairs, a lamp, and an end table were located near the entrance.

A sofa with built-in end tables was positioned against the bathroom wall facing the bed. Two more chairs, and a coffee table were also located in this area.

A long work desk with a chair was positioned facing the wall near the window across from the foot of the bed. A flatscreen TV on an armoire, and a microwave and small fridge were located between the desk and sofa area.

The king size bed was comfortable, as were all of the furnishings in the guestroom. Other than the coffee set up in the bathroom, I thought the guestroom was functional, comfortable, and tastefully decorated. This guestroom is in a good location away from guest noise.

Parking
Parking at the hotel was $16 a day, although we could have parked for free if we were dishonest. The front desk agent had given me a parking token to exit the lot when we checked in. I had been told that my free night certificate did not cover parking when I called beforehand, although the agent did not mention this during check-in. She apparently she did not make note of the fact that she had provided a parking token on our reservation.

We had not received a bill under the door when we were ready to checkout, so I called the front desk to ask if I was all set. The agent again asked if we had parked in the lot (same clerk who had checked us in the day before), and I said yes. She asked if I had a parking token, and I said yes. She then asked if I wanted to leave the $16 on my credit card.

Misc.
Although this hotel was not the JW Marriott (our favorite hotel in downtown Grand Rapids), this was still a great stay. The hotel is connected to the VanAndel Arena via the Skywalk, which was our reason for this stay. We attended a concert at the arena, as did several other guests we observed in the hotel that evening. Security personnel were keeping an eye on guests and traffic in the hotel elevator that evening.

This hotel has an inside pool and whirlpool tub on the Skywalk level, which is shared with condominium guests. We did not use the facilities during this stay.

Grand Rapids, Michigan / JW Marriott

We have stayed at the Grand Rapids JW Marriott  several times, and this is our favorite hotel in the area. I had not started this blog yet, the first time that I stayed in this hotel after it opened in 2007. My Marriott status was Silver at that time, and we received a fabulous corner room on one of the higher floors overlooking the river. I have had Gold or Platinum status for all of my stays since then. I received an upgrade to the concierge floor every time except for when my status was Silver. This review was our first 2-night stay in this hotel.

Here is a link to some of my previous reviews: September 2012, April 2011 and February 2011. We also stayed in this hotel in 2010 and 2013; however, I must not have written reviews after those stays. 

March 2014, Weekend, 2-nights, Concierge king guestroom #2311

Status perks and check-in

sunrise from guestroom

The day before our arrival, I saw online that our guestroom had already been upgraded to a room on the concierge floor. I was checking because I had wanted to fill out the virtual concierge form to request early check-in; however, this option was not available less than 24 hours before arrival. A friend told me that he was able to do this on the day of his arrival; however, I did not re-check our reservation the morning before we arrived.

Even though I had not filled out the request form, we did not have any trouble checking in early. We arrived shortly after 2 p.m, and we were able to check-in. The agent provided friendly and professional service.

view from guestroom

Guestroom
Guestroom 2311 has a view of the city. I like to have a view of the city from the guestroom because then we can also see the sunrise, as well as the sunset and river, which are visible from the concierge lounge. I used to think that a river view guestroom was nicer; however, since the river is visible from the lounge, I like having a city view guestroom. I have actually never had a guestroom in this hotel that I did not like.

The guestroom had a wooden floor entrance where the closet and beverage center were located. The lighted closet contained hangers, two plush bathrobes, a folding luggage  rack, and an iron and ironing board.

The beverage center contained a single-serve coffeemaker with supplies, two small bottles of water, a steel ice bucket, glass glasses, and a small fridge. Condiments with the coffee included liquid creamer. A large safe was located in the drawer under the counter.

The marble bathroom across from the entrance contained a shower and a deep tub. Bath amenities, a scale, and a hairdryer were located on and under the vanity across from the tub. The towels were good quality. None of the guestrooms in this hotel that I have stayed in have very much counter space in the bathroom. The corner guestrooms have a larger shower. One frustration we had in this guestroom was flushing the toilet; we had to hold the handle down. This did not seem like a big deal at the start of our stay; however, by the end of our 2-night stay, it was somewhat annoying.

The bedding and bed comfort were superb. The sheets were good quality, and the guestroom was well-soundproofed. I was glad for the thick walls and sound barrier on the bottom of the guestroom door because we had two rooms of families next to us the second night (at least 4 to 10 kids total in the area). We heard a lot of conversation and doors shutting earlier in the evening, and fortunately, we did not hear anything after we went to bed that night.

Two nightstands with a clock and telephone were located on either side of the king size bed. Lamps were attached to the wall above the nightstands, and two reading lights were located at the head of the bed.

The guestroom also contained a bench at the foot of the bed, a chaise lounge, an end table with lamp, a soft straight-backed chair, desk and chair, and a flatscreen TV on an armoire. A second telephone was on the desk. The furnishings were the same as they had been in the other guestrooms we have stayed in.

Our room was not automatically cleaned during stayover. We had the "do not disturb" sign on the door in the early morning, until we left the guestroom shortly after 10:30 a.m. We heard and observed housekeeping in the hallway before we left, so we thought our room would be cleaned after we removed the sign and left the guestroom. When we returned around 2:30 p.m., our room had not been cleaned, and I did not observe a housekeeping cart in the hall. We observed a housekeeping cart in the hall a bit later when we left for the pool, and then we observed a small cart in the hallway, possibly the one used for turndown service, around 4:30 p.m. No one stopped at our guestroom after this, so shortly after 4:30 p.m., I decided that I better call for service. It was after 5:30 p.m. before our room was cleaned, and we received turndown service at the same time. Turndown service included two small chocolates on the tray.

Concierge lounge
Breakfast foods in the concierge lounge were the same both mornings: fresh fruits--whole and sliced, packaged yogurt, fresh yogurt with granola, cold cereals, cheeses, cold meats, salmon, hard boiled brown eggs, bagels, breads, and pastries. There was a cappuccino machine, in addition to coffee, tea, milks, juices, and bottled water.

The food both evenings was similar. There were two prepared food items: crostini topped with chicken, and  puff pastries the first night. The second night, the crostinis were topped with corn, and the second food item was some type of baked or lightly fried round cheese balls. Cheeses with crackers and dried apricots were also available. Dessert was brought out after 7:30 p.m. The food was a huge disappointment since we had received things like sushi, shrimp, and pot stickers in the past. Good quality beverages could be purchased for $5, and the first three beer or wine beverages were complimentary. The service in the lounge was excellent.

The lounge was accessible 24 hours. The cooler was stocked with non-alcoholic beverages, like soda and water, and there were three tins with snack foods--mixed nuts, and trail mix type foods.

Pool area
The pool and spa are located on the third floor. The pool and whirlpool tub were spacious, although the area was quite full with families every time that we tried to visit. We were able to use the whirlpool tub once. It was clean, and the temperature was perfect. We also used the eucalyptus steam room, which we thought was great. The pool towels were thick, plush JW embroidered towels.

Misc.
The Home & Garden Show, and the Little Black Dress Party were going on during our stay. The JW offered an excellent promotional rate the nights of our stay, which is why we decided to stay two nights instead of one. Parking is $16 a night for self-parking. I have seen parking discounts for the hotel in the past, although we did not see any for the nights of our stay.

The skywalk, which goes from DeVos Place to Van Andel Arena, is easily accessible from the second floor of the JW. The Marriott Courtyard is less than one mile from the JW via the skywalk. It has been several years since we have stayed at the Courtyard, and we have a visit planned there this summer. There are many restaurants, bars, museums, and more within walking distance of both hotels. We walked to the new Grand Rapids downtown market, which is just over two miles away. 

Bradenton, Florida / Courtyard Bradenton Sarasota Riverfront

December 2013, Weekend-Weekday, 3-nights, Jr. suite #322

Status perks and check-in

view from guestroom

I reserved a 3-night stay at this hotel starting on a Saturday with Marriott free night certificates. About a week before our arrival, I called the hotel to ask a couple of questions, and to see if we could have an upgrade to a Jr. suite. The employee I spoke with said that she would make a note to upgrade us, if possible. We received a Jr. suite at check-in, and the Platinum member bonus points.

Guestroom

Guestroom 322 is located on the 3rd floor of this 5-floor hotel, and it overlooks the pool. The guestroom was spacious and moderately clean and comfortable.

The roomy sitting area included a sofa, chair, two footstools, end tables with lamps and a telephone, a coffee table, and a flatscreen TV on an armoire. An ice bucket, two glass glasses, two coffee mugs, and a single-serve coffeemaker were located on a counter above a small fridge. One of the coffee mugs was dirty; the entire inside was coated with what looked like hot chocolate residue. I wish I had taken a picture of the cup before I washed it. There was only one packet of regular coffee, which is what was also provided at the last Marriott hotel we had stayed in; Marriott Gateway at ATL. Only one packet was provided after stayover, too, so I assume that this is the standard in Marriott hotels.

The seating area was comfortable. Even though the wall light in my photo gives off quite a glare, the room was somewhat dim. There was a light over the beverage area, so it was easy to see in that area.



A full length mirror was hung on the wall across from the bathroom and closet. The closet contained hangers, and an iron and ironing board. There was not a luggage rack or a safe in the guestroom. We moved the two small footstools to the area next to the mirror to use for a luggage rack. The two footstools were located against the wall next to the fridge when we arrived, and my husband had already moved them to the bedroom before I had taken the living room photo.

The bathroom located between the sitting and sleeping areas was quite small. There was not hardly any counter space. It contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain hanging on a curved rod. A hairdryer, thick towels, and bathroom amenities were provided.




The bathroom could have been better cleaned, in my opinion. There was hair on the floor, and on the wall of the tub when we checked in.

shower/tub wall

bathroom floor

The bedroom area was spacious, and the bedding was clean. In addition to the king size bed, this room contained a desk and chair, soft chair, nightstands, two telephones, a lighted alarm clock, lamps, and a flatscreen TV.

I was surprised that the bed was not comfortable, because the mattress pad looked soft. The mattress was hard, and the pillows were low quality. We did not use the desk or either chair in this room.


The HVAC unit was a bit noisy, as I had read in other guest reviews before our stay. The temperature was comfortable at night, so we did not need to run the unit, and the bedroom area was soundproof enough that we were not bothered by outside noise.



We were disappointed that the guestroom balcony is not really a balcony. The slider opened to an area with barely enough room to stand and look out.

Our guestroom was not cleaned during stayover until late afternoon, and it was not cleaned well. We were back at the hotel and relaxing around the pool when our guestroom was cleaned. We observed housekeeping in the room next to ours for close to two hours. The next time one of us returned to our guestroom, we saw that it had been refreshed in less than 15 minutes! The hair on the tub wall was not cleaned until the day after our second night. It appeared that the weekend staff did not clean as well as the weekday staff, because we also observed cleanliness issues outside of the guestroom that were not taken care of until Monday.

If the guestroom diagram on the back of the door is to scale, it looks like all of the guestrooms overlooking the pool are suites; or, at least the ones on the 3rd floor. The guestrooms across the hall, and the ones on the end of the building overlooking the river, look like smaller/standard-size guestrooms.

Food & Beverage

The Bistro was similar to other Marriott Courtyard hotels I have stayed in. We ordered the kale salad, which I do not recall seeing on the Bistro menu before. The salad was very good, although we did not receive the actual menu item. After I had placed the order, I went out to the pool area to wait. A few minutes later, the order taker/server came out to tell me that they did not have enough kale to make the salad. She said that she could make it with spinach or romaine, if I wanted. Since the salad ingredients contained fruits and berries, I said that spinach would be fine. My salad was prepared with spinach, and a small amount of kale. The cost was expensive -- close to $10; however, the portion size was generous.

The Marriott website for this hotel says: Bar-B-Q and/or picnic area. I could not find any photos or information about grills in the hotel website or in any guest reviews, so I called the hotel the week before our arrival to inquire about this. I asked the person I spoke with if this meant that there are grills onsite for guest use, and she said yes. We shopped for groceries on our way to the hotel, and picked up food to cook on the grill that evening. When we could not find any grills on the property after we got settled, I stopped at the front desk to ask where they are located. After a brief conversation with the manager, she called someone to bring a grill out for us. There are perfectly sized cement ledges in the landscaping for grills (we had not realized that is what the spaces were for when we were searching for the grills); however, it seems that the grills are not usually out for guest use. There was a small bit of confusion to get a working grill and tank set up, and then it remained in the courtyard for two days. We used it two nights, and then we saw that the grill had been removed on Monday. I thought it was great that the manager took care of us, even though the person I spoke with on the telephone had apparently given me incorrect information!

Pool and outside area

The pool area was tastefully landscaped. There were ample loungers and seating areas available. The swimming pool and whirlpool were a good size.

Not many guests used the pool area during our stay, although several nearby residents and/or visitors did. The gate into the pool area from the riverwalk is not a keyed entrance, and we observed people arrive that way with their own towels. A group of noisy whirlpool folks departed through the riverwalk gate shortly after we had checked in. We also observed at least one mischievous young lad. A boy came out of the pool restroom one afternoon/evening, looked guilty when he saw my husband waiting, darted toward the whirlpool, and then left through the riverwalk gate before my husband came out of the bathroom. When my husband came out, he said that the toilet was filled with toilet paper.

Because the pool area is accessible to people who are not staying in the hotel, pool towels were kept behind the front desk, rather than in the pool area.

I thought the cleanliness of the outside area was neglected. The pool water looked clean for the most part, although I observed small piece of debris in the water after the first day.

The restrooms were not clean, and the tables around the pool and in the courtyard were filthy. We sat at two different tables in the pool area, and I had to wash both tables with hand towels from the restroom. I did not observe anyone clean the tables or loungers at any time.

Someone had dropped an undergarment by the whirlpool one day, and it was there the entire day before someone disposed of it; even though I observed the pool attendant walk by it several times before this.

There were cigarette butts on the patio by the stairway when we arrived, and these were not cleaned up until Monday. The Women's restroom looked the same our entire stay; there was quite a bit of dirt on the floor that needed to be swept up.

Women's restroom by pool

Women's restroom

We loved the Bradenton Riverwalk next to the hotel. It connects to downtown, and it is a beautiful 1.5 mile walk filled with seating, nature, parks, play areas, and more. This photo is from the riverwalk with the Marriott Courtyard hotel in the background.











Misc.

smoking urn

We observed several dogs at this hotel. It seemed like every guest except us was traveling with a pet. We are not allergic to animals; however, since I have never stayed in a pet-friendly Marriott Courtyard before, I wanted to mention this.

I also want to let non-smoking guests know not to expect an entirely smoke-free property at this Marriott. We smelled cigarette smoke from our guestroom several times. In addition to the cigarette butts I already mentioned, there was a smoking urn on the patio in the pool area. This urn was located below our guestroom, and apparently every time that we smelled smoke, it was because someone was standing by the urn smoking.

We walked to the end of the riverwalk, away from downtown, to Tarpon Point Grill to eat one day. The atmosphere was pleasant at the tiki bar, and the food was good, although the service was not good. We observed some odd actions by the bartender during our visit, and when he brought our bill, there were more beverages on the bill than we had ordered/consumed. After my husband politely brought this to his attention, he claimed that he was correct and we were wrong. He did end up correcting our bill; however, this was not a pleasant experience.

Anna Maria Island beach

It is an easy drive out to the beaches from the Marriott Courtyard, and there was no charge for parking at any of the places where we stopped. We stopped at the beach next to Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe, and we stopped at Anna Maria Bayfront Park.