Florida: Jacksonville Airport Residence Inn

 January 2023, weekend, one-night

We chose this property for a couple of reasons: the hotel has units with two bedrooms and a full kitchen, and hotel cleanliness and elite member service is usually better at Marriott properties. Our experience at this hotel fell short in a few areas.

Arrival and check-in

When I made our reservation, and when I checked in online the day before, I chose 1:00 PM for our check-in time. Usually when I do this at a Marriott property, I receive a text via the app telling me when our room is ready. This has always been before my requested check-in time, so I was surprised when I did not receive any communication from this hotel. Our room had not yet been assigned when we arrived at 2:45 PM. The front desk agent assigned us guestroom 211, and we proceeded to the room. She had recognized my gold status, although we did not receive any extra perks.

Guestroom 211 at Residence Inn Jacksonville airport

Guestroom 211, 2 bedrooms   

The layout of this guestroom was as expected; however, that was about the only thing we liked about this room. The room did not smell fresh when we first entered. After checking both beds to ensure that they were clean, we decided to settle in and make the best of it.

Some of the grime and filth in guestroom 211 at Residence Inn Jacksonville airport

A few hours later, we wished we had asked for a different room, because things progressively declined. The sofa was stained and uncomfortable, we observed filth around the vent above the fireplace and on the ceiling above, and there was a large stain splatter on one of the bedroom walls.

Larger bathroom in guestroom 211 at Residence Inn Jacksonville airport

Bolingbrook, Illinois: Residence Inn by Marriott Chicago Bolingbrook

June 2019, Weeknight (Wednesday), 1-night, King studio #414

Platinum perks and check-in

I arrived before check-in time (around 2PM), and then waited in the lobby for about an hour for my room. This was not a problem, since I was able to work on my laptop, although it was surprising. Usually, after I have checked in on the Marriott app, I get a text early in the morning telling me my room is ready way before check-in time. Other than the standard Platinum bonus points, I did not receive any extra perks for my status. I received two candy bars, after I spun the wheel behind the check-in counter, and that is the space it landed on. All guests get to spin the wheel when checking in.

King suite 414 at Residence Inn Bolingbrook Chicago

Guestroom 414

I loved this guestroom. It was clean, comfortable, and spacious. The photos on the hotel website are a good representation of the actual guestroom.

King suite 414 at Residence Inn Bolingbrook Chicago

The desk area was large, and the view out the window faced northwest. The kitchen contained everything needed.

Minneapolis-Edina, Minnesota / Residence Inn by Marriott

June 2018, Weekday, 2-nights, King studio #616

Gold perks and check-in

I did not receive an upgrade, or any status recognition. My keys were ready when I arrived, and the check-in process was efficient. 

Sunset from bedroom in suite 616.
Building in photo is Centennial Lakes Office Park

Guestroom 616

There are seven floors in this hotel, and this guestroom is located on floor six. The view overlooks Edinborough Park toward the northwest. The guestroom was comfortable, spacious, and clean, although the room scent had a strong perfumed odor. Fortunately, the bedroom window opened a few inches to allow some fresh air in.

Suite 616

The kitchen area was sufficient for one or two people, and everything worked. There is a small two-burner range top next to the full size fridge. The ice maker in the freezer made ice right away after I turned it on. Coffee with condiments, popcorn, and dishwashing products were provided upon arrival. The only item not replenished during stayover was the popcorn.

Cape Canaveral, Florida / Residence Inn by Marriott, local restaurants

February 2018, Weekend, 1-night, 2-bedroom 2-bath suite #407

I had some difficulty getting a room at this hotel. I started checking quite far in advance, and there was no availability for several months. I kept checking, and room availability kept going from zero to some rooms being available. I booked a 2-bedroom suite as soon as I saw one available. The AAA rate was $256, which I thought was pretty high. A few weeks before our trip, I decided to change it to the pre-pay, non-refundable rate, which saved us over $35.

Sunset from the walking trail across the road from Residence Inn

Gold perks and check-in

I did not receive any recognition or extra perks for being a Gold member. We could not receive a room upgrade, because we had already booked the most expensive room type. Although the cost was steep, we decided we did not want to take the chance with a possible upgrade. And, the hotel was pretty full. Premium Internet access is complimentary for Gold members.

Another view from the walking trail

Check-in time is 4:00 PM, and we arrived around 3:00 PM. I had contacted the hotel via Facebook to let them know we would be arriving early. I received a reply two days after I had sent the note, with an apology for the delayed response. I have the Marriott app on my phone, and I received a notification that the room was ready at 10:00 AM! Made us wish our flight had been arriving even earlier.

Suite #407

When we arrived in the guestroom, I saw that my profile preferences for extra pillows had been fulfilled! 😊 This guestroom is located on the top floor in the northeast corner. There is a view of the Exploration Tower, and a partial view of the cruise port. The room was comfortable, and it is in a quiet location.

Miami, Florida - MIA / Residence Inn Miami Airport

February 2016, Weekend, 2-nights, King/queen 2-bedroom suite #3620

This was our second time staying in the Residence Inn Miami airport, and our third time staying at the Miami airport Marriott hotel complex. Previous reviews can found at the following links: Residence Inn February 2013, and Marriott February 2011.

view of kitchen in suite from living room

Arrival experience and shuttle ride

We had taken the Tri-rail from the Ft. Lauderdale airport, and we had hoped the hotel shuttle bus would pick us up at Miami Central Station. I called the Residence Inn before we arrived to ask if we could be picked up at the station, and the agent said we needed to go to the airport to get the shuttle bus. To get to the airport from the station, we needed to take the MIA mover, and then wait there for the hotel shuttle. The Residence Inn is less than 1½ miles from the train station, which would have been walkable for us without our luggage. The shuttle bus runs regularly between the airport and the hotel complex. All of the Miami airport hotel shuttles pick up passengers and drop them off at the departure level. There is not a designated pick up area in the airport. Passengers walk out to the curb to watch for the hotel shuttle bus needed, and then flag it down. We have been through this process many times at MIA, and it is always chaotic. Fortunately, we have never missed our bus! Not that we know of, anyway. We have waited more than 15 minutes sometimes, so it is possible we missed a shuttle before and did not know it.

When the shuttle bus arrives at the hotel complex, the bus stops at the Marriott first. I suggest disembarking then, if you do not have much luggage. We initially stayed on the bus when it arrived; however, after the driver had disappeared with no comment for over five minutes, we grabbed our luggage and got off. We walked to the Residence Inn behind the Marriott, and had just finished our initial check-in encounter when the shuttle bus arrived with the remaining guests.

I had considered staying at Element Miami Airport because it is less than ½ mile from the train station, and they had said they would pick us up at the station. The Element is a new hotel; however, the Residence Inn has better dining and pool options, we were going to be staying two nights, and we had received a room upgrade before our arrival.

Grand Rapids, Michigan - GRR / Residence Inn Grand Rapids Airport

April 2014, Sunday night--Easter, 1-night, King studio guestroom #414

Status perks and check-in

view from bedroom

This was our first stay at this new Residence Inn, which opened December 2013. I thought the rate for the night of our stay was kind of high, so I contacted the general manager, and we were able to get a reduced rate. As a Gold member, I did not receive a room upgrade or any additional perks at check-in.

Guestroom
At check-in, the agent asked which floor I preferred, and I requested the top floor. Guestroom 414 is the second guestroom behind the elevator, and it overlooks the front parking lot.

The hotel still smelled new at the time of our stay. I was impressed with the well thought out features in the guestroom. The counter by the entrance door included a scooped spot, which worked well for a place to set keys, change, or small things so that they would not slide or be bumped off the counter. This was next to the sofa, and there were also outlets in this counter.

The kitchen area left of the entrance contained a full size fridge, stove burners, dishwasher, microwave, cupboards with dishes, and a coffee pot with supplies.  A small table with two chairs was against the wall. Microwave popcorn was not provided, which was unusual for a Residence Inn. The only other time that I did not receive popcorn in the guestroom after checking into a Residence Inn, I found out that the hotel had run out, and the agent allowed me to choose a snack from the gift shop. I did not inquire about popcorn at this hotel.

The sofa was comfortable, and the under sofa table fit well. A long desk with a chair was positioned against the wall in front of the window. The flatscreen TV located at the end of the desk could be turned so that it was visible from the bed as well.

A nightstand and light were located on both sides of the king size bed. The bed and pillows were comfortable, although I thought the sheets were quite scratchy.

The bathroom vanity and a closet were located between the bathing area and the bed. I liked that the floor in front of the vanity was tile, like the bathroom, and not carpet. The closet contained a folding luggage rack, iron, and ironing board.

The bathroom contained a large tile walk-in shower with glass doors, which we really liked. There were several ledges in the shower for personal items, and the large shower head was adjustable. Bathing amenities were provided, and the towels were good quality. A hairdryer was mounted on the wall by the vanity.

guestroom diagram

The guestroom was well laid out, and it was comfortable for working. I thought the entire guestroom was comfortable, aside from the scratchy sheets. Basic Internet service was complimentary, and enhanced service was available for purchase. I did not have any trouble with the complimentary service and speed, although there were not many guests in the hotel at the time of our stay.


Food & Beverages

April menu

I had an early flight the next morning, so I did not get to experience breakfast. My husband said that it was good, and that there were three or four hot food items.

The April menu on the refrigerator showed that food was served in the evening on Monday through Thursday. Sometimes Residence Inn provides the menu on the hotel website, although I could not find it online for this hotel.

Business center and lobby
Two computers and a printer were located in the lobby area. The printer for the lobby computers was in a cabinet underneath the computers, and I could not hear it printing. I initially had trouble finding my document, because there is another printer in the lobby across the room, which is the same brand as the one the computer said it was printing to. When my document did not print at that machine, I inquired at the front desk about where to find my document. She told me it was located in the cabinet. I do not know what the other printer was connected to.

I observed plenty of comfortable looking seating areas in the lobby, although we did not sit in this area.

Pool and outside area
The outside courtyard was clean and comfortable. The grill on the patio looked like it had never been used, although it must have been used, since BBQ was listed on the April menu for dates before our stay. The courtyard is next to the parking lot, between the front desk and the pool area. There is a partial wall between the courtyard and the parking lot, which partially blocks the parking lot view.



The pool and whirlpool tub are located inside. The seating in the pool area was comfortable. My husband said that the whirlpool tub was clean, although it could have been warmer.



Shuttle service
I stayed at this hotel because I had an early morning flight the next day. When I checked in, the agent told me that the shuttle was not running that early, and the hotel provided a cab.

Misc. and overall
This hotel is somewhat difficult to find, if you are not familiar with the area. I thought the signage for the Wyndham hotel was much more visible.

The public areas of the hotel were not tended to later in the day. It was the evening of Easter, and the hotel was not very full, so I assume staffing was also reduced. We observed something spilled on the floor by the elevator after we returned from dinner--possibly an ice cream cone or milkshake, which was never cleaned up. The spot was not very big, although we had to step around it each time that we walked by, because it looked sticky. There was also quite a bit of water around the pool area and in the hallway outside the pool. Neither of these issues were highly serious, although we were surprised that no one mopped up the sticky residue.

This is one of the nicest Residence Inn hotels I have stayed in. I thought that the guestroom was well laid out, and it was comfortable. Even so, I am not sure how often I will be able to stay here, since the rate is more than other airport hotels. 

Foxborough, Massachusetts / Residence Inn

October 2013, Weekday, 1-night, King 1-bedroom #324

Status perks and check-in

I received the standard Platinum member bonus points. My guestroom upgrade experience at Residence Inn properties has been similar to Marriott Courtyard: I have sometimes received an upgrade after asking, and have rarely received an automatic room upgrade.

There was quite a commotion going on at this Residence Inn when I first arrived. I observed several police cars and a fire engine in front of the building, as well as many guests and employees standing in the parking lot. This hotel is located in a nice neighborhood, so I wondered what was going on. I got out of my car to talk with one of the employees. It sounded like a guest had set off the smoke alarm in one of the guest rooms. A short time later, everyone had cleared out, and I entered the hotel to check-in. I did not smell or observe anything out of the ordinary inside the hotel.

Guestroom 324

This guestroom is located on the back side of the building on the top floor. It was clean and comfortable. The guestroom had been recently remodeled, and the furnishings looked new. 

The kitchen area contained all of the Residence Inn amenities: full size fridge, electric range, dishwasher, microwave, coffeepot with supplies, dishes in the cupboards, microwave popcorn, and a table with two chairs. I have stayed in many Residence Inns with only a stovetop and no oven, although this guestroom had both.

The living room area contained an entry table, nice large work desk and chair, sofa, coffee table, and flatscreen TV on an armoire.

The bedroom contained a king size bed, nightstands with lamps, a telephone, and an alarm clock, and another flatscreen TV on an armoire.

The bathroom contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain on a curved rod.

The vanity was located outside of the bathing area, across from a closet. The vanity presented a problem for me. It was quite tall, and the sink is set back against the wall. I am 5' 3" tall, and I had to stand on my toes to brush my teeth!

I thought this guestroom was great when I arrived; however, my opinion changed after spending the night. The wireless Internet speed was incredibly slow, and the guestroom was not well soundproofed. Even though this is a one-bedroom suite, with a door on the bedroom, I could hear guests in the hall, and I was awakened by noisy guests that night. I could also smell smoke in my guestroom, even though this is a non-smoking hotel.

Food & Beverage

Minimal food was served at the evening social the night of my stay. The social calendar listed "nachos" on the menu, and that was definitely accurate. Refried beans were also included, as well as tossed salad, two unbranded sodas, and juice.

Breakfast the next morning included scrambled eggs, hash browns, Canadian bacon, cold cereals, oatmeal, breads and bagels, waffle maker, milk, juices, coffee, and tea.

Fitness center

The fitness center contained four cardio machines without cardio theater, hand weights, flatscreen TV, water cooler, towels, and sani-wipes.

Misc. and overall

This hotel is located in a business park area near an apartment community. There is a Marriott Courtyard just down the road. I chose the Residence Inn instead of the Courtyard because the cost was less. Afterward, I wished I had searched more diligently for a better rate at the Courtyard. 

I usually do my homework pretty well, and I did not do that this time. Some extra research before my stay would have alerted me about the things I did not like: hallway noise, evening social menu, and smoke smell in the guestroom. Several guest reviews on TripAdvisor, which I had not read before my stay, complain of smoke smell in the guestroom, and about noisy guests in the hall. The fact that these same complaints came from more than one guest, make me think that what I experienced was not unusual. I read a reply from the hotel manager to one of the reviewers about the smoke smell. She asked the guest to contact her since this hotel is 100% non-smoking. This kind of thing needs to be handled at the time of occurrence by hotel staff, IMO. The front desk agent asked me if everything was okay when I checked out, so I told her about the noisy guests, and the smoke smell. She did not say anything, except, "I am sorry." Also, if the hotel is 100% non-smoking, why isn't housekeeping trained to report this? I do not think it should be up to guests to make sure that a hotel lives up to its standards.

A couple of other things that should have tipped me off before my stay: A night at Residence Inn is not usually less than Courtyard, so I should have wondered why the cost was less, even after I noticed that the hotel had been remodeled. The evening social menu is listed on the hotel website, and I must have forgotten to check this before my stay. 

Another thing to consider, if you collect Marriott Rewards points, is that points at extended stay properties, like Residence Inn, are earned at only half the rate of a hotel, like the Courtyard. I am glad that I now have my stay documented, in case I do not remember this experience the next time I need a hotel in this area.

Joplin, Missouri / Residence Inn

September 2013, Weekday, 2-nights, King 1-bedroom #431

Status perks and check-in

I arrived at the Joplin Residence Inn shortly after 2 p.m. I was able to check-in, and I received the standard Platinum bonus points.

Guestroom 431

This guestroom is located on the top floor near the end of the hall. It was a basic extended stay guestroom with plenty of room. It included a kitchen area, work and living area, bedroom, and bathroom. Appliances and dishes were included with the furnishings, and coffee, tea, and microwave popcorn were provided. Appliances that are not visible in the photos are a microwave and stovetop. This guestroom did not have an oven, as is shown in some guestroom photos on the Marriott web page.

Guestroom 431

The guestroom was not well maintained, and it was not very clean. It smelled as bad as the Mishawaka, Indiana Residence Inn I had stayed in a few weeks prior to this stay, except the odor was different. This guestroom smelled dusty and dirty. The carpet and furnishings were all old, and the guestroom smelled like none of the furnishings had been cleaned or shampooed in years. Or, maybe they had never been cleaned! 

Guestroom 431

I dialed zero from the guestroom telephone, and the front desk. I asked if housekeeping had Febreeze or odor remover they could come and spray. Several minutes later, the front desk agent called me back to say that housekeeping was not in the building, so it would be awhile. Several minutes after this, there was a knock on the guestroom door. The staff member who entered the room with a spray bottle appeared to be someone from engineering. He agreed that the room smelled stagnant. He sprayed the guestroom thoroughly, opened all the windows and doors, and offered further assistance. He was very helpful; however, after the spray scent wore off, the guestroom odor had not subsided.

Other cleanliness and maintenance issues with the guestroom included: small bits of debris on the floor that had been missed, a buildup of dust in the corners and along the edges of the walls, hairs that had been missed, the tub drain was clogged, and the coffeemaker looked old. I called about the tub drain before I went out the first morning. When I returned, I did not see any evidence that staff had been in the guestroom (other than housekeeping); however, the drain had been cleared. The coffemaker worked; however, I am pretty sure that the quality did not meet Marriott standards. I have been in a Marriott hotel before when staff members were touching up the char marks on the guestroom coffeemakers because this is a Marriott standard--or, so I was told by that employee.

I have included photos of some of the guestroom cleanliness problems, as well as some basic photos of the guestroom to provide a clear view of how the guestroom was setup. 

Coffeepot base

The desk in the guestroom provided sufficient space for working; however, the Intenet connection speed in the guestroom was extremely slow. I used the ethernet cable provided on the desk, and it was not any faster than the wireless connection speed.

closet floor

hair on the shower wall that washed down after I turned the shower on

hair in bathroom sink

Food & Beverage

I thought the food provided both evenings was very good. Food items the first night included enchiladas, refried beans, nachos, and several toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, olives, and tomatoes. Wine and beer was served, although I do not know what brand. The red wine was kind of sweet, although it was acceptable for one glass. Food the second evening included burgers on the grill,  assorted burger toppings, potato and macaroni salad, tossed salad, and cookies.

Breakfast items included scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, cereal, yogurt, breads, a waffle maker, milk, juices, and hot beverages. I am sure there were additional food items that I do not recall. I have only listed the items that I recall with certainty, because I did not write everything down while I was there.

Business center

I tried to use the lobby computer to print something off the Internet, and did not succeed. I gave up after several minutes, because the Internet connection speed on the lobby computer was worse than what I experienced in the guestroom.

Fitness center

The fitness center was adequate, and I did not have any trouble getting a treadmill either morning. My key did not work the first morning, and I had to get an employee from the front desk to let me in. She made a comment about something being wrong, because she had to let everyone in that morning. The second morning, my key worked fine.

Misc. and overall

The outside sitting area by the BBQ grill was nice. It looked clean and well maintained. Most of the inside of this hotel was in the same condition as my guestroom. The carpet in the halls, stairways, and elevator, was stained, unclean, and in poor condition. This is a photo of the elevator floor.

I thought this looked like a decent Residence Inn before my stay; however, in hindsight, I wished I had chosen the Homewood Suites instead. I had been trying to get more Marriott points for a vacation we have this winter, which must have been why I chose the Residence Inn this time. In the future, I think I will try not to let the points factor influence my hotel choice as much!

elevator floor

South Bend - Mishawaka, Indiana / Residence Inn

September 2013, Weekday, 2-nights, King studio #407

Status perks and check-in

The front desk agent provided friendly assistance, and she recognized my status. I arrived at this Residence Inn before check-in time, and she said that was okay, because she had just set my room aside. Other than the standard Platinum perk of a gift shop amenity or extra points, I did not receive a room upgrade or any additional perks.

Guestroom

I was glad I had left my luggage in the car, because when I arrived at the guestroom, neither of the keys worked, and I had to return to the font desk. Guestroom 407 is by the elevator, and the elevator was quite noisy, so when I told the agent my keys did not work, I said that if a room was available farther away from the elevator, I would rather have that. She said that the only other room available on the top floor was a feather-free room. She assured me that the guestrooms are well soundproofed, so she recoded my key, and I returned to the guestroom.

The guestroom looked fabulous; however, it had a strong musty damp odor. I was surprised by the odor, because the guestroom looked like it had been recently remodeled.

The bedding looked clean, and I did not see any visible mold, so I opened the windows, turned on the fans, and went to retrieve my luggage. Every time I reentered the guestroom, the damp smell was overpowering. Because of this, I refigured my schedule, checked my next hotel options, and then departed from this hotel a day early. I had originally planned to stay for three nights.

The kitchen area included a full size fridge, dishwasher, sink, stovetop, microwave, full size coffee pot with supplies, microwave popcorn, and cupboards with dishes. A table with two chairs, and a desk and chair, were located between the kitchen and living area. An ethernet connection and cord were on the desk, along with a telephone and lamp.

The living area contained a sofa, coffee table, footstool, soft chair, and lamp. A flatscreen TV on a swivel stand was located on an armoire between the living and sleeping area.

view from window by bed

The bedroom area contained a king size bed, and nightstands with a telephone and lighted alarm clock. Lamps and electrical outlets were positioned at the head of the bed. The window in the bedroom could be opened, and there was a soothing fountain  at the neighboring property outside the window.

bathtub wall

The bathing area contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain on a curved rod. Although I did not see any obvious mold in the guestroom, the walls in the tub area looked like they were always wet. I wondered if a lot of damp or moldy areas had just been covered over during the remodel, instead of being replaced.

The vanity was located outside the bathing area, across from a closet. Bath amenities were on the vanity, and a hairdryer was mounted on the wall.

guestroom disgram

The front desk agent was correct about the noise. I did not hear any noise from inside the guestroom, and the elevator was definitely a noisy one! I probably would have slept well in this hotel, and I would have stayed longer, had it not been for the damp smell.

Food & Beverage

Brats were served at the evening reception one night. Other items included romaine lettuce (no salad toppings except sunflower seeds), chips, cookies, and a frozen dessert pie. Beverages included wine (the red wine was quite sweet), draft beer, cans of soda, and milk.

Baked potatoes with toppings were served the second night--sweet potatoes, and white Idaho potatoes. Romaine lettuce was out again, with no salad toppings except the sunflower seeds and dressings.

Breakfast in the mornings included scrambled eggs, turkey Canadian bacon, potato cakes, parfaits, yogurt, milk, juices, waffle maker, cold cereal, oatmeal, apples and bananas.

Business center

I printed a couple of documents at the printer near the front desk and eating area. I thought it was odd that I was not able to print a reservation confirmation from my email for a competitor hotel. When I tried to do this from my email, I received a message that said, "unauthorized cell." I then saved the document to a PDF for printing, and received the same message (the hotel name automatically saved for the file name). After this, I saved it as a PDF, and renamed it "res," and then I was able to print it.

Fitness center
There were three or more working cardio machines with cardio theater in the fitness center. I did not have a problem getting an available machine anytime that I visited. The room also contained a flatscreen TV with remote, hand weights, a water cooler, towels, and sani-wipes.

Misc.
When I left this hotel my last morning, I observed an employee dumping a large wheeled bucket of water in the parking lot, which I thought was kind of odd. The employee was someone I had seen the day before, who appeared to be the manager (or similar) and not housekeeping. When I walked by, I could smell a strong musty damp odor, like the smell in the guestroom.

There are several dining choices near this hotel. I would not recommend Houlihan's across the street. In my home state, we have a Houlihan's in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is fabulous. I have dined there several times, and the food and service at that restaurant have always been excellent, even when it is busy.

The Ahi Tuna salad that I had at the Mishawaka Houlihan's was bland, and the service was terrible. It was over 90 degrees the day that I dined there at the end of the lunch hour (after 1 p.m.). The restaurant appeared to have been busy before my arrival; however, it started to empty out about the time I arrived. After being seated, I was not greeted for 5 minutes, and I did not receive any water for several minutes after this, even though I requested it right away. I waited a long time for my food (unfortunately, I forgot to time this part), and then I had to get up to request silverware and a napkin. My water glass was never refilled, even though it was empty before the end of my meal, and my server did not checkback with me during the meal.

Wayne, New Jersey / Residence Inn Wayne

June 2013, Weekday, 1-night, 2-bedroom suite #318

Status perks and check-in

At check-in, Maggie said that I had been upgraded for the night. I was impressed by the upgrade at this Residence Inn in Wayne, NJ, because my experience at most Marriott properties, has been that I do not receive an automatic room upgrade unless I am staying in one of their full service hotels.

A room had not been released on the computer yet, so Maggie called housekeeping to ask if a 2-bedroom suite was available. I was then assigned room 318. I do not know if this is a different room than what was initially intended because Maggie did not say. She provided professional and friendly service. I also received the standard Platinum bonus points.

kitchen/living room view from door

Guestroom
This is a spacious guestroom with a kitchen and living area, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The guestroom is so large, that I do not know if I will be able to include all of the photos that I took in this review.

The kitchen area located by the entrance contained a full-size fridge, range, dishwasher, microwave, table with four chairs, cupboards and drawers stocked with dishes and utensils, coffee maker with supplies, microwave popcorn, and other miscellaneous items, such as salt and pepper, and paper towel.

living area, king bedroom

The living area straight ahead from the kitchen contained a sofa with throw pillows, a coffee table, an end table, lamps, and a flatscreen TV on an armoire. A nice gas fireplace was located in the corner.

The entire guestroom was tastefully decorated, although I was surprised to see a few stains on the sofa fabric.

king bedroom

king bed bath

The bedroom on the left contained a king size bed, a flatscreen TV on an armoire, and night stands with lamps, a lighted alarm clock, and telephone.

king bed bath

Both of the bathrooms in the guestroom were pretty similar. There is a door between the vanity and shower area in both bathrooms. The vanity in the king bathroom is across from a closet with mirrored doors.

queen bed bath

Both bathrooms contained a tub/shower combination with a shower curtain on a curved rod. A hairdryer was provided in both bathrooms, as well as bath amenities--lotion, soap, shampoo, and conditioner. I was again surprised to see a problem with stains. The hand towels in the bathroom next to the queen bedded room were stained. I set the towels on the counter after I saw this, because they looked kind of like someone had used them to wipe with, and then they had not been replaced. I have included photos of the stained items at the end of this review.

queen bed with desk

The queen bedroom also contained a flatscreen TV on an armoire, a night stand with lamp, lighted alarm clock, and telephone. Additionally, this room has a large closet in the bedroom area (instead of the slightly smaller one across from the king vanity), and a desk and chair. The desk chair had so many stains on it, that I sat on a towel to use the chair.

queen room looking from desk

Both of the beds looked comfortable, so now I had the dilemma of deciding where to sleep! Initially, I thought that if one was traveling with children, the adults would want the room with the larger closet and the desk; however, that room contained the queen bed rather than the king bed. Since I was traveling alone, I decided to use the queen room to work in, and sleep in the king bed. The bedding and bed was comfortable for the most part, although the mattress was a tad too hard for my taste.

queen bedroom

This would have been an excellent guestroom, if it had been located on the top floor. I had the unfortunate experience of a family staying overhead--with 3 children and a dog. I do not have anything against children or pets, and I have traveled with both myself. I do, however, have a problem with unruly guests.

The family above me, ran up and down the halls and the guestroom, and they jumped around in the guestroom. When it got so bad that the smoke detector cover fell off the wall in my guestroom, I called them. The situation did not improve much after my call, although the jumping vibration that caused the smoke alarm to come loose ceased. It is beyond me why a hotel would ever assign a top floor guestroom to someone with children and pets. It seems like bottom floor rooms should be reserved for pets.

Food & Beverage
Food items served the evening of my stay included: broccoli cheese soup, fresh spring mix salad, tacos with salsa and toppings, carrot cake, lemonade, and I do not recall the additional non-alcoholic beverages. This hotel did not serve wine or beer.

Breakfast the morning of my stay included: turkey canadian bacon, scrambled eggs, waffle maker, oatmeal, cold cereal, hard boiled eggs, whole bananas and apples, juices, coffee, tea, and milk.

Business center
Two computers and a printer were set up in the dining area. The printer was initially jammed when I tried to print something. After I solved the issue, many pages printed! I guess several people had tried to print without bringing the problem to someone's attention. I dropped off the documents that came out of the printer at the front desk.

Fitness center

The fitness center located near the front desk was adequate. It contained four cardio machines with cardio theater, a flatscreen TV with remote, hand weights, a drinking fountain, and towels.

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Below are the photos of the stained items in the guestroom. The stains on the desk chair look kind of like debris. I tried to clean the chair off, and the marks did not change, so they were either stains or ground-in debris. The towel stains are difficult to see in the photos, although a slight discoloration/yellowing is visible. The stains that I observed stood out more than what is visible in the photos.

sofa

desk chair