Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn

We had a two night stay at the Courtyard Arlington Rosslyn and it was unfortunately a disappointment. We found the staff to be friendly, and the lobby area to be nice. The location was ideal for being able to quickly get into DC via the metro or to use a jumping off point for Virginia attractions.

Our disappointments came through in a few areas. When we first got to our room, we found that one of the pillows had, what appeared to be, a blood stain on it. I reported this immediately to the front desk who then called someone to have it replaced. No one ever came to replace the pillow. This showed us that, first and foremost, that housekeeping does not check the linens thoroughly enough before placing them on a guest's bed. And secondly, that their staff does not follow through on their promises.

A second main disappointment was the wifi. Simply put, it did not work in our room during our entire stay. I asked the front desk about it, who referred me to a phone number. The phone number said, they'd just try "resetting" everything, but that didn't do anything. No one did anything helpful to rectify this problem.

The third issue was with billing. I booked this stay using a combination of a free night certificate and cash, booked directly through Marriott. Upon checkout, the front desk clerk refused to issue me a billing statement. She said I must have booked through someone other than Marriott, which was not true. In the end, I did not receive a billing statement for this stay.

I frequent the Washington area quite often, and unfortunately, this is a hotel that I will no longer stay at due to these issues.

Address: 1533 North Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209
Wifi: Free (But Not Working)
Parking: $15/Night
Restaurant: Yes
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: No

TownePlace Suites Tucson Airport

We spent 5 nights at the TownePlace Suites Tucson Airport and it was a very good experience. The hotel is only a few minutes from the airport, but you don't get any of the airplane noise that can be bothersome at many airport hotels. It served as a good location for doing many things in the Tucson area, being about 15 minutes from the downtown area and no more than 30 minutes from any other Tucson attractions.

The room was very clean, and kept clean on a daily basis. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom area was a good size and clean. The daily free breakfast was very nice every day, and well kept up by the staff throughout the morning. All the staff we interacted with always had a smile on their face and they made us feel welcome. The wifi had good speeds and parking was plentiful.


Address: 6595 South Bay Colony Drive, Tucson, AZ 85756
Wifi: Free
Parking: Free
Restaurant: No
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: Yes

Residence Inn by Marriott Des Moines Downtown

We had a three-night stay at the Residence Inn in Downtown Des Moines, and had a very good experience. At check-in, both front desk clerks we spoke to were friendly and processed us quickly. In addition, when we arrived, there was a "social" going on in the lobby area where there were some free glasses of wine and soup for guests. They have this each weekday night, which is a nice perk.

The room was very spacious and includes a kitchen for those who'd prefer to cook when travelling. Housekeeping did a good job cleaning up each night. Free breakfast was provided each morning, with the hot options changing daily. The WiFi speed was good for most general web browsing.

The parking was $15/night, which I thought was a bit high for Des Moines, but even with this charge, we would still stay here again.

Address: 100 Water Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Wifi: Free
Parking: $15/Night
Restaurant: No
Bar/Lounge: No
Smoking: Non-smoking
Hidden Fees: None
Free Breakfast: Yes

Pusser's Landing (Annapolis, MD)

We found Pusser's Landing after doing a little bit of research on the restaurants in Annapolis, and we were glad we spent the time doing our research! The restaurant, located a fair walk from the main shopping district in Annapolis, is located adjacent to the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront hotel.

The restaurant was packed and we were glad we had made reservations in advance. We were seated at a large table for 2 in the restaurant. The restaurant is large and has a dining room, a bar area, and a patio on the marina.

To start our meals, we ordered the Pusser's Painkiller, level 2, and an Annapolis Sunset. The Painkiller, while we expected it to be heavy on the alcohol and sweet, was delicious. The Annapolis Sunset was good, but mediocre in comparison to the restaurant's signature drink.

For dinner, we ordered the Mahi Mahi and one of the night's specials, a grilled cobia fillet with mango salsa. Both fishes were cooked perfectly - a nice crust on all sides and a moist, flaky interior.

Even though the restaurant was busy, at no point did we feel rushed through our meal or unattended by the waitstaff.

We would recommend stopping by Pusser's in Annapolis for a bite to eat or grab a drink at their bar before hitting the shops for the day.

Courtyard New Carrollton Landover

For a trip do both Washington, DC & Annapolis, MD, we decided to find a hotel that was located between the two, about 30 minutes from each.  The Courtyard New Carrollton Landover fit that that bill perfectly.

The hotel was in the middle of renovations and we were lucky enough to get a refreshed room.  The room was clean and very comfortable, especially the bed.  There's also quite a nice courtyard in the middle of the building to relax in, as well as a full service restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner available for guests. We found the Wi-Fi to be fast and the parking to be plentiful.

We'd definitely recommend this hotel for anyone needing to stay in this area as the prices are reasonable and the hotel is comfortable.

Address: 8330 Corporate Dr, Lanham, MD 20785

Wifi: Free

Parking: Free

Restaurant: Yes

Bar/Lounge: Yes

Smoking: Non-smoking

Hidden Fees: None

Breakfast: A la carte in the restaurant

In-room safe: No

Melville Marriott Long Island

We stayed here for 2 nights for a wedding and it was a pretty typical Marriott stay.  The staff was friendly in our limited interaction with them.  The rooms were clean, and the lobby was friendly and lively for most of the hours.

The bedding was quite comfortable and the showers had very strong water pressure.  However, there were 2 negatives during our stay.  The first being parking...it can be limited if there is an event (or multiple events) going on at the hotel, so you should be aware of that. However, there is parking in the back of the hotel and a second entrance in the rear of the building that requires a room key card to enter.

The second being, when we requested a roll of toilet paper, the front desk didn't have any and they said housekeeping would bring it.  Unfortunately, housekeeping never provided it after a few hours and I was forced to just grab one off of one housekeepers cart.  That is something that shouldn't happen at a Marriott.

Courtyard Key Largo

The Courtyard Key Largo is located right on the main highway of the Florida Keys, US-1, making it easy to get to.  It's location also makes it easy to access other Upper Keys such as Islamorada.  The hotel offers free parking to guests, which in certain parts of the Keys can be hard to come by.

We didn't get to interact much with the staff in our 2 nights here, but they were friendly in our brief encounters.  The rooms are quite spacious, but at least for our room, there was no special view.  The bed was very comfortable and housekeeping did an excellent job each day cleaning the room.

My only complaint for this hotel is I feel it is a bit overpriced.  At almost $250/night after tax, I feel it should be much more luxurious.  While this is definitely a very nice place to stay, the rates should come down.

Residence Inn Hanover Lebanon

We only got to spend 1 night at the Residence Inn, in Lebanon, NH, but it definitely could have served for a longer stay.  The front desk staff we interacted with were friendly.  Our room was very clean and spacious.  The wi-fi signal was strong while we were there, and free.

In the morning, the free breakfast provided was ample and tasty, although finding a seat in the dining area can be difficult.  It looked like there was another dining area which was closed due to a business meeting the morning we were there though.

The hotel itself is about a 10-15 minute drive to the Dartmouth campus, so it is pretty close for anyone who needs it as a jumping off point to the college.  There's also a Mexican restaurant, Margarita's in the same parking lot, which is convenient and was good for dinner and drinks, albeit a little bit overpriced.

Residence Inn Orlando by SeaWorld

I did a three night stay at the Residence Inn Orlando by SeaWorld.  Unfortunately, it was a disappointing stay.

The first issue was the Internet.  The first 2 nights had absolutely no Internet availability.  I inquired with the front desk about this a few times and each time was told that it was being worked on and would be up shortly.  It took more than 48 hours to fix the problem, which to me is inexcusable.  I specifically chose this hotel because of it's proximity to a conference I was at and because free in-room internet was advertised.  The hotel fell short because of the lack of Internet availability.  To me, this implies false advertising since the amenity of free Internet was unavailable.

The second issue was the housekeeping.  They did a very poor job in cleaning the room on a daily basis.  To give you some examples, the mirror in the bathroom was never cleaned and was "spotty" the whole time I was there.  The alarm clock next to the bed was covered in a layer of dust.  There were crumbs on the table in the room and they were never cleaned off.  I expressed this concern to someone at the front desk, but since nothing was ever resolved, I believe they just ignored my valid complaint.

After my stay, I informed Marriott of these issues.  Within a day they did apologize and the hotel did offer me one night's money back on a gift card, which I thought was definitely good compensation for the issues.

There are numerous hotel options in the SeaWorld area for all types of travelers.  With this type of competition, there is no excuse for these issues.  I'd recommend looking elsewhere for your stays in this area.

Courtyard Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral

The Courtyard Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral hotel is an ideal hotel for anyone looking to take a cruise from Port Canaveral and in need of a hotel the night before.  The hotel is located only 5 minutes from the port terminals, which gives you easy access to your ship.  In addition, they have "Park and Cruise" packages that will allow you to park your car there and they'll have a shuttle take you to the port. Pretty convenient!

The hotel itself has a very modern feel to it with a spacious lobby and breakfast area, which doubles as a bar at night with some food options as well.  The staff is extremely friendly and helpful.  We found the rooms to be very clean and spacious enough for our needs.  The beds were comfortable and a great way to start a trip before your cruise.  In addition, it is very close to plenty of shopping and dining.

We definitely plan on returning to this hotel for our next cruise leaving out of Port Canaveral.

Hartford Marriott Downtown Review

Review of the Hartford Marriott Downtown in Hartford, CT


The Hartford Marriott Downtown is just what you'd expect of a Marriott.  The lobby area is luxurious and the customer service is impeccable.  They offer all the standard amenities you'd expect and have a bar and restaurant onsite.  When my friend went to buy a gift for his daughter at the hotel gift shop, they even gave him a discount on it just as a kind gesture.

My room was your standard room with a view of the river.  It was very clean when I arrived and the housekeeping staff did an outstanding job when they came mid-day to clean up.  The bed was comfortable and the LCD TV was a nice touch.  The high-speed internet connection I found to be a bit slow, but it didn't prevent me from doing anything on the internet.

For the restaurant Vivo, most of the people I dined with enjoyed it.  For me personally though, the pork loin roast I ordered wasn't very good.  I think it is more likely that I just ordered the wrong thing on the menu for this restaurant since everyone else liked their meals, so I won't completely write it off at this point.  The staff was friendly and the ambiance was quiet and perfect for either a group of friends or for a couple.

When evaluating the cost of this, you do need to keep in mind that they charge for parking each night.  However, that is pretty standard for all of the hotels in the downtown area of Hartford.