Red Room Chronicles

Up until a few months ago here at the Houston Marriott Westchase the in room wireless internet access was free. At that time I felt glad to get what I was given even though it was slow. Once the service went pay for play I assumed that average speeds would improve. Alas, they haven’t.

To make matters worse, some rooms offer much more reliable wired access. Those are the rooms that I want to stay in. If I’m paying $9.95 a day I want reliable, speedy internet access. Unfortunately, a minority of the rooms are wired and sometimes I’m just too darn tired to do the shuffle to a room that meets my needs. Tonight is one of those nights.

So I’m left paying for an internet connection that teeters somewhere between 1.0 and 10.0 megabytes per second. Unfortunately, as pictured above, the needle teeters around 1 meg most of the time. Due to this issue alone I’m planning on staying at another Marriott on my next trip to the area.

Tags: Marriott

This is very welcome news coming from Marriott. Yes, they are going totally smoke free in all of their hotels starting in September.

I know I’ve dealt with the stress of accidentally being assigned a smoking room when rooms are tight at a hotel or when I make a last minute reservation. So that’s one less worry and one more chance that I’ll have a pleasurable business travel experience. I’m sure this move will save Marriott in maintenance costs as well. Smoking in rooms definitely shortens the life of the paint, carpet and furniture.

According to Marriott’s press release, “The new policy includes all guest rooms, restaurants, lounges, meeting rooms, public space and employee work areas.”

I was thinking about this recently and wondering why hotel chains weren’t going the total no smoking route. Now that Marriott has taken the lead I’m sure that other chains will follow.

Tags: Marriott, Travel, Lodging

Marriott reports that their Renaissance Hotels brand will offer free parking for hybrid vehicle drivers between now and the end of the year.

According to the Marriott press release,”Effective now through December 31, 2006, guests staying, attending a meeting or dining in the restaurant at a participating Renaissance can park their hybrid for free.”

I don’t happen to drive a hybrid vehicle, but this is a nice way to encourage hybrid owners to drive up and spend some time at a Renaissance brand hotel.

Tags: Marriott,  Renaissance Hotels

Identifying Information

Marriott Brand: JW Marriott
Location: Tucson, AZ
Property Web Page: JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa

Critique of the Property

Common Areas: A large resort located in the secluded desert foothills. Significant common areas including a huge patio and pool area with a view of the city of Tucson to the east.

Guest Rooms: Stayed in a Luxury Suite that consisted of a regular king bed room connected to a double sized room that included a murphy bed, living area, large dining table, a bathroom and kitchenette. The king room portion of the suite included a balcony with a hill side view. Marble baths with separate tub and shower.

Other Amenities: Bath robes and a small courtesy refrigerator in each room. Wired, high speed internet access and long distance phone service available for $9.95 per day. On site amenities also include Golf, Spa Services and Horseback Riding. A free tequila toast hosted by the Beverage Manager everyday at 5:30 PM. On site valet parking is $15 per day.

Things To Watch Out For: Cellular phone service is spotty due to the remote location. You’ll need a car if you want to get around the Tucson area as the hotel is several miles from the center of town. The desert location is very hot in the summer.

Staff: Lots of staff. Valets and hotel staff very helpful. One bellman hunted down a beer bottle opener and brought it to my room on request.

What’s Nearby?

Not much due to the location in the desert foothills. Tucson Mountain Park trails are adjacent to the hotel. Starr Pass Country Club shares space with the hotel. Downtown Tucson is approximately five miles away.

Restaurants: Four onsite restaurants and lounges plus a Starbucks satellite location. Including a poolside bar called Plunge. An Italian restaurant called Primo and a very nice tequila bar that faces the huge patio.

Other Marriotts: None

Other Hotels: None

Tags: Marriott, JW Marriott, Travel