Red Room Chronicles

Okay, perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic with the title. But Marriott is now publishing three blogs on a regular basis. And they have a YouTube channel.

Chairman Bill Marriott’s Marriott on the Move blog (link - rss) was started first. Then a few months ago Brad Nelson launched Marriott in the Kitchen (link - rss) to highlight the culinary experience. More recently Marriott created a site to highlight the drastic design changes coming to Courtyard Hotels. Go Courtyard (link - rss) features lots of videos showing the design upgrades in action at a hotel in Virginia and a blog written by Brian King. Brian is the Global Brand Manager for Courtyard Hotels.

I used to get most of my news on Marriott from press releases and news items captured from around the web. That’s all changed now that Marriott is publishing via these new media channels.

I’ve just booked a stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota for next month. I’m bringing the family along and I’m very excited. I have not been writing because I simply haven’t been traveling on business for months. This is a welcome leisure trip.

My brother lives in the Sarasota area and I decided to head down for a visit with my wife and daughter to get a little taste of the sun and sand. I searched for Marriott hotels in the area but couldn’t find anything close to the beach. Then I did a check at the Ritz-Carlton website.

The hotel is on the bay but guests have full access to an awesome beach club a couple of miles away. Check out the aerial view below.

View Larger Map

I plan on taking pictures and a short video or two of the hotel and beach club to share here when I get back.

I’ve talked about this before but the discussion is continuing. Jeremiah posts about the future of hotel websites.

Small chains are smart to create a different kind of internet experience for their customers. Big chains like Marriott should do the same thing. Time to get the hotel wiki going!

I don’t travel with the family too often but this week is one of those trips. We’re out in Los Angeles for a wedding that took place yesterday.

Since my wife and I have a two year old daughter accomodations can be tricky. A child at that age needs lots of snacks and lots of naps. As a result I decided to reserve at a Residence Inn.

The Residence Inn Beverly Hills is the only Residence Inn brand hotel in the Los Angeles area, although there are a number of Marriott properties around the town. The in room kitchenette is a must if you’re traveling with little ones.

The hotel staff provided us with a small ‘pack and play’ type crib so our daughter is set for sleeping accomodations. The studios here are smaller than the average Residence Inn property so nap time for daughter means nap time for mommy and daddy. Next time we’ll get a one bedroom.

The onsite included breakfast is a bonus for the family too. With so much to handle during the day it’s nice to know that we can get up and have a meal ready for us before we start the day.

More on the hotel and surrounding area in the next post.

I couldn’t find my usual accommodations near Kennett Square, PA so I find myself in a new Marriott. This week its the Courtyard Newark - University of Delaware.

This Courtyard is very nice. Looks and feels new. Free coffee in the very large lobby just past the registration desk.

When I booked I didn’t realize that this would literally be right no campus. I immediately had visions of the film Animal House as I pulled up. Noise is a nightmare for this business traveler. Thankfully things appear to be quiet.

Getting here was a real pain from Kennett Square. No real direct routes from that way. Somehow I missed one turn and I was in farm country. I’ll surely be studying the online map before setting off back to my client tomorrow morning.

The grace of heaven has lead me to the Residence Inn Saddle River. Sounds dramatic I know but what a day!

I started by driving from Woodstock, NY to Newark Airport. Once at the airport I was on and then off a flight to Atlanta on Continental Airlines.

It became evident around 4:30PM that no one was going anywhere so I got in line with the masses to try to get a refund on my flight. After waiting a frustratingly long period of time on line I decided to make a dash for the Continental President’s Club at Terminal A in Newark Airport. I’m not a member but the $45 day access fee was worth it to save a heck of a lot of time. The agent there spent almost an hour on hold waiting for them to finish my refund.

In the meantime I got some coffee and set up at a workstation. I canceled my reservation at the Courtyard Executive Park in Atlanta.

At around 7:30PM I decided to get moving. The airport monorail system was closed at Newark. Luckily my parking lot was near Terminal A. The short walk got pretty long while trying to walk down and unshoveled walkway in the midst of an ice storm. I departed the parking lot at 8PM.

I had decided to drive part of the way home and get a hotel. The roads are beyond treacherous right now. Snow and freezing rain are everywhere. As a result the 1 hour drive from Newark Airport to Saddle River was a white knuckle affair. My knuckles turning white gripping the steering wheel while knuckleheads in four wheel drive vehicles and tractor trailers careened through inches of ice and snow.

There are quite a few small hotels along Route 17 in New Jersey. Most of them are probably less expensive than the $103 AAA rate here at the Residence Inn. I knew what I would get here though. The theme of this evening is peace of mind. Sometimes the peace of mind of a brand is a really good thing. And my wife and mom have the peace of mind knowing that I’m off the road and safe for the evening.

This week is a busy one for me and Marriott. I’ve been at the Renaissance Chicago O’ Hare hotel for the past two nights. Starting Monday I’ll be staying at a Residence Inn down in Houston, TX.

I’m hanging with a small group here and we got ourselves a meeting suite on the 12th floor with a nice wraparound view. Why not check it out for yourself?

I’m just settling in to a nice room with a king sized bed at the Renaissance Houston Hotel. I’m very tired and really looking forward to it!

The title of the post is the tagline for the Courtyard Houston Brookhollow hotel. Maybe it’s the after dark arrival but it doesn’t seem that charming. But it’s clean and they have the new Marriott blue and gold carpeting and bed coverings. The mattresses appear to be pretty new as well. Internet access is speedy at 500kps.

Something was going on in Houston this week and I couldn’t get anywhere near downtown. So I’m out on the West Loop trying out a new Marriott. Looks like there are a couple of Mexican restaurants across the street. I’ll be heading over for a couple of tacos shortly.

I checked in to the Courtyard San Francisco yesterday and have a nice view of the Bay Bridge I wanted to share.