Red Room Chronicles

Identifying Information
Marriott Brand: Marriott Hotels
Location: Ontario, California
Property Web Page: Ontario Airport Marriott

Critique of the Property
Common Areas: Different than the usual Marriott brand layout. A three story hotel with a large, lobby/lounge area and an open stairway to all three floors. Rooms are centered around a courtyard where the pool is located. There is a small convenience store next to a small gym.

Guest Rooms: Stayed in a room with two double beds. The bedding has recently been upgraded to the new and much more comfortable style.

Other Amenities: There’s an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi. There is a small exercise room straight back from the lobby entrance. Wired internet access costs $10 per day.

Things To Watch Out For: As with every low property, try to get a room on the top floor. The hotel is very long so rooms far from the elevator are a long walk. There’s a train that passes nearby on the airport side that could be disturbing late at night.

Staff: Nice and helpful when I requested a room change at check in. Service in the restaurant and bar was glacial.

What’s Nearby?
The hotel is located very close to the Ontario Airport and right across the street from the Ontario Convention Center.

Restaurants: Pacific Grille (on site), D Street Bar (on site) In and Out Burger, Wendy’s, Marie Callendar, Rosa’s

Other Marriotts: Residence Inn Ontario Airport

Other Hotels: Sheraton, Ayers Suites, Doubletree

Tags: Marriott

Identifying Information
Marriott Brand: Marriott Hotels
Location: Houston, TX
Property Web Page: Marriott Houston Westchase

Critique of the Property
Common Areas: Not your average Marriott design since it’s a converted Adam’s Mark hotel. Features a unique 10 story atrium as the lobby complete with trees. Two of the five elevator banks are glass and face out into the atrium. There’s a fitness center with a large cardio area and a pool that’s open from 5AM - 11PM. There is a pub, restaurant, lounge and coffee shop all adjacent to the atrium/lobby area.

Guest Rooms: I’ve stayed here a few times. The rooms are typically Marriott with the standard bedding and decor that you see in all hotels in the Marriott chain these days. About 25% of the rooms face inwards towards the atrium. This stay had me in a two room suite in the “01″ line. Very spacious room with a full size couch in a living area separated from the king size bed by a pair of French doors.

Other Amenities: The concierge lounge is large with plenty of tables tables. They serve a very good continental breakfast in the lounge including fruit, cereal, eggs, bacon and coffee. Plenty of free parking surrounding the hotel. The hotel has several conference rooms that are quite large.

Things To Watch Out For: Rooms facing the atrium are not very private since the folks from across the way can look into your room. There are some inward facing rooms very close to the elevator as well. These rooms are the least private of the bunch and I find them generally undesirable. There is only one bank of elevators and some of the rooms are pretty far from those elevators.

Staff: Always a large, friendly staff at the front desk when I arrive.

What’s Nearby?
The hotel is located in the Westchase district just off of Westheimer Road. This area has plenty of shopping, banks, gas stations and restaurants.

Restaurants: Republic, a Texas Grille (the in house restaurant) and The Republic Lounge are both located on the premises. The Pub at Briarkpark is also on site. There is a strip mall adjacent to the hotel that has a good variety of restaurants including Wolfgang Puck Express, Outback Steak House, Le Madeline French Bistro, Schlotsky’s Deli and more.

Other Marriotts: Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Residence Inn

Other Hotels: Hilton Houston Westchase

Tags: Marriott

Identifying Information
Marriott Brand: Marriott Hotels
Location: Springfield, MA
Property Web Page: Springfield Marriott

Critique of the Property
Common Areas: Very high end, spacious lobby with marble floors and a large chandelier. Nice sized fitness center with a good set of dumbells and nice selection of weight machines. Cardio equipment is a little dated. Large indoor pool with jacuzzi. Expansive deck and roof garden adjacent to the pool area.

Guest Rooms: Large room on the concierge level with a plush brown and red carpet. King sized bed with very comfortable bedding and a nice mattress. Six drawer armoire with TV contained inside a pair of doors, a very comfortable red easy chair. The desk and chair are very standard. Wired high speed internet access is costs $9.95 and includes local and long distance phone calls. The bathroom had a marble vanity on the sink, with the toilet and show in a very tiny separate room.

Other Amenities: The concierge lounge was typically nice although it was pretty small. Parking in the connected multi story garage is $13 a day. There’s a nice, quiet lounge adjacent to the lobby area. My room had an electric shoe buffer.

Things To Watch Out For: The bathroom is not your standard full bath, with a small sink outside of the ‘bathroom’. The actual bathroom is claustrophobically small with the toilet situated right next to the tub. The shower head was very nice, almost like an Australian style shower head.

Staff: Very friendly front desk staff. I chatted with a manager while waiting to check in.

What’s Nearby?

The Springfield downtown business district. The Basketball Hall of Fame is very close by as well. The hotel is connected to a small mall that includes a delicatessen, UPS store, Dunkin Donuts and a CVS pharmacy.

Restaurants: Currents (the in house restaurant) and Champions Sports Bar are both located on the premises.
Other Marriotts: None
Other Hotels: Sheraton Monarch Place

Tags: Marriott