Marriott Hotels and Resorts is an American based company that offers hotels throughout the world mainly through a franchise agreement.
I have stayed in many Marriott’s throughout the UK, Europe and also in the USA and have always found them to be a good standard of hotel providing excellent facilities, accommodation and courteous staff. There are different types and standards of Marriott hotel including Marriott marquis which are the crème de la crème of the chain as well as the cheaper and more cost effective Marriott Courtyard brand in addition to the Renaissance brand and Marriott time share opportunities. As most of my Marriott experiences are based on the standard Marriott hotels I will concentrate on that brand here!!
Who are Marriott aiming for?
I would say that the majority of Marriott’s customer base comes from the business end of the market as many of their hotels tend to be in city centres making them very convenient for business travelers. In addition many couples as well as families tend to stay in the hotels including tourists in many of the main cities around the world.
How to book?
The best way that I have found to book Marriott hotels is by using the Marriott website which offers Marriott’s guarantee that you won’t find a cheaper or better deal anywhere else including travel agent and although
I have shopped around for better prices, I have always found this to be true.
In searching for hotels, you are able to search by location including major city and country and each hotel then has it’s own mini site which offers the following information allowing you to make an informed decision about your choice of hotel:
Local attractions (including tourist sites, businesses including travelling times and distances)
Hotel facilities including information about dining and drinking, sports and relaxation facilities etc.
You can then search your chosen hotel by the date that you want to visit and the website will offer you a range of options of the types of rooms available.
Price?
The price of each hotel does vary quite dramatically with cities such as New York asking much higher prices than smaller European cities for example but when staying at Marriott’s in Germany I have tended to pay around 100 Euros per night which equates to approx £60 for room only (this is for either a double or king room).
If you can vary your dates you will often pick up some great deals. For example I visited Brussels a couple of years ago and their quiet season is the summer (when the parliament is out of session) and managed to pick up a double room inc breakfast for 2 for under 75 Euros per night.
Some room rates have breakfast included and some don’t so it’s up to you to pick which option suits you best!
In the USA find several Marriott’s in all major cities including usually a great range of price options and budgets dependent upon which category of hotel you stay in making them a viable option for most travelers regardless of budget.
In Europe Marriott are growing in popularity and in most German, French and UK cities you will usually find a Marriott (or very similar owned and operated Renaissance hotel) in the city! In the north of England for example there is a Marriott Hotel in Leeds and a Renaissance property in Manchester.
The main part of any hotel stay is always the hotel room and it is a bit hard to summarise lots of hotels into one but here goes!
One of the main things that I can tell you about Marriott Hotels is that they have designed what they call the ‘hotel room that works’ which has been designed to meet the needs of business and leisure travelers all around the world through extensive consultation.
The rooms are all spacious, very clean and modernly decorated featuring either one king bed or two doubles and featuring large. Spacious and airy bathrooms that offer lots of towels as well as bath and shower. Some have heated bathroom floors and or heat lamp.
Here’s a lost of things that are usually standard in any Marriott room:
TV featuring pay per movies and international (free) TV including news and sports channels. You can also use the TV to access local information such as culture and shopping as well as check out and bill enquiries.
All rooms have air conditioning and heating that works very well
The bathrooms all feature shaving mirror and hairdryer as well as very good amenity kits such as soap, shampoo and there is usually a sewing kit in the room
Clothes washing and dry cleaning services are availed and although I have never tried these personally the prices always look quite reasonable.
Most rooms that I have stayed in also feature some of the following:
Ice bucket (and ice machine on each floor)
In room electronic safe (you can store any goods at reception)
Marriott Rewards is the chain’s rewards system and points are collected per hotel stay. You can log onto the Marriott website you can sign up and they will send you a collector card.
There are three tiers of membership (entry level, silver and gold) which entitle you to a variety of offers) such ass complimentary upgrades, guaranteed reservations and discounts in Marriott Hotels stores. As with most bonus schemes, the higher the level, the better the offers.
To achieve Silver level you need to stay a minimum of 50 nights per year in Marriott Hotels and this then provides you with a dedicated help and booking line. I recently stayed at a Marriott Hotel in Germany and received a c complimentary fruit basket and wine in my hotel room as a silver card holder which was a very nice touch!
When you book online you can enter your Marriott Rewards number and points will be automatically added to your account in approximately 10 working days. I must admit though that I have frequently had to chase the points as they have not been automatically added. Again log onto the website site an there is a form that you can download and fax to Marriott in London along with a copy of your hotel when points will be added.
Points accrued can be saved to use against free nights in hotels and can be collected through Marriott partners including Hertz car hire for example. You can also have your points converted to other collector schemes. For example, I collect mine with Airmails so that I cam gain free flights around the world!!
Hotel facilities:
The facilities offered by Marriott Hotels are pretty standard throughout the chain and also mirror many of their competitors and include:
Bar featuring late night opening with specialty cocktails
Restaurants featuring local and international specialty cuisine
24 hour room service including breakfast and some snack food served in the bar
Afternoon tea and coffee served in the lounge
Hotel shop offering gifts as well as essentials (may also be available through the hotel concierge)
Rooms for guests with disabilities (I have never viewed these but I know that the hotels can provide more information as required.
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Other facts??
Most Marriott in Europe offer some car parking although this tends to be expensive and you are best to book in advance.
The best factors of Marriott hotels?
The communal areas of the hotels are always impeccably clean and well maintained with luxurious wooden and marble finish and are fully accessible with lifts etc to people with disabilities
Facilities? The hotels often feature a gym and sometimes a pool as well as access to hairdressers etc if they are both provided.
The gym are usually open from early in the morning until late at night free of charge and are well stocked with modern equipment and well trained staff
The security is always very good and I always feel safe using Marriott Hotels
I have always found the staff to be pleasant, courteous articulate and knowledgeable and always willing to help in any way they can and at the end of the day that helps whether or business or holiday!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
You and a friend can spend the day at the?modern and elegant?Leeds Marriott Hotel. Located ... more
in the heart of Leeds city centre, this hotel is the?perfect location for a?welcome break from a busy schedule. Feel the burn in a heart-pumping gym session, or ...
Information:
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
You and a friend can spend the day at the?modern and elegant?Leeds Marriott Hotel. Located ... more
in the heart of Leeds city centre, this hotel is the?perfect location for a?welcome break from a busy schedule. Feel the burn in a heart-pumping gym session, or ...
Information:
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This elegant and modern 4-star hotel has a superb location in the heart of the city ... more
centre, only a short walk from the train station and all that Leeds has to offer.The Leeds Marriott Hotel is just a short walk from the famous shopping area of the Vict...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Jan 3rd, 2005
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (97%):
