I'm on the fence rating SEVEN GABLES INN a 3, when my gut is saying 2. It's just not anything near to its Marriott advertising/promo. I've stayed at 3 Marriott Tribute Portfolio Collection hotels in as many months, and each was disappointing in a number of ways. But I'll try be fair.
Our "Larger Studio King" came in at $1,018.12 total for a Friday through Sunday stay (3 nights, Fri. @$280, Sat & Sun @ $297 plus taxes, plus $9 daily to self-park across the street in an unsecured lot, and some unknown amount to use the in-room safe, which required a credit card to use - I skipped that!) So at these rates, It's reasonable to expect excellent quality. Room 318 was spacious, with an "open plan" that included a seating area w/sofa & tv, reading chair, then the bed occupying the lion's share of the room, plus a large bathroom. TOTO washlet toilet seat was an appealing feature there. There was a coffee maker w/capsules, but we had to ask for replacements after our first night & morning, since they ignored that little jog in the living area when they tidied up the 2nd day. The mini refrigerator had no freezer, and when we asked the desk the location of their ice machine, were told there is none in the hotel. We asked for luggage racks since there was insufficient surfaces on which to place luggage. We don't like to empty everything out on arrival, even for three nights. Not possible, no luggage racks in this hotel. One closet had a few hangers, the other had none. Had to call down again to have more delivered.
We slept fine and the room was quiet enough once we shut off the air conditioning, which is very loud. I don't like to feel as if I'm on a transatlantic flight with the engine droning on when I'm in a hotel. If you like white noise, this wouldn't affect you. I can't tolerate it, so...the building must be fairly well insulated as our room stayed comfortable all night. We dropped the a/c down when we were out of the room, to keep it cool, but shut it off whenever we were in the room. Tried but couldn't open any windows (there were four small windows in this unit). Had to ask for a 2nd robe, and there were no slippers as listed among the amenities.
A problem in this building that is on the National Register of Historic Buildings is that there are very few wall outlets, so we had to switch out our devices often. There was one multi-connect electric plug-in on one side of our bed, but not on the 2nd nightstand. This would have been useful. Being an antique building, the floors and the bathroom door creaked loudly, a problem in the middle of the night when one of us rose to use the bathroom. No way NOT to wake up your partner. Can't remember the last time I wish I'd brought along some WD40.
At breakfast downstairs (independent of the in-house restaurant "Seven" that appears to be an independent operation) it was basic Marriott motel fare, though numerous Marriott suite hotel properties like Springhill Suites offer far better breakfast options. Today (our 2nd morning) there was no fruit when we got to the dining space. There had been our first day. "Do you have any more fruit?" Sorry, we're told, there was a large party in here before you and they ate all we had. WIth still an hour to go on breakfast service, you're already out of our breakfast main? The dining staff person, to her credit, rustled up one orange and one apple, and a half hour later returned with a small fruit salad. Okay, and appreciated, but this should have been in the buffet when we arrived.
The photos advertising this place are misleading; the rooms feel far more well used than they appear. Nothing says "special", and so why Marriott is trying to sell this "boutique hotel" idea when they have neither the quality nor the staffing to sustain this is frustrating. At these prices, I would like a bell hop to handle luggage; I'd like the front desk staff to be professionally dressed, not looking like they were hanging out at home on a weekend; I'd like a European-style buffet breakfast that offers variety and that is well tended, and (for the price) an upgrade from any Interstate-adjacent chain hotel. And that brings to mind a plus: the location of the Seven Gables is good, away from Interstate noise and dense retail strip traffic. There are numerous restaurants within a short walk, though nothing that could be called fine dining. Enough to satisfy, though.
So, final assessment: very overpriced for what they offer. Just not worth the extra $100 a night over the typical Marriott properties. This property is poorly staffed. While there are bodies on hand, and they were helpful to the degree they could be, they're not particularly interested and show no signs at all of having any pride of place. It's a hotel trading on the nostalgia of vintage mid-century city hotels, but it has no foundation for that. Definitely would not return.
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