Hartford Marriott Downtown

I am surprised that there are so many rave reviews. This hotel certainly doesn't deserve a bad review-but the rave reviews made me think we would have an entirely different experience. The rooms are quite dated, carpeted, old dressers and desks, old fashioned light switches (I haven't seen those in a while!) and the lined shower tray in the shower that gets quite slipper. And the mattress is rock hard. I don't quite know how they could make them that way-no give. The walls are also quite thin-any noise in the hallway feels like it is happening in your room. And it is the kind of place that is filled with people (parties, etc), who aren't really going to concern themselves with your good night's sleep. Lots of laughing, yelling, slamming doors all night. This hotel is also attached to a convention center. Before book, you might want to check what event is being held there. This weekend it was a massive dance competition. So the hotel was completely over run with girls under 12 in costumes and their moms. Obviously, they have every right to be there-but they made the bar unusable. Every seat, every barstool, was taken at lunch time by this crowd, and by the time we returned for a nightcap at 10pm, the bar and bar area was so filthy we decided to skip it. On a positive note, the staff everywhere was fantastic. Friendly, professional and efficient. We enjoyed the restaurant in the hotel for breakfast and when we did find space to have a late lunch at the bar, the food was very good.

Despite being Titanium members, we were given a room and a floor that was totally under construction. The hallway reeked of chemicals. The hallway was covered in grit, paint, and the walls lined with construction machinery. Entryway required a room key to get into hotel WHEN WE ARRIVED, meaning that we couldn't get into the building without reaching security. We eventually changed rooms but the entire building had the smell of chemicals. They clearly should have told people this when booking.

Location

Outdated and too expensive

We stayed at this hotel while my husband was attending a conference, so this is more of a business/couples stay. It was a perfectly nice hotel. I don't think there was anything particularly special about it. We had a nice view of the river. The room was clean. It has a few minor imperfections in the upkeep like chipped paint of wallpaper that wasn't flush, but nothing serious or really off putting. The lobby is nice. There is a Starbucks in the lobby with a lot of seating. The hotel connects directly to the conference center so you never have to go outside to get there, which my husband always prefers. I ordered room service a couple times and it was prompt and the food was good. I ordered delivery a few times and it was always conveniently left at a couple spots in the lobby. Easy to retrieve. We ate at the restaurant one time and it was good. The gentleman making the omelets had some impressive skills and did a good job. The house keeping staff was friendly and prompt. I've stayed in a lot of hotels in the past couple years and it often seems to be a problem with housekeeping being slow, or coming very late, or not at all - but that was not the case here. They were very predictable in their schedule. They were always done by the time I came back in the afternoon and wanted to relax. I used the gym several times and it seemed clean and well maintained. I did not use the pool, but from what I saw of it it also seems very clean and well maintained. The pillows were better than most hotels, but the mattress was too hard. Both my husband and I had backpain and I heard other people mentioning the same problem. There is some noise from other rooms. I mostly heard this during the day. At night we always use a portable white noise machine and I can't say I was bothered by anything inside or out. The A/C seems to be motion activated which caused the room to sometimes be too warm and made controlling the temperature difficult. There is a small shop in the lobby selling essentials you may have forgotten and snacks, etc. Which is good because it is a bit of a walk to find somewhere to go and there don't appear to be any real pharmacies or groceries nearby. The location is pretty good. Near the river. Attached to the convention center. Walking distance to some restaurants (but they're fairly mediocre places honestly). I walked around a lot and found the area safe during the day to walk around alone. There is a free shuttle bus that stops under the hotel/convention center you could ride instead if desired. I didn't try it, but I did see it frequently. I was able to walk easily to the Wadsworth Museum, the Ancient Burial Ground, Bushnell Park, etc. I believe you can also get down to the riverwalk, etc. but I never got around to it. My husband and his colleagues went out to eat after work most days and would walk places. They felt safe walking in groups after dark, but not alone. I only went for one of these evening dinners, and while it did seem to be largely safe, it does get more interesting after dark. Overall, it's a comfortable place to stay if you're in town for business or pleasure.

Location

We went to the 22 floor pool at 9:00 PM with my children to spend some family time together, and there was another family there doing the same enjoying a quiet time. That is, until a group of eight adults arrived with a dozen children and proceeded to smoke hookah, drink alcohol, play music, and record videos. The security guard came over, took a look, but didn't even open the pool door; he simply didn't care about what was happening in a closed. We feel unsafe and uncomfortable and both left for safety concerns.

Location

Rooms were lacking basic traveler needs, no slippers, no gown, no proper toilitries.