Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel

We barely slept because the rooms have almost no sound insulation. We could hear the neighbours’ conversations word for word, along with their toilet flushing, sink running, and blinds moving. We’re not light sleepers, and the ear plugs left beside the bed were a clue. The hotel itself is very nice, in a great location, with great staff. The gym is well equipped, including dumbbells up to 70 lbs and plenty of cardio machines. One other thing, the bathroom door doesn’t offer much privacy, so I wouldn’t choose a basic king room if sharing with someone other than a partner.

The room key stopped working, and it turned out the door battery had expired. They apparently don’t do preventative maintenance, so guests can get locked out. Security came up, but couldn’t let me in until engineering arrived. Oy vey. The front desk clerk initially kept insisting it was my fault because I’d put the key next to my phone 🫣 qqq

The hotel connects to many downtown buildings by skywalk, and the city center location puts lots of good restaurants nearby. The room was a decent size, but amenities were bare bones. There was just one small tube of hand lotion, and I later found out you have to ask the front desk for anything else. That feels cheap. Marriott pushes membership too hard. Non-members don’t get free wifi or late check-out, which is a big no for me these days. The staff were friendly enough, though I didn’t feel they went out of their way to help. It was fine for a stay.

After an exhausting day of travel, the reception staff’s kindness meant a lot to me. I had booked the other Residence Inn by the airport, but accidentally sent my Uber here. They called the other hotel and got my reservation cancelled without a charge so I could stay at this one. I was so grateful I teared up. The service at the restaurant on floor 3 was superb too. I get lonely and homesick when I travel, and this felt like the best home away from home I could have hoped for. I’ll stay here whenever I’m in Calgary. Thank you to the Marriott staff for being so courteous and kind.