Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Toronto Airport

The staff were friendly at both check-in and checkout, and someone was always keeping the lobby floors clear of salt and ice after the recent snowfall. The hotel isn’t new, but it was in good shape. It’s close to the airport, with covered parking available, though $30 a night feels steep. Our room was clean and a good size. The bed was okay, and the shower had great pressure and temperature. The TV sound and remote barely worked. We ate at the restaurant once, where the two staff members were clearly rushed off their feet. Kudos to those two gentlemen for doing their best with how busy it was.

The shuttle service was the biggest problem. It took over 30 minutes to arrive, and our friends later saw the first shuttle drive right past without stopping, even though it wasn’t full. They waited another half hour. In the morning, we booked the shuttle for the time we needed and were downstairs with ten other people, but it arrived full. Four of us crowded on and stood, while the rest waited 20 minutes for pickup and then had a 10 minute ride. Shuttle loading and airport wait times need better monitoring. If you stay during a busy airport period, book well ahead of when you need to leave. The hotel is a decent place near the airport, with a fair price. We had two rooms, but the person who booked hadn’t put my name on the second one, so they wouldn’t let us check in until that person arrived. Keep that in mind if you’re arriving at different times. Our rooms were ready early, which would have been a bonus if we’d been allowed to check in. The hot tub was closed for maintenance, though the booking only mentioned pool maintenance and could have been clearer. Dinner was good but nothing fancy, served in a small, busy area by the bar. The younger guy gave us the worst service of the stay, while an older guy who was a teacher gave us the best service later when we went for a drink. A huge snowstorm a couple of days before our arrival made it cold and snowy, otherwise we could easily have taken the fast train downtown from the airport. I’d recommend staying here for an airport overnight.

Breakfast was very good, and the staff there were nice and attentive. Check-in itself was fine, and the stay was good value, but I probably wouldn’t return. The room felt worn and wasn’t cleaned well. There were several pieces of gum on the carpet, smears all over the desk, and stained walls, including a drywall repair that hadn’t been repainted or wallpapered. The beds were clean and comfortable, and the bathroom was clean too. I hadn’t realized parking cost $30 a night, as I didn’t see that on the website. Housekeeping was vacuuming at 9 pm and kept hitting our door with the vacuum, waking our baby just after he’d fallen asleep. The next morning, someone knocked at 8:30 and woke him from his first nap. When I answered, she said, “Just checking,” then walked away. The front desk only said sorry and shrugged when we mentioned it. At checkout, we also needed help because we didn’t know we needed the room key to exit the parking garage.

I slept really well, and the room was nice. The staff were attentive and quick to respond, though the TV channel selection was limited. The curtains were too thin, so a lot of light came in, especially with the airport so close. I was tired enough that it didn’t stop me sleeping. This was an overnight stay after my flight was canceled. I got up early for my next flight and missed the complimentary breakfast, but have nothing else bad to report. Checkout was the fastest I’ve ever had at a hotel.