Surety Hotel, Autograph Collection

The evening we checked in, I began taking pictures to post here, and the hostess was so sweet about suggesting other spots and angles. She made us feel welcome. The view was so lovely I could hardly sleep, I kept looking out the windows. The whole hotel has a romantic, historic feel, and even smells nice. There’s a pretty espresso bar for the morning, along with an amazing breakfast menu. Just beautiful.

After the system failed at a nearby Marriott property, we were sent over from there. The service at that other place had been frustrating, so when we arrived at the Surety, the excellent staff immediately put us at ease. Ross and Tellah at the front desk checked us in quickly and went over the amenities. The lobby is distinctive and beautiful, just what we enjoy about Autograph Collections. The valet team was wonderful and accommodating too. I loved the historic character of the building and our room’s wood floors, unusual built-ins, and view of the lovely courthouse. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable, and I appreciated having proper comforters or duvets instead of a thin stack of sheets. The bathroom products smelled amazing and felt top quality. Mulberry Street Tavern is attached and was fabulous for both breakfast and dinner. I have no complaints about the property or its staff, and I’ll choose this hotel again.

I moved rooms three times, and each time they called it an upgrade. As a Titanium Elite member, I’m used to getting upgrades on arrival, but all three rooms were the same size. The only difference was where the phone had been plugged in. For someone who travels a lot, good sleep is the main thing I need from a hotel, and this was one of the three worst Marriott properties I’ve stayed at. I’ve had better rooms at low end places. Very disappointing. The front desk clerk was great and brought new keys so I could switch rooms at 11:30 PM, but the temperature problem followed me. Outside was below freezing, yet the rooms felt like 72-75 degrees. The thermostat said 63F after I turned it down, and later showed 67 when set to 60. I was sweating while uncovered on the bed, so I don’t believe those readings. It seems there’s a heating and air issue, and guests may not be able to control the room temperature. There were other problems too. Before I even reached the front door, someone propositioned me to accommodate people living on the street. The underground parking is a maze in a separate building, and whether you use it or the adjacent lot, you pay $32 to self park and then walk outside in the weather. Trains passed several times overnight, mixed in with local emergency sirens. I also stepped on a nail head sticking up through the rug. The towels were extremely thin and airy. If you drink enough from the overpriced minibar, maybe you’ll sleep. For a decent place to rest, or even a complimentary bottle of water at check-in, go somewhere else.

We first came to the Surety for a nearby wedding, then returned a few years later for the bride’s funeral. The visits carried very different emotions, but the hotel stay was consistently good. It has a cool mix of old and new, and the staff and management were especially accommodating when several of us stayed recently. We had lunch at the restaurant around 1:58p for a group of about 6-8, even though service was due to end at 2p. The server took care of us. Later, one of the GMs, Tim?, said they were looking at removing that time limit. (Sorry if I’ve got the name wrong.) He came by later that night to see how we were doing, was courteous, and offered a free round. Some of us accepted. We hope to come back and wish this location well.