Courtyard by Marriott Denver South/Park Meadows Mall

I came from AZ and had never experienced snow before, so my first impression of Denver became part of a core memory. The Marriott and business travel go together for me now. From check-in through checkout, the staff were friendly, professional, and ready to help. Awesome job, guys!

The room was incredibly clean, and maybe I'm delirious after the drive, but this was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. The shower was nice, though the curtain was too short and water got onto the floor. You have to pay for parking, I think about 10 bucks. The hotel is beside the highway, so cars can be heard on two sides of the building. The staff here were very nice and did everything they could to fix the reservation issue. Don't book by phone through the registration office. I arrived at 11:30 after 14 hours of driving, and they had made the reservation jointly under my girlfriend and another name they couldn't identify, instead of mine. The guy who took the booking had repeated my last name back to me and entered my email correctly, but still got the name wrong. It took 30-40 minutes for the desk attendant to straighten it out and get us into a room. That delay was frustrating, though it wasn't the hotel's staff's fault.

The room was clean and the stay itself was fine, but the parking fee still annoys me. They now charge $10.50 a day without doing anything to make the lot different or safer. On the second night of my four-night stay, several cars had their windows smashed and belongings stolen. I watched the owners deal with police and glass replacement companies before they could leave. Thankfully, my car wasn't broken into, but charging for parking while taking no responsibility for car safety feels messed up. What is the daily fee for? I came back because I'd had a wonderful stay here about a year earlier. This time, the hot tub was nice but always too crowded to use. The photos show the broken glass left on the pavement that morning.

The bed was so firm that I got sore and ended up buying a heating pad, and the lighting in the room was dim, especially over the mirror. The bathroom had the only bright LED light, but there wasn't a mirror in there. At first the hotel seemed basic and out in the middle of nowhere. It turned out everything we might need was within a mile or two. The setting was quiet, with no heavy traffic, people hanging around, or loud noise at night. I was here for business, and my room was quiet and very clean. There was free Wi-Fi with an optional upgrade, plus a pool, hot tub, and exercise room.