Courtyard by Marriott Boulder Broomfield

We got caught in a blizzard on our way home, and the staff helped us out during the stay. The location is excellent and easy to reach. The rooms are cozy, although you can hear through the walls a bit. It was a great stay, and we’ll come back when we’re in town.

I had an unexpected family emergency the night before arriving and couldn’t give the required 24 hours’ cancellation notice for my reservation. I was willing to reschedule, but they refused. I know cancellation rules exist for a reason, yet I’d hoped for some understanding given the situation. Emergencies can’t be planned, and a little flexibility or basic empathy would have meant a lot and might have earned them a repeat customer. That wasn’t how it went. The staff came across as robots with no compassion. I strongly suggest booking somewhere else.

We drove straight through for 13 hours and got there at 2am, but check-in wasn’t until 4pm, so I needed to pay for the previous night to get a room. The usual rate was $113, but they charged $144, plus an upfront $40 incidentals deposit whether the room was left in good shape or not. Three nights came to $540. There was no hot tub, no small breakfast, and no housekeeping during the stay. There are plenty of other hotels. I booked through a third party and tried to switch from a long bed to two queens, offering to pay the difference. They hassled me over it, saying the booking was nonrefundable and couldn’t be canceled, though I wasn’t asking to cancel. I spent an hour on the phone and had to ask for a manager. Eventually they changed my room. Update: I checked my account and saw a $161 charge instead of $144. He said it was the deposit. I explained there was already a separate $40 deposit, and because they treated this as two stays rather than early check-in, they charged that deposit twice. I was told to dispute it. Lol.

Our hockey team was here for a tournament, and the lobby worked especially well for the kids. There are little TV nooks where teams can hang out without taking over the whole space. Plus they hand out free nachos when you walk in. Money!