Courtyard by Marriott Marina del Rey

We really appreciated that this hotel welcomes dogs, and the marina views are lovely. There’s plenty within walking distance, and both the restaurant and bar were wonderful. Service around the property was great too. Our room was only so-so. A lamp was broken and never replaced after we mentioned it, and the curtains were damaged. We were told they cost too much to fix. The TV switched on by itself around 3:00 a.m., and the curtains opened on their own around then too. That made for a rough night, especially with a baby. If you’re coming with an infant or toddler, they only have a Pack ’n Play, not a full crib, so you may want to bring one. We had a good stay overall, but the room maintenance needs attention.

The room was fantastic, though I did notice a few dirty spots on the walls. There’s a full lap pool and a large gym, and the hotel shares a big lobby with the Residence Inn. The restaurant bar looks over the marina, plus there’s another bar with separate private areas. It has a real resort feel. Valet parking is required and costs $49, which I hated. There’s public parking a few blocks away for $10 if you’d rather do that. I’m also frustrated with Marriott’s destination amenity fees and coupon book benefits. I used the $20 food and beverage credit from the fee, but it never showed up on my account. They said it doesn’t credit if you check out on the mobile app. I’m still trying to get a refund, though I’m not counting that against this location. Really great hotel.

The room wasn’t what we were promised. There wasn’t a real balcony, just a door opening onto what looked like one, with no room to step outside. The staff were unfriendly and not helpful, and the whole visit felt frustrating and unprofessional. They accused my kids of being too loud and said three different guests had complained. We were playing 80s music at a normal volume. Other rooms’ TVs were louder than us, so maybe the place needs better soundproofing instead of blaming families for having fun. I asked the manager to come up while the music was on and hear it herself, but no one came. I have a video of my kids singing to an 80s song, and I showed it to the Manager and asked if it was loud and why she hadn’t come up. She just said she was sorry. At the restaurant, I had an important phone call to take. We’d already finished dinner, but they still insisted that my kid sign the bill even though I was right there. When I asked the manager why they thought I’d left, the answer made no sense. They just said they thought I was gone. For what we paid, it wasn’t worth it. Between the misleading room description, poor service, and lack of accountability, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel or stay again. Stay at another Marriot. I Haven't called customer service yet.

This place is right by the park, about a 5 minute walk to the beach, then 15 minutes to the muscle beach area of Venice beach and another 10-15 to Santa Monica pier. The rooms were nice, and the staff were fantastic, polite and responsive. The Courtyard and Residence Inn are joined together, and they work better as a pair. This is the nicest Courtyard property Marriott has, and it doesn’t feel like the usual cookie cutter version. I’ve stayed three times, and on two of those visits there was a bathroom maintenance problem. One time the toilet kept running, and the last time the shower knob was stripped and wouldn’t turn on or off properly.