Courtyard by Marriott New York JFK Airport

The woman at the Marriott Residence Inn front desk was the one bright spot. She somehow worked things out with the third-party long-term parking company after they said they were full. We had to pay for parking by the day until a space opened later in the week. She deserves five stars. The rest of this experience was the worst I’ve ever had at a hotel, and I regret booking it completely. We wanted less stress before our flights and got the opposite. I would not recommend this place at all. We’d booked two rooms well in advance for five people. On arrival, staff said they were having computer problems for half an hour, although they were checking in other guests on the computer beside us. It seemed to me they’d given our rooms away and were buying time. After some confusion, they transferred us to the Marriott Residence Inn. The parking they advertise is through a separate valet company, with conditions that weren’t explained when we booked. You have to reserve through a website in advance, but we only learned that after arriving, when it was too late. The parking wasn’t guaranteed, and it seemed they’d oversold that too. We packed our luggage back into the car and drove to the other Marriott. The replacement rooms each had only one bed, so three of us had to share one. There was no cot or usable sofa. By the time we were settled, we got barely three hours of sleep. The smoke and carbon monoxide detectors also flashed like camera flashes all night. Getting the airport shuttle on our return was another mess. First we were told to go to the departures terminal. Once we landed, they said to take the AirTrain to Federal Circle and call again. We followed those directions, but when the shuttle arrived, the driver said our names weren’t on the list. Nobody had asked our names on either call. We were lucky there was room for us; otherwise, we’d have been stranded and had to request yet another shuttle.

The convenient spot near JFK and the dependable shuttle, even at odd hours, made this a great airport hotel for us. The rooms were spacious, clean, and felt luxurious without costing too much. I stayed last December, and the staff were kind, pleasant, and informative. They really went out of their way to make the stay enjoyable. I’d choose this place again.

The bathroom counter and sink had facial or pubic hairs on them. The sheets were clean, but the mattress was much too soft. I’d asked for a high floor away from the elevator and instead got floor two right beside it. I could hear people coming and going all night, along with doors slamming, the elevator, toilets flushing, and showers running. The room wasn’t well soundproofed. The curtains also left a gap, and the front floodlight shone straight in through it.

I’m in New York several times a year, and I stay at the Courtyard about 8 out of 10 visits. The other two times it’s fully booked. The quick shuttle from the AirTrain and handy location for JFK are a big plus, but it’s the people who keep me coming back. There’s always a smiling face at the entrance, and I often see the same attentive front desk staff, who do their best with reasonable requests. Leidy, I think that’s how her name is spelled, is amazing. She remembers my room preference and is patient when my company hasn’t prepaid. Manager Michelle is helpful too, and Ana, Camara, and newcomer Terri go above and beyond. Trish, the weekday bartender, is lovely as well. Her friendly personality makes you want to sit at the bar and relax after a long day. Experiences like these are why I’m loyal to the Courtyard JFK.