Courtyard by Marriott Newark Liberty International Airport

The fire alarms started at 1:30 am and kept going for another 15 minutes. The front desk staff said, “it's nothing, go back to your rooms.” That showed no care or compassion. I paid for a whole night and got two hours of sleep. The hotel is old and beaten up, with broken doors and worn-out facilities that need serious investment. I'd give it zero stars if I could.

The hotel is a single story, and my room had a patio door that opened straight onto the parking lot, with no fence. It made me uneasy to have direct access to the room from the lot, so I checked the lock three times. The room itself was cozy but dated, with a king bed and a round sofa-like seat. I liked that the TV could stream YouTube, which gave me background noise while I waited to head to the nearby concert. There was also a decent fitness center open 24/7 and lots of lobby seating. A rideshare needs the exact address. There's another Courtyard Marriott with a very similar name that's also an airport hotel. My group was taken to the wrong one, and you don't want that happening when you're trying to get picked up either. I booked this one for its proximity to Newark Airport and its shuttle. My flight ended up leaving from JFK, almost two hours farther away, and an Uber cost $85. I kept this hotel because it was near Prudential Center. It worked out: I waited out the rain in my room, showered hot, and took a bit of a nap before leaving early for my flight. The hotel is awkwardly set in the middle of a circular road, so there's nowhere to walk around nearby. You really need a car. There's no bus stop close by either, so I had to take the shuttle to the airport to catch a bus there.

The room wasn't clean: the toilet hadn't been cleaned, and there were mold spots on the bathroom ceiling. At around 10 at night, a worker tried to get into my room. They didn't knock, just rattled the handle hard and banged against the door. I plan to file a formal complaint with the corporate office and wouldn't recommend anyone stay here. The “30 minute shuttle” was about 20 minutes late, with no notice. This was absolutely not worth the money.

I travel and fly every week and stay in hotels more than 40 times a year, so I do have a lot of comparisons. This place was decent enough, but with so many alternatives I wouldn't return. The room was a 2 out of 5: it was on the small side but fine, the bed and pillows were fairly comfortable, and the blackout shades and AC/heat worked well. The main problem was noise. A family of maybe four or five in a nearby room started talking and yelling around 7 AM, paused briefly, then started again 10-15 minutes later. They went back and forth, parents and kids, every few minutes until about 9:30 AM. It felt as though they were in my room. I was awake through all of it and got very little, interrupted sleep. Someone had also left an alarm set for 6 AM, which is how my day started. I should have checked, I guess. At checkout, the desk representative asked how things went. I said it had been fine until the 6 AM alarm and then the noise from 7 AM. She understood, but there wasn't much she could do about thin walls and people being loud early in the morning. The front desk and greeting were a 5 out of 5, helpful and accommodating at check-in. The gate and room key both worked properly on the way out, which is unusual in my experience and gets a 5 out of 5. Parking was $25.00, not too bad, but I had to Uber or Lyft to most places, including downtown, colleges, and businesses, so I'll choose somewhere else next time. The building is older, which doesn't bother me, but the elevator is in an odd spot, far past the front desk in the middle of the building. Beside the first-floor elevator, a damaged door to the elevator closet was secured with a padlock and hasp. Maybe there was an accident or another explanation, but it looked bad. Breakfast wasn't included, which is fine, though a free coffee before a travel day is always nice. Overall, I'd rate the hotel 3 out of 5.