Courtyard by Marriott Pasadena/Old Town

The location is perfect, and we loved the whirlpool jacuzzi and outdoor fireplace. Breakfast is amazing, but just so you know, it isn’t free. The coffee is Starbucks, and there’s a bar and restaurant onsite. They have happy hour every day except 4 Sat, with drinks and appetizers for $7. Thanks to Robert, Lexi, and the lady with the Greek name for taking such good care of us. We’ll be back.

The location is great, but this hotel feels very dated and costs too much. For a Marriott at this price, it’s extremely disappointing. The entrance has no automatic doors, which seems absurd given how much luggage comes through. The elevators look sad: one doesn’t show the floor, and another has buttons that never light up when pressed. The room itself was comfortable, but the toilet leaked badly when flushed and left a large puddle. The toilet paper holder broke off when I grabbed paper. The room was short on amenities too, with no face-washing soap, something many hotels across price levels provide. Early one morning, a “spill” in the kitchen set off the fire alarms. Lots of sleepy, worried travelers were woken up, but no staff came to explain what was happening. The alarms were still ringing while the front desk carried on with business as usual. It was handled unprofessionally.

Everyone on the team was friendly and professional, and I had a really enjoyable stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Pasadena. I especially want to thank the kind Greek lady who runs breakfast. She greeted us warmly each morning and took wonderful care of the guests. Her upbeat kindness made each morning feel special. Thanks to her and the whole team!

The parking setup is the worst part of this Courtyard at Pasadena. The structure feels outdated and is a pain to use. For a “higher level” hotel, it’s low quality and poorly managed. Please update it. We calmly and politely explained our problem to a parking attendant, and he actually said, “How can you leave the house like that?” That’s rude and disrespectful, not customer service. If he can’t speak to guests properly, he shouldn’t be in a guest-facing job. My dog has better manners. If the parking crew is outsourced and supposedly separate from the hotel, that makes the hotel look even worse. Contracting with a company that hires people with no professionalism reflects badly on the hotel. Manage them properly, replace them, or stop outsourcing to a team that drags down the hotel’s standards. I’m never staying here again.