Courtyard by Marriott Redwood City

I’ve stayed at this Marriott a couple of times while in the area, and it’s become my usual choice for an overnight stay or a couple of nights. It’s convenient, quiet, safe, and reliable, with nice, comfortable rooms. The property is large, and I appreciate the garage parking, though there’s an extra charge on top of the room rate. The main thing I’d improve is the front desk welcome. At check-in, one associate spent more time talking to her colleague than to me while I was standing there in the middle of the process. It felt awkward, and a warmer greeting would have helped. The coffee shop downstairs was closed when I went down early, even though they’d said it would open at 5. That wasn’t a dealbreaker. I got coffee elsewhere, and the rest of the stay was fine.

The bed was comfortable, and the room itself was nice, though the view was really bad. There was renovation work down the hall. From outside the hotel looked okay, but inside it didn’t feel worth $200 a night. My parents gave us the three-night stay for our anniversary, using their timeshare points. The woman at the counter was quite rude when we checked in. A friend who came with us noticed her attitude and managed to warm her up a bit. I was surprised by the $150 deposit on my card and the $22 nightly parking fee. They charged the deposit instead of just placing a hold, then told us at checkout it would take 7-10 business days for the money to be returned. They also shut off the water for one of the days. I might have been angrier if we hadn’t mainly used the room for sleeping. Breakfast cost $20 per person. It felt like one of the greediest places I’ve been, with a charge for everything. It was an okay hotel, but I’d rather stay somewhere else next time.

Our suite was clean and spacious, and the Courtyard looked new and modern. Thanks to the woman who checked us in for being so warm and welcoming. We had a terrific stay and will be back soon.

Helpful staff, and Kristin was especially friendly. Marrriot should be glad to have her in a leadership role. The location is great for Redwood City, and we had an easy, safe walk to the train station to go downtown San Francisco.