City Express by Marriott Santa Ana/Orange County Airport

The room was so clean, spacious, and comfortable that it felt like nobody had ever stayed there before. This is a fairly new hotel in a good location. We did run into a couple of small issues, including no washcloths or glasses in the room, but they took care of them right away when we called. Breakfast was good, with a pleasant dining room and plenty of choices.

The room smelled foul, and spraying perfume didn’t help. I eventually realized the odor was coming from the vents and turned off the AC and heater. I wore house shoes because I didn’t want to touch the floor, and cringed through the stay. The bathroom had popcorn walls and prison-like paint, and the little lemon-scented bar soap somehow smelled like shrimp. The lighting was strange too. The living room’s main light had a green tint and flickered, so I switched it off and used the warm, nice lamp. The TV and most of the other living room furniture were modern and looked good, except for the very old wooden table. There were some upsides: the bed itself was decent and comfortable, and the front desk was professional and nice. But the frame was run down, with old, gross cloth, and the room felt so low budget that I slept on top of the sheets without a blanket. My front door was chipped, full of holes, and looked as if animals had bitten pieces off. It gave me big motel vibes. I thought this was a Marriott, though I think it used to be a Hampton Inn. Two stars. The suite door nearly touched the bed. I closed it and then couldn’t open it again because it had locked. There was no phone in the room to call for help. It was really scary, and brought on claustrophobia. The place is also a maze, with the elevator quite a distance from the lobby. They charge a $40 deposit if you book through the app, which they say is 34% of the room total, or $150 if you book through a third party. I’m not a bougie person, and I’ve been a Gold elite member using Marriott forever, but I definitely won’t return.

The staff were amazing and did everything they could to make our stay comfortable. The rooms were clean, quiet, and comfortable. One fridge smelled really bad, though, and the pull-out mattresses might work for lightweight kids but aren’t suitable for adults. This spot suited us for its location and price, even though I hadn’t heard of City Express before. It was in the middle of major renovations, having been a Hampton Inn, and I’m sure it’ll be top notch once the work is done in a month or so. But construction was still going on in the bathroom of our assigned suite, and the front desk hadn’t known about it. We ended up getting two rooms for five adults instead. Thank you to the whole team!

The room we had was updated, clean, and comfortable, and the lobby was inviting. Service was excellent, especially at the front desk. This was a great value for an overnight stay while traveling through SNA, or just passing through. It’s in a quiet area among several other hotels. The hotel is being refurbished, so it should only get better. Marriott is consistently wonderful.