Courtyard By Marriott Santa Ana

I came for a work event and only booked this place because the group’s intended hotel, the Avenues, was full by the time some of us booked. Now I’d choose the Costa Mesa Courtyard whenever I’m in town. I arrived on Super Bowl Sunday, and Lisa, Ashley, and Michael welcomed me, congratulated me on my new position, shared food and activity suggestions, and invited me to watch the game with them. I did, and it made being a thousand miles from home feel a lot less lonely. Talayah was tending the bar with a smile. They walked me through the menu and their favorites, and the conversation was great. When the halftime show came on, Talayah turned up the volume. I ended up dancing with other travelers over cocktails and appetizers. I also got to know Lisa, Ashley, and Michael during the rest of my stay. Arthur and Marcos were quick to help and would check in about how my day was going. On my last full day, I had one more cocktail at the Bistro, where Vivian made me feel welcome before I’d even sat down, with a big smile and lovely conversation. This was the best guest experience I’ve had while traveling, and I’ll definitely be back.

The pool area was a nice place to spend a sunny morning, and our ground-floor suite opened onto the courtyard with a little table and chairs. The pool was a comfortable temperature, though there’s no hot tub. Beside it, the small gym has natural light, a few cardio machines, weights, and a cold water dispenser. We came for a few nights at the end of our California trip before flying home to Australia. As Marriott regulars, we wanted a fairly priced place with easy parking and reasonable access to Disneyland and Medieval times, the last two stops on our itinerary. Disneyland was about a 25-minute drive including parking, and that worked fine for us. The lobby has been updated, but our suite felt dated and smelled a bit musty. The king bed was comfortable; the fold-out sofa bed was horribly uncomfortable, and the blankets supplied weren’t enough. I asked twice for a proper blanket, but both times got a thin throw that barely covered one person. The staff were helpful generally, so I think that request just got lost in translation. There’s a pseudo Starbucks in the lobby.

We arrived around 3 PM and our room was ready. The front desk was friendly and efficient. Room 342 had two queen beds, a balcony overlooking the pool, and was very quiet. Everything was clean, the bedding was fresh, and there was no strange smell. The Smart TV had streaming, including YouTube, which was great. The A/C was fairly loud and seemed to shut off and restart every 30-40 minutes. It was okay in winter, but I’m not sure how I’d feel about it in summer. There’s plenty of parking, although it costs $15 per day, and they give you a red slip for the dashboard. The location suited my family well, with John Wayne Airport and all the yummy Vietnamese restaurants about 15 minutes away, plus easy freeway access. A solid, good stay.

My daughter was so happy to get her necklace back. She’d just received it for Christmas and left it behind; we were already driving home and heading over the grapevine when she noticed. We called the front desk right away. They said they’d check with housekeeping and call if it turned up. Two hours later, they called to say it had been found, then promptly emailed us to arrange shipping. Thank you to housekeeping and Lam Nguyen for being so communicative and efficient. Wonderful staff, and a reminder that there are lovely people in the world.