Courtyard Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square

The staff are what really make this hotel stand out. Everyone was welcoming and eager to help, and the front desk team made each interaction feel warm and easy. The location is great too, and I slept well in the very comfortable bed after long days around the city. My room was clean and spacious, though it had a slightly musty, old smell that made it feel dated. Some of the room technology and amenities also seem behind current standards and could use an update. Still, I had a comfortable, enjoyable stay and would come back, with hopes for a few modern upgrades.

The lack of security was the worst part of our stay. On the second night, May 15th, at around 9 pm, we returned from dinner and got into the elevator. A clearly drunk, homeless man entered the hotel and got in with us. No security stopped him, and the front desk couldn’t see who was coming and going because the entrance isn’t visible from there. I’m a young woman traveling with my older parents, and we were stuck in the elevator with him. He followed us onto our floor. We stared at him as we reached our room, and only then did he turn away, letting us get inside and lock the door quickly. The extra security lock didn’t work. I’ve been a Marriott Gold member for years and have never felt so unsafe at one of their hotels. Pioneer Square has a homelessness problem, and the least the hotel could do is protect guests. They can check the security footage from that night. I nearly booked this hotel for my parents’ return from their cruise, but I’m glad I chose somewhere else. I won’t come back. We paid $1800 for four nights in a one-bedroom suite because we expected four adults to stay. Only three of us could travel, and I’m glad, because the suite wasn’t big enough for four. I definitely overpaid. We arrived late and were told room service could help with anything we needed. When we asked to have the sofa bed set up, one person came to put it out. I had to point out that the legs were uneven. Unlike at other hotels, including Marriott, he didn’t set up the sheets, pillows, and blankets. He only showed me where to find one sheet, one pillow, and one blanket, and I had to do the rest. If a suite is meant for four, there should be enough supplies for four. The next morning, when my parents asked for extra tea bags, sugar, and cups, they were told there was no room service and had to go downstairs themselves. I might have let the service issues go, since staffing could be a problem, but the safety incident made the stay unacceptable. The location isn’t great, and the suites aren’t worth the price.

Rual made our stay amazing just by being himself. He was so friendly and outgoing that we’d look forward to going downstairs to see him and chat. Never change, queen! We quickly became friends with Alex, the bartender. He was so nice, even though it seemed like a stressful night with not many people working. Our server at the bistro around 9 on Valentine’s was kind too. They were short-staffed, but he still took time to talk with us. If we come back to Seattle, we won’t stay anywhere else.

The location is great, but be careful at checkout and get a desk receipt so you can check the charges. I stayed less than 24 hours and was billed an extra $81.15 for valet parking, apparently as a second day. I had stopped at the front desk to check out, but the hotel didn’t process it until hours later. The assistant front desk manager emailed that the extra day was due to my incorrect checkout time, then immediately closed my case. I reopened it and sent a screenshot of my valet request showing it was nearly five hours earlier than the checkout time the hotel claimed. Management and Marriott still didn’t resolve it. I’ve been a Platinum Marriott member for years and had never had anything like this happen. I didn’t recommend the hotel because of the shady-feeling handling, the checkout error, and the lack of cooperation. The management was abysmal. After the assistant manager closed my first case, I opened a second. They closed that one too without contacting me or fixing the double charge. I thought Marriott had gone downhill if it let this slide, and planned to book elsewhere in the future. The case was eventually fixed, but it took far too many calls and emails. The location is good. Rating changed from 1 to 3 stars.