Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel

I'm local, so I haven't had the chance to stay overnight, but I'd expect the rooms to be as nice as the rest of the hotel. I've been there for cocktails, mocktails for me, and an event in a conference room. Both times I was impressed by the staff and decor. It's spotless and beautiful, keeping the local historic feel while offering modern comforts and luxury. Valet was excellent, quick and efficient even when the place was very busy. I had a salad and tried a few other appetizers with friends, and everything was excellent.

We parked when we arrived and walked everywhere all weekend, which made the stay even better. It was about five minutes to the edge of St. George Street, eight to the fort, and around fifteen to the Fountain of Youth. We also had a lovely dinner at Castillo. As Marriott Gold members who've stayed at many Marriott properties, we'd put this among our favorites and will absolutely stay here again when we return to St. Augustine. The hotel is gorgeous and quaint, with an intimate feel we loved compared with bigger places. It also seems recently refurbished, clean and modern, but still has historic charm. It could pass for a building from 1818 or 2018, in the best way.

The rooms were nice and clean, but I had a really bad stay because the staff were intense and upsetting. The worst part was the valet damaging my car seat, which made the ride home awful. The valet guy with the grey beard said it wasn't his problem, decided the seat wasn't damaged, then told me to “have a nice life.” I stayed here last year and it was completely different.

The location is a big plus: it's within walking distance of downtown, restaurants, shops and attractions. The hotel itself is a beautiful Victorian style building, and the lobby and common areas are modern, smell clean and are well kept. The front desk staff didn't give an enthusiastic greeting, though. Checking in seemed like an inconvenience to them. The rooms were okay, but there's hardly anywhere to put clothes. A large wall unit has cubby spaces and just one real drawer, which is used as a nightstand.