Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Downtown

I booked a night for my in-laws during an emergency. They’re longtime Marriott loyalists with Ambassador Elite status, and both called this the worst Marriott they’ve stayed at. For $394 a night, the room shouldn’t have been offered without warning in this condition. I’ve lived in St Pete for 13 years, and downtown traffic and nightlife carry on late. This hotel is on 4th st, a main road, so there was still traffic at 3:00 a.m. The central AC wasn’t working in most rooms, so guests get a portable unit vented through a window that stays open all night. It’s as noisy and disruptive as you’d expect, and leaves you dealing with humidity and outside noise. If management sells rooms like this without notice or taking responsibility, it makes me question how other guest issues are handled. I’m sure the staff are kind and doing their best, but there’s no excuse for this. This is a Marriott, and rooms that don’t meet its standards shouldn’t be available. I hate writing negative reviews, but this felt necessary.

The location makes it easy to walk to downtown and the waterfront. The hotel is in an old building, and they did a really nice job renovating it. The staff are very helpful and nice. Valet team members Max, Alex, and Luis were especially friendly, personable, and genuine.

We had a great stay with our family of five. The location is perfect, with everything within walking distance, and the renovation is easy to see. Our rooms were spacious and clean, and breakfast at the restaurant downstairs was delicious. GM Arlind and manager Brandi were so sweet with our family and went above and beyond for their guests. The hospitality really stood out.

The lobby oranges were good, at least! 🍊 We stayed seven days and housekeeping came only twice. The elevator was dirty and didn’t look like it had been cleaned in a while. The old building also has weak plumbing, with low water pressure and toilet problems. We chose this place because it gave us the most value for our Marriott/SPG points, and got what we paid for. Front desk staff were friendly, though the Gen-Z stare was there and they weren’t especially helpful. It’s a short walk to some downtown activity, but the hotel is also on the edge of an area with meth use, halfway houses, and homeless shelters. A couple blocks away at Williams Park, you can hear a man shouting scripture and misapplying it while a little congregation of storks listens from a sunny spot. We didn’t rent a car, but overnight parking is $37 a night. I’d stay somewhere else.