*This stay occurred at the beginning of February 2020, just prior to the start of the pandemic*
Houston is a great city, not only in Texas, but in the United States…IMO. It is one of my favorite cities to visit because I have quite a few family and friends in/around the city. My second favorite reason to visit Houston is to experience the diverse food. There are so many many different cultures throughout the city.
There is so much that one could try a different restaurant, every day, for 27 years. Quite a lot, right? This was not a family or foodie visit, but rather one supporting my son’s sporting event. I decided to visit the Marriott Hotel in North Houston during my short stay.
Booking
I booked a King room at the hotel for $115 USD/night at the government/military rate. As a Bonvoy Platinum Member, I earned 6,466 total points (3,644 base, 1,822 elite bonus, and 1,000 welcome points) for the two night stay. I used my Marriott Bonvoy Premier credit card which earned me 5X points per $1 spent at Marriott properties.
Arrival
The Marriott Hotel in North Houston is located less than 10 minutes from Bush International Airport. I grabbed an Uber because I was in a hurry to make it to my son’s event. The hotel offered a complimentary shuttle, which I would have taken if I had more time to spare.
Check-in
The front desk was to the left when I walked into the property. There was a bit of a queue. There were at least 15 guests trying to check-in. The picture was taken later in the night.
While waiting, I was offered a can of beer from another guest. He happened to have a “suitcase” of beer and was giving them freely to other guests. This was something I could definitely get behind Marriott. To the left of the lobby was a business center and some seating options.
I was eventually welcomed to the property. The agent stated no upgrades were available, the lounge was closed and quickly gave me the room cards. This was a rather short interaction, but I knew the two agents were super busy. I was offered two bottles of water, which I gladly accepted. The elevators were to the right of the front desk.
Room
The room, 234, was located on one level up from the lobby. I could have taken the stairs but chose not to. The hotel had a very strange floor plan. This included multiple turns before finally reaching my room. Maybe the walk would have been better if the property updated its hallways, it all differed drastically from the lobby, in a bad way.
Even though the room was spacious, the color of the flooring and various pieces of furniture did not vibe with me. It was like the colors messed up my feng shui or something.
The standard bathroom was immediately to the left. The toiletries available in the room were from thisworks. I did not like the lotion as it did nothing to moisturize my skin. The shower gel was decent, but I preferred to use my shower gel after one use. I did not use the shampoo or conditioner because I do not have any hair to wash. LOL.
As I continued into the room, there was a small closet to the left. It contained an iron, ironing board and some hangers. The gold rod is something you do not usually see in a Marriott.
There was a desk and a small refrigerator on the near wall when I entered the main room. I used the desk chair, as opposed to using the chair across the room, when I sat to watch television.
The best part of the room was the huge, comfortable bed directly in the center of it. The lights beside, and the paintings above the bed gave it a different feeling. This was especially nice when relaxing with just those two lights illuminated.
A green chair and orange couch were on the far wall. As I mentioned earlier, those colors really killed my vibe. Am I overreacting to the colors in the hallway and room?
Dining
The hotel had a lounge in the lobby, named Den. The decor of Den and the room were completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Den was a contemporary spot in a rather drab property.
The place had a full compliment of spirits, as well as a fairly reasonable menu. Check out the menus.
I visited briefly on each day. On day one, I had the reasonably priced Texas Cobb Salad for $15 USD.. It was a rather skimpy salad, but it tasted delicious.
On my second visit, I wanted a beer and something greasy so I went with the House Tots. The tater tots could be done up in one of three ways, I decided to go with the steak and cheese. The dish was not bad at all, but it sure was filling. I did not finish it.
Fitness
I did not visit the fitness center during my stay. The hotel did offer one, as well as and indoor (heated) and outdoor pool. These amenities were located on the first floor.
Final Word
While I was a bit thrown off by the outdated carpeting and furniture in the room, the hotel was more than enough for this stay. The pros of the hotel were its proximity to Bush Intercontinental Airport, complimentary shuttle, spacious lobby and a decent restaurant. Additionally, the property was minutes from my son’s event, which made life easier.
I think the agent working the front desk could have been more hospitable, but I understood the frustration with being overwhelmed. The beer guy really helped to ease my tension. Here’s to you “Mr. Walking Around a Marriott with a Personal Case of Beer Guy”. I vote for this to become a thing all Marriott Properties. All things considered, I would visit the property again.
Have you ever visited this property?
