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Marriott Hotels Resorts Suites
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12 reviews for Marriott Hotels Resorts Suites
The options when you come up to do some wine-tasting and/or generic vacationing in the Sta Ynez area are slim. There are very pricey places that will run well over $400/night, or there are cheaper motels. Either way, you get what you pay for.
This Marriott occupies a middle ground between these two extremes. I like the place (partly for nostalgic reasons since I've been coming here since the 80s) so this review may have too much of a positive bias/spin, but that said, here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
--Very attractive and well-kept grounds and common areas, especially the lobby;
--Good, if small, gym (fresh tanks of cold water; clean towels; treadmills and stationary bikes with individual TVs);
--Nice location near freeways (which can be a con, see below) central to all the wineries in Solvang, Santa Rita Valley, Foxen Cyn, etc.;
--Some rooms have relaxing views of the hills just east of the hotel;
--Really good breakfast buffet in the AM;
--Walking distance to the Hitching Post restaurant!
and
--Friendly and helpful staff.
Cons:
--Rooms are, as many have said, rather dated (though I'd say 80s not 70s--I don't think this place was built until the 80s actually);
--Can be noisy if you get a room on the side of the freeway facing the 101 freeway;
--Miles and miles from Solvang, so if you want to stroll from the hotel to Solvang proper--well, you can't (perfectly fine by me but many might object);
--Restaurant is not so hot for lunch or dinner; and
--Pool is only OK and can get overrun with families w/screaming kids (though they do have nice tennis courts).
Bottom line: it ain't the Ritz, so if you go expecting that you're going to be sorely disappointed. But neither is it anything like as poor as the dumps that populate Solvang proper, so IMO it remains the best place to stay in the area (Hadsten House is nice mid-week but too expensive weekends).
We had a great stay here. There aren't many choices in SB Wine Country for 4-5 star accommodations, so the place fit the bill. The rooms were a bit outdated, but roomy and comfortable.
Rather than a nice view of the valley or a quieter room on the Valley side of the hotel, we wanted easy access to the pool for our 2 year old and we got what we wanted. We got a room very close t the pool - which is on the 101 freeway side. The sliding doors open to the short walk to the pool, so we could go in and out to grab food and change a diaper without having to go into the hotel hallways grab and elevator to get to a room.
Nice big pool, kid friendly, poolside food and beverage service, etc. There were a lot of local families with membership to the hotel's facilities. It made the poolside feel "well-vacationed"...
It is literally right on the 101 fwy, so its not the relaxing and quiet location that we wanted, but it was good enough. We didn't really care though.
Old tube TVs in the room, no DVD player hook-up available on them either.
Its right on the 101 so easy to access all areas of the wine country from Buellton to Los Olivos to Santa Maria. I'd stay again when we want a nice big pool for Scotty and Shane, close to all the wineries and restaurants and all the accommodations of a larger hotel.
Nice hotel with all amenities. Staff was very nice. Rooms were a bit dated design-wise (oak mouldings & spray-on acoustical ceiling), but were fine, with a full-size couch to sit on and spotlessly clean.
WARNING! Do NOT take a room facing the freeway side of the hotel. The noise is very intrusive, and I'm not particularly noise-sensitive. Rooms on the other side are very quiet, if slightly darker.
My husband and I stayed here in March 2009 when he did the Solvang Century Ride. From the photos on the website, I was expecting a hotel in the countryside with a gorgeous pool and wine country decor. We were a bit let down when we arrived.
At check-in, we were given a room on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the pool. Score! Sounds like we got upgraded, right? Wrong. The hotel is like right next to 101. The only thing between our room and 101 was a measly pool and a busy main street. Even with the sliding glass door and black-out drapes shut, you could still hear the freeway. The second floor is actually level with the lobby entrance -- don't be confused. There's a first floor level with the pool below.
Pluses: The beds were super comfortable with nice linens and the shower head/water pressure was good. The vanity in the bathroom and extra sink outside the bathroom were new. Reasonably priced room service. We had breakfast delivered at 6 a.m., but oddly the second night, there was no breakfast order card left in the room for us. Just a couple miles drive from Solvang, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos -- towns you actually want to spend time in. Very short drive from the Hitching Post II restaurant featured in the movie "Sideways."
Cons: Nothing else in the room look updated. Chintzy wood trim. Vacuumed, yet dirty carpet. Useless feather pillows that I'm allergic to. No shower caps provided, but luckily you can adjust the shower head downwards if you don't want to wash your hair. Old school TV (very static-y) and super old wooden TV armoire. There's a movie theater and McDonald's on the other side of the parking lot --and while that may be a perk for some, it's not for us. And yes, the parking around the hotel is lousy, too, when the hotel is at full capacity. Self-check-out on the TV didn't work and there was no one in the lobby when we left.
I got the room using a corporate discount, so it was only $79 per night. And I feel like I got my money's worth. But if I'd paid the full rate (more than twice what I paid), I'd be really, really disappointed. I don't plan on ever staying here again, especially not when there's better hotels in the more charming neighboring towns. If you're going for the Solvang Century Ride or other large event, book your hotel room at least six months in advance so you don't get stuck here at a high rate.
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I stayed here for one night last month. I had wanted to stay near Solvang at a place that accepted dogs. My first criteria for any hotel is how dog-friendly they are. This place was very welcoming to my mutt. They had a little package of goodies for her, with two bowls and some toys. My room was very comfortable and quiet. I was a little concerned when I first walked in because my room overlooked what seemed to be a patio area for parties. Maybe I lucked out, because it was dead-quiet all night, except for the sound of the freeway on the other side of the parking lot.
My room rate included a breakfast, which was really tasty. A lot of hotels have generic, unsanitary areas that become grub spots for anyone who's walking by. But this restaurant was tastefully decorated with great coffee, a breakfast buffet, and an omelet bar. Another nice touch which I appreciated was that they let me take my breakfast back up to the room. A few places I've stayed in the past don't allow dogs to be left alone, yet won't allow guests to get takeout from the restaurant. Since I travel alone, I have no alternative but to sneak out of my own room and hope my dog doesn't pitch a fit, or go lock her in the car. I didn't have to make that choice here.
They also have a small business center which might be handy to someone in the corporate world. I had to use their computer to figure out why my new cellphone froze up. Again, a nice convenient perk on the part of the hotel.
My only issue was their parking lot, which I found confusing. There seemed to be construction going on, which added to the already convoluted design.
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Hmm.
Never had such high highs and low lows staying at a Marriott.
pro: The parking and layout are weird.
con: The building & grounds are beautiful.
pro: The lobby has cookies, Ande's mints, a water feature and a bar with one of the nicest bartenders I've ever encountered.
con: The room was straight out of 1975 - and that's probably being generous.
pro: The "arcade" room has 1 pinball, 1 arcade, ping pong, pool table and foosball.
con: There are pillars that make pool & ping pong tough to really play. It's semi-cavish in there too.
pro: Nice fitness center with sauna. Equipment is updated.
con: Still has a cavish 70's feel in there.
pro: The locals hang out in the spa after dark. We had a blast getting to know them/talking.
con: The pool/spa was very generic in size and closed at 11:00.
Weird experience: We ran a half marathon and were gone from 5:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. We returned to a still un-cleaned room. I called to the front desk and asked when they normally cleaned the rooms.
the reply, "uhhh...around 2:30?"
*nice save*
then, "want me to send them now?"
me, "no - we are about to taking showers and maybe a nap. I'll call when we are leaving."
reply, "ok"
No less than 4 times in the next 2 hours housekeeping kept interrupting us/knocking on the door. *sigh*
Great experience: The bartender letting us do a little wine tasting before we committed to a bottle. I saw 5 or 6 people walk up and ask "do you have *insert item here*. Nuts, plastic cups for the pool, etc. Whatever it was she always managed to find it and bring it forth.
If you can get past the cottage cheese ceiling, random tubing in the bathroom that allows your neighbors on all sides to hear you, lack of fan/window in the bathroom, a shared patio with strangers, dark wood & wallpaper and the caution taped door that looked like a serial killer had tried to escape - it's actually a really great place to stay.
As always, the marriott beds are more than comfortable.
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Not what I expected from a Marriott Hotel. . .the common areas were pretty but room was not updated at all. For the $200+ a night we spent I expected so much more. We were out all day so I really would have rather stayed at a budget place and spent the money elsewhere.
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A nice hotel!
We usually stay at the Best Western there, but were unable to get in. This was a great upgrade from that!
The beds are amazing. Very comfortable. The bar was interesting, and having a Starbuck's in the lobby was great.
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I love the Marriott, no matter which city it's in. This is a good one, because it's central to all the SB area wineries. Foxen Canyon, Buellton, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara. It's also close to Solvang, which has a few wineries, but is a great town to check out on it's own.
Friendly staff, clean rooms, good rates. They have a little game room here too, after wine tasting all day, it's a fun thing to do when you get back to the hotel, drink your wine, play some ping pong and pool. They even have tennis courts and racquetball here, but I wouldn't recommend doing that with wine.
I never thought my paw, would ever write about Marriott, they normally don't let me stay. This place is an exception. Upon arriving, we (my cousin was with me also) were given a package for a stay, a frisbee, a bowl and a scooper. I was able to hang out in the lobby, while we were checking in and I felt right at home. (I even barked at this overly affectionate lady, who has never heard of space before, and I didn't get in trouble.) We got the suites on the 4th floor.
Whoah! I though, it's big, had 2 balconies. I was running around and around and was even able to play with my new freesbie. The room service was great also! :D (No menu for me, but I managed).
Nice hotel. But they forgot the truffles. Last year when I stayed- there were truffles on my pillow and Starbucks coffee packets for the in-room coffee maker- no more. There is a Starbuck's in the hotel, but the coffee doesn't seem that good for some reason. Ah well. Lovely sheets and beds. Nice shower. Towels, meh. Food- breakfast great omelettes and potatoes, good fruit. everything else- meh. Other restaurants- of decent quality but nothing special. Staff were excellent, however.
After further review- this hotel should be a 3 star.
ok so it wasn't as modern as the renaissance in hollywood!! but it was comfy and quiet!! it was clean!! i loved the christmas decorations in the lobby!!!
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