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Residence Inn by Marriott Carlsbad
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$$
3 reviews for Residence Inn by Marriott Carlsbad
Nice rooms, excellent customer service and great breakfast in the mornings.
All the staff is super friendly and the hotel is always very clean.
This is a tricky one, as I liked many things about this place; unfortunately our promising experience was ruined and the whole thing ran downhill very quickly. Here are the things we loved: the complimentary breakfast buffet, the pool and spa area, the newly appointed rooms, the convenient location, and the super-friendly and accommodating staff. Here's the thing we hated: the cockroach we found in the bathroom. We were graciously moved to another room where we found ourselves stranded on the other side of the building, surrounded by dirty, stained furniture, a bathroom door that wouldn't close, and dryer sheets in the air vents to cover up nasty odors. It was truly a Jekyll/Hyde experience. We won't be back, which kind of makes us sad, but pest control is a vital part of running a desirable destination, no?
Back about 35 years ago or so, Embassy Suites revolutionized the Hotel industry by creating properties that were geared toward the business traveller, with 2 room suites, so you could have a meeting in the front room and sleep in the back. Most of the first ones were near airports, so a business traveler could fly in, have meetings with dealers, small sales teams or one-on-one (like for interviews) , sleep, and fly out. The free hot breakfast and manager's happy hour of booze and snacks made this concept very popular. Their dramatic Atrium design and glass elevators spoke luxury, but was at a businessman's price, perfect for making a good impression. Embassy Suites grew rapidly, expanded, then hit some bad times and was bought by Hilton,
To grow their brand beyond the basic hotel that was Marriott's and diversify with properties that competed with the upstart Embassy Suites, Marriotts came up with Courtyard by Marriotts. They advertised from the beginning that Courtyard was designed by business travelers for business travelers. They took a different approach, emphasing a good desk, coffeemaker, pool, and jacuzzi with a small restaurant, exercise room, etc.
As the industry evolved and major players started to segment the market, new brands and chains started to emerge. There were a lot of boom and copy cats in the Suites concept. To take this one step further and micro- segment the market, there emerged the extended stay property. These properties were originally designed to handle the boom in everything being outsourced, especially services, so the trend to temporary and contract employees and the boom in consultants was the target market, people who may stay at one place for several weeks, or even months. Added later to this same segment was the family vacation guests.
Residence Inn is geared toward the extended stay/family vacation category. Their rooms are like small one or two bedroom apartments, with min-kitchens that included coffeemaker, refrigerator, two burner stove, microwave, dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, dishwasher, a full living area with sofa, chair and coffee table, etc. They have a pool, jacuzzi, guest laundry room, and sportcourt with basketball hoop.
They have the contract employee/consultant guest (usually a software programmer or consultant) and they have familes on vacations. Like their competitors, they offer a free breakfast and a happy hour. The breakfast has usually 2 or 3 hot items, like eggs and potatoes, and continental usuals like cereal, juice, pastries. They usually have very limited cooking capabilities, so 24 hour room service is not found here. However, a consultant can feel a little like home, or a family can have a good value while easily sleeping 4 in a 1 bedroom. They are usually designed like an apartment complex.
This Residence Inn is out in nowhere, about 5 miles from the quaint Village of downtown Carlsbad. It is in a new industrial park that features technology and biotech firms, like the HQ for the $1.3 billion InvitroGen. It is near El Camino Real, but unfortunately, unlike most segments of The King's Highway in northern California, the entire 21 mission linking road establish by Father Junipero Serra, there is hardly any businesses on El Camino Real here. There is a small shopping strip mall next door, but the businesses are struggling and most are closed after lunch. So you have to drive a bit to get something to eat, like downtown Carlsbad.
Otherwise the building is new (but looks more Industrial than the typical Residence Inn apartment like construction), the staff is friendly and the rooms are pretty nice. (Mine had two brand new LG 32 inch LCD TVs, one in the living room and one in the bedroom.) Most Residence Inns are about $175 - $200, but this one was $150.
If you are a consultant or programmer for InvitroGen or other nearby hi-tech firms, stay here. Note: I am not a consultant to InvitroGen, or any other biotech firm. I just noticed the big building nearby.
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