Review of the Courtyard Marriott- Upper East Side

This past December, my family planned a trip to New York City to do the "holiday tourist" thing. It was the first time in about a year I had traveled for leisure rather than business, and the first time we had stepped outside our comfort zone of staying in the heart of Times Square near the theater district where we normally stay.

My goal was to book this trip using my Marriott reward points. I began by looking at the Marriott Marquis, or a couple of the other less expensive Marriott's in the Times Square area. However, I was disappointed to find out, there were only certain hotels and certain times that points could be redeemed for. I understand the methods for doing this, as, if everyone saved their points for prime holiday weekends in the heart of Times Square, the business of the hotels would probably suffer, but it was still a bump in my planning.

After finding this out, I found the Courtyard Marriott on the Upper East Side, and decided it might be cool to take a plunge and try something new. The hotel did not disappoint. It was very clean, and although it was not super "ritzy," it had a simple, chic vibe, and was beautifully decorated for the holidays.

When we first arrived, the check in process went very smoothly, and there was no issue with having using my reward points to book the stay. We were up in our room within moments of arriving. One thing I did find odd was that for about an hour after we checked in we could see our car out front, as it had not been moved by the valet. They assured us that it would be taken care of, and after awhile it was, but it was strange that it took so long, and there were no other cars waiting to be parked first. Other than that, the staff was amazing. Our requests to our room were answered in record time, and every time we needed input or opinions about somewhere to eat, they were kind and gave great recommendations.

The room itself proved to be sufficient for our family of four, and although it was definitely cozy, we didn't struggle to find enough outlets for our gadgets (always an issue...) or space in the bathroom. As we got more and more shopping backs from our adventures during the day it got a little tight, but we managed.

Although it was nice enough to have a change of scenery and get to know a different part of the city, I think we concluded next time we will just stay closer to the time Square/Theater district. We spent a lot of money on cabs, and being farther out from the shows we were seeing and everything we had planned, just made for very long days. We also had to be more aware of logistical planning (where we wanted to go when, where we could get cabs, etc) versus the joy of just stepping outside of our hotel and having tons of choices for late night drinks or food within walking distance.

If I ever wanted a classic, quiet weekend in the city, I would remember this place, but for high-energy tourist trips with a lot of action, I'd rather buck up and stay right in the midst of it all!