A few weeks ago, a friend of mine let me know that she’d be coming to the Raleigh area for a wedding and invited myself & Nikki to come up. My friend lives on Long Island and it had been several years since I’d seen her, so I jumped out the chance to go, even if it was just for a little bit. It’s about a two and half hour drive, so we were invited to stay the night & hang out some on Saturday before the wedding.
[bctt tweet=”Feel fancy on a budget at the Courtyard by Marriott” username=”gfspirit”]
Hotel Horror
Prior to our trip, my friend sent me a link to another hotel. Nothing fancy, but it looked clean and comfortable in the pictures. Fast forward until after midnight last Friday; I got a text that she needed shots to stay there. Around 7:45 AM, I received another text that they found a new hotel and that the previous establishment didn’t even charge them. I didn’t get the details until I arrived at the new hotel that evening.
The previous hotel had one bed with stains and no bedding and the other bed had mattresses haphazardly tossed on top of the other. It was also smelled heavily of cigarette smoke, although they had requested a non-smoking room. After calling the front desk and asking about the cancellation policy, my friend & her boyfriend were moved to another room. She said they barely got any sleep and got the hell out. She noted that the staff was very nice. Perhaps due to the fact that they were not the normal clientele of construction workers and sex workers, they were not charged for their few hours of stay. I was shown pictures and I would’ve called the front desk immediately too.
Hotel Upgrade
Before we left for Cary, my friend texted me and said the new hotel was amazing! Once we arrived at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cary, NC, we quickly saw she wasn’t wrong. The room was so nice and the beds looked comfortable. There was a large flatscreen TV on the wall. Besides the two double beds, there was also a big chair with a footstool. A beverage station is also in the room that’s hidden. The station contains a microwave, mini fridge, & Keurig coffee maker.
The Hotel
The bathroom is pretty spacious. It has a walk-in shower that is stocked with Paul Mitchell shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I was most impressed with the bathroom mirror which was pretty much a giant mirror with a selfie ring. Gotta get those vacation selfies looking right!
Our Stay
After being filled in on there previous hotel & drinking wine, we picked up a friend of my friend and went to dinner. We drove the next town over, Durham and had dinner at Mellow Mushroom since they had food that Nikki could eat. It was such a nice night that we had dinner on the patio. It was a yummy dinner & we had good conversation.
Once we got back to Courtyard by Marriott, we tested out the selfie mirror and drank wine. The bed was very comfortable and spacious enough for Nikki & I to share without being on top of each other. The bed was topped with down/feather pillows and they were so soft. When we were checking out the next day, a guest that we’d never seen was in the elevator with Nikki & I. She said, “aren’t those the most comfortable pillows you’ve ever slept on?” You know it’s serious when a stranger raves about hotel pillows.
I’m not sure if this is true of all Courtyard by Marriott hotels, but this location doesn’t serve breakfast. There is what they call a bistro and it has food and drinks for sale. Luckily, the hotel is located near several shopping centers with restaurants.
In the lobby, there is a seating area and a flat screen TV above a built-in fire pit. There is also seating near the bistro/bar area. On the other side of the wall with the TV is another large seating area. Along the right side of wall is three booths. Each one has walls that go up to higher for privacy. There’s wrap around seating and table. One wall also has a flat screen TV.
Verdict
Although our stay was brief, it was wonderful. The room was very nice and comfortable. I would definitely stay at the Courtyard by Marriott any time I had the opportunity. Crystal, the staff member that helped my friend was extremely nice. She even let Nikki & I check out a little later so that we could come back after brunch to get ready for our next destination later that evening.
Next week’s blogpost will be about the amazing brunch we had nearby.
As always, sharing is caring. If you want to see some other picture related to this trip, be sure to follow GFS on social media by utilizing the buttons below. Tell me the best hotel experience you’ve had in the comments.
Very detailed review of the Courtyard. I love Marriott hotels and this doesn’t seem to disappoint
Thank you! I really wish our stay was longer so that we could experience this location even more.
The mirror in the room really impressed me. This makes my make up easier as the light is brighter. Wonderful review.
Yes, it was wonderful for doing makeup. Thank you!
Great detailed information to know exactly what to expect when staying in the Courtyard by Marriott. The bed seemed very comfy and the pillow were inviting to rest a tired body and head.
Thank you, Norma!
That mirror looks amaze! I love good lighting in a hotel. Nothing worse than a dark room. Amazing review!!!
Thanks, Hannah! I hope all their locations have mirrors like that! lol
I love Courtyard by Marriott. I’ve never been to this one but I’ve been to a couple of Courtyard hotels, great brand.
I really liked it and will seek them out when making future reservations.
This looks like a lovely stay. Marriott group has a good name and I love staying with them!
I’ve stayed with them in the past and have always had a good experience. I’ll continue booking with them after this.
Wow! This hotel looks wonderful! Can’t wait to experience to stay here!
It was wonderful! I definitely recommend it!
What an experience! So glad you got offered to stay at the Courtyard. The facilities and room look so comfortable and glad you got great service too.
It was wonderful! I wish the stay was longer, but I’ll definitely look into staying with them again.
The walk in shower is probably my favourite part. Overall I really love the decor at the Marriott. We have one in Jamaica and the decor is similar.
I really liked the walk in shower. I used the Paul Mitchell products that they provided and it was really nice.
I’m a big fan of the Marriott hotels! I always seem to book a room with them, and I’ve never been let down so far.
I’ve stayed at a couple locations and really like them. I’ll definitely seek them out for future traveling.
That’s awesome that you got to check out late. I like Marriott hotels.
It was super helpful to have the extra time. It was very nice of them, especially on a Saturday.
that hotel looks so cozy, I love how comfortable and fancy it looks like as well
I loved how fancy it looked, but how it still felt cozy.
I had my fair share of hotel horrors specially during my first travels and I learned to do to research and read reviews prior to booking hotels/hostels. I’m glad you moved to the Courtyard. Marriott Hotels are renowned for their excellent service and quality accommodation. It’s one of my go-to’s whenever I travel outside the country.
After what she dealt with, I’ll be sure to do my research! lol I really loved my stay & will seek them out in the future.
looks like a nice place. good post with lots of pictures of the place so people know what its really like
Thank you! I wanted to capture what it’s like staying there versus what you see on their website.
Loved the minimal look of the hotel. I would surely love to stay there as it sounds quite interesting.
I agree, Kalyan!
Looks like a lovely place to stay, love somewhere with all the mod cons
It was lovely. I only wish we could’ve stayed longer!
What a great, informative post! Looks like you had a great experience at Courtyard. I hear so much about Marriott!
It was really great! I wish we’d been able to stay longer.