Have you ever booked a hotel room that didn’t have an alarm clock in the room? I hadn’t either until I stayed at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta. Here’s how my stay went.
On a recent trip to Georgia’s capital, I decided to stay at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta since they had just completed renovations. I was curious to see how things would be.
Arrival
I arrived in my car just after 6pm on a Sunday and pulled into the hotel’s main entrance which features a roundabout driveway for arrivals along with valet parking.
As soon as I parked, I was greeted by one of the valet drivers. He took my name and number for the ticket, then said my part was done and wished me a pleasant stay.
I took my two bags and entered the main automatic doors into the lobby, and then immediately took an escalator up one level to the check-in agents.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much of a line at the check-in desks, and at least five agents were available when I surveyed the area.
After a quick chat during check-in I paid, received my keycards, and walked over to the elevators.
For this stay, I took advantage of an offer through American Express that offered 3,000 bonus Membership Rewards points for spending $200 at Marriott properties (6,000 bonus points max for two stays).
The price for the one night stay was $166 for a high-floor “Skyline View” room. Taxes and fees (there are a lot in Georgia) added another $31.56 for a total of $197.56 for the room. The valet parking would add another $35 to the bill, ultimately putting me over the $200 threshold of the AMEX offer.
I’ll note this price is a bit higher than average. But during my stay I learned that there were at least a couple of trade shows happening and utilizing space nearby. That may have accounted for the higher rate.
I hit the button for the 41st floor on one of the hotel’s glass view elevators and was soon zooming my way up.
The room
Once on my floor, I took what turned out to be a pretty long walk over to my room. It was on the complete opposite side of the hotel from the lobby. I tapped the keycard over the NFC lock on room 4121 and finally entered.
The room had a short, right-turn hallway that opened up into the room from the doorway. I imagine this helps dampen outside sounds. It was right at 340 square feet in size, and everything felt proportionally right.
The king size bed was flanked by twin lamps on stands on either side and a third tall lamp close to the window.
A mounted flat screen TV between the safe and mini fridge on one side and a desk on the other showed connectivity to popular online streaming services like Netflix and Pandora. Floor to ceiling glass windows took up the entire far side of the room.
The missing clock
The room provided a clear view of the Capitol building’s gold Dome, the Deloitte building, the Westin, and the construction of the Atlanta Falcons new stadium.
But something was missing. Where was the clock? I looked all over the room. It just wasn’t there.
I didn’t have time to look much more at the beginning because I was hungry and wanted to explore more of the hotel.
Dining
I ended up eating at Sear, which is one of 3 restaurants inside the Marriott Marquis Atlanta. Sear is a steakhouse, so I ordered a steak. Everything was high quality and I would recommend the food, but it was a bit pricey.
After dinner, I made my way out into the atrium lobby again and found that a large crowd had gathered at the main lobby bar for the NFL game that night.
I stayed out there for a while until the game was over, then went out for a walk downtown. On my way out I stopped by the hotel’s concierge desk where I asked about a recently reopened speakeasy bar nearby. The concierge knew exactly what I was talking about and was able to get me in without any prior notice.
I didn’t take any photos while I was inside, but here’s what you see from the entrance. It was top notch. If you’ve been there or go after reading this, I’d love to hear your take in the comments.
Marriott Marquis Atlanta: Location
The Marriott Marquis Atlanta is located in the Peachtree Center area of downtown, with nearly direct access to MARTA and the Peachtree Center Mall.
Marriott’s proximity to MARTA at this location is more valuable if you’re flying into or out of the city since travelers without a car can more easily get to hotels and attractions from the airport without the need for a taxi.
Back at the room
When I returned to my room around 1am, I remembered that I had not done anything about the missing clock. I checked again for any sign of anything that told time besides the television, then gave up and went to sleep.
To be (somewhat) fair, I still did what I do at home, and what many people do while traveling on a schedule: I set the alarm on my iPhone before bed. Speaking of the bed – it was comfortable and I felt like I slept well on it.
The bathroom was accommodating, although on the small side.
The walk-in shower had decent room and Thann bath products were available on the counter by the sink.
The next morning I went for breakfast at the on-site Starbucks (which was pretty nice) and caught up on a little work in the lobby.
Then it was time to check out, pick up my car from the valet lot below the hotel, and head out for the day.
But what about the clock?
I forgot to ask the front desk representative about the missing clock in my room when I checked out, so I called the hotel later to ask about the situation.
A representative told me that all rooms are supposed to have an alarm clock and suggested that housekeeping may have removed the unit for some reason (maybe damage) and forgot to replace it. The alarm clocks are “standard,” he said, with no smartphone connectivity or Bluetooth but do have an aux port.
Have you stayed at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta? Or stayed in a hotel that was missing a key item? Share your experience in the comments.
Featured image courtesy of Marriott.
