If you have to stay near LAX, go Marriott
Written: Nov 28 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beds, convenience, service, variety of restaurants.
Cons: Parking, traffic.
The Bottom Line: Of the many hotels available to business travelers at the LAX, the Marriott is the best.
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| kcouture's Full Review: Marriott Los Angeles Airport |
If you need to stay near to LAX, I'll tell you why I choose this Marriott.
There are a number of different Marriott chain hotels located very close to LAX, this is the high end full service hotel, geared mostly toward the business traveler. Arriving via LAX you will notice color coded transportation areas at the median curb areas, go to the hotel shuttle stop. The shuttles for the LAX Marriott are red and probably the nicest of the shuttle vans that come through. My average wait for pickup has been about 5 minutes since 9/11. The shuttle drivers have recently been asking passengers if they are actually staying at the Marriott. The reason for this is that many of the local residents have been having friends/family meet them at the Marriott following arrival at LAX to bypass the parking fees, walk and general hassle of parking at LAX. By using the shuttle, which is free, arriving passengers meet their ride at the Marriott and avoid all the hassle.
The shuttle will drop you off at the front door of the Marriott, a sort of half circle drive, where your bags will be loaded and transported to the lobby while you check in.
If you are driving into the Marriott there is a pay to park area just next to the hotel which is not covered and has no shelter for persons stuck with walking from the lot to the hotel. The parking area is manned by an attendant whose job is to collect money (in my experience she will not answer questions and is not there to watch or guard vehicles actually inside the lot. As a registered guest you will receive a ticket that will allow free parking and ingress/egress. This lot is used by any and everybody, not restricted to hotel guests, and also houses vehicles rented out by the onsite Hertz company. On one trip my vehicle was dented while parking here by an unknown person.
Lobby & General Ambiance.
Once you get inside this hotel it really is not too bad. There is a nice seating area which provides several different areas to just sit down and read a paper or have a cup of coffee. Four restaurants face into the Lobby, Champions Sports bar serves lunch and dinner, JW's steakhouse for upscale dinner, Destinations coffee house and Latitudes dining. All the restaurants here are pricey. Champions probably has the best value. Happy hour drinks run about $2.50 for a pint and serves burgers and fries and hot sandwiches. The breakfast buffet at Latitude is nice, eggs to order, pastry bar and fruits, but not quite worth the $18.00/plate. The registration area is nicely lit with marble floors and fresh floral arrangements. Just past the check-in is a small gift shop that sells bottled beverages, swimsuits, candy and touristy type gifts. There is a nice size business center with and a Hertz rental center here too. I cannot comment on the fitness facility because in the last two years I have never located it (though honestly I never really tried).
After I check in, which takes maybe two minutes max, If I have enough bags that I needed to hand them over to a bellman from the shuttle, I know that my bags will be in my room be the time I get there. This is the sort of service that I expect in LA and that I don't see in Tucson. The front desk service is excellent and courteous whether I am staying as a business customer or with my family using reward points. The concierge service is also very good and can provide maps or reservations as needed.
ROOMS
Well, these are OK rooms. Nothing great but, nothing bad. The usual marble bath with two sinks and a shower/bath. The tubs are average size with no special features. Accessories in the bath, i.e. soap dishes and Kleenex dispensers are ceramic. The soaps and shampoos are tiny. The towels are a little larger and thicker then other hotels, which is what you expect at a Marriott.
I always request a room facing the courtyard. Each of these rooms has a large push out window that overlooks the central courtyard and large pool. The beds are very nice, well above average, with double sheets, blanket and thick brocade comforters. The beds/pillows/sheets here are exceptional. Chippendale style furnishing include the upholstered sitting chair, work desk and armoire with television. Each room has two phones with data ports, internet access and mini bar as well as a coffee maker, iron and ironing board and hairdryer. Overall I'd say the rooms are on the small side but comfortable.
I have not used the pool here often. It looks great and is very large. On my last trip I brought my daughter and was very disappointed that the pools closed so early, at 8:00 p.m. We went swimming, it was May, and found the pool to be very cold. I don't think it was heated adequately. This problem is compounded by the fact that the buildings of the Marriott surround the courtyard and place it in shade about 80 percent of the time. This hotel is also not a great location if you are in southern California to tour the area. About 20 miles from Disney, there are plenty of better hotels located in better areas if you are here for pleasure. This hotel, with 18 floors and 1004 "business" rooms caters to the worker bee and conference attendee.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kcouture
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Location: Arizona
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 3 members
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Wire Fox Terriers, rah!
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