Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel Miami

City: Miami, FL
Chain: Four Seasons
Property: Four Seasons Hotel Miami
Address: 1435 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida 33131
Phone Number: (305) 358-3535

Check Out: May 2008



Obviously, as nice as hotels get, and the only reason I was here was because of a convention in the building. The hotel is incredibly nice and stylish, and also in the heart of Miami. The bottom 9 or so floors of the building are office space, so the common areas, dining, pools, etc. are actually about 10 stories up. So, while in the middle of town, its up and away from the noise of the street and overlooking water. A resort in the sky.

Service and staff were as good as they could be, influenced by the culture of Miami. A lot of fun dining on paella and sangria, and also funny teaching a temporary bartender how to make a martini ("just pour gin in the shaker with ice").

Note: this hotel is beyond the expectations of an expense account for business travel.

Rating:

• Safety: 1 (never left 10 stories up, don't know about the neighborhood)
  
• Dining: 1 (unbelievably good, pricey)
  
• Bar: 1 (top notch)
  
• Internet: 1 (not free, should be deducted at this price)
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: 0
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 1
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: 1
  
• Common Areas: 2 (bonus)
  

Total: 9

Directions:

Last Visit: May 2008 ($345 through convention)

Hotel: Marriott Courtyard Collegeville PA

City: Collegeville, PA
Chain: Marriott
Property: Courtyard by Marriott Collegeville
Address: 600 Campus Drive, Collegeville, PA 19426
Phone Number: (484) 974-2600

Check Out: June 2008

Updated: February 2012


Your basic Courtyard experience. The hotel sat on top of a hill with nothing near it for a while, but there is now a large shopping area across the highway with several places to eat including Olive Garden and PF Chiang, a Best Buy, Wegmen's grocery, and many others. 15 min drive to King of Prussia if you need shopping overload.

The lobby was redecorated late 2011, and a sit down bar and dining experience has been added. This is a stronger feeling of the "home away from home" Marriott seems to be trying to create with the Courtyard brand, with a living room type seating area with a fireplace. An improvement of the original hotel, more of a full service experience now.

Rating:

• Safety: 1 (in the middle of nowhere)
  
• Dining: .5 Breakfast only (didn't try it). Free coffee & tea
  
• Bar: 0, beer for sale though
  
• Internet: 1 (free)
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: 1
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 1
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: 1
  
• Common Areas: 1
  

Total: 7.5

Directions:


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Last Visit: November 2008 ($109 a night through Orbitz)