M Lounge inside hotel- Brad was so humble and so kind and so attentive. You can't find another better staff person! He is gold. Much positive karma to him. The lounge serves breakfast and it's healthy and tastes good and I especially love the fresh fruit of pineapples, cantaloupe, and blackberries and blueberries and strawberries. This place has kept super clean and well tended to. They're always snacks when there's no breakfast being served. I enjoyed sitting here and doing some work and enjoying the food and snacks. read more

See all

Service is nice the bed is comfortable and it was a clean room. I liked the access to the parking garage and the lounge access too.

I had a terrible experience during my stay on January 31, 2026. I was told I would receive 40,000 points for my experiences. I was told by the GM and supervisor I would receive the points. Once again, a bad experience. I only received 20,000 points., This should be escalated to Marriott corporate. Please, do not stay at this Marriott location. It's a terrible Hotel experience. read more

Positive points: - Staff was friendly and efficient - Room was reasonably large and clean Neutral: - breakfast offering was good, but had to pay $10 for it, whereas at some hotelsls it is complimentary. (On Sunday morning, the eggs and potatoes were barely lukewarm. Negative: - My wife and I stayed two nights in January, 2026. The room was never cleaned by Housekeeping. By the time we had gotten back from our day, it was too late. (The Do Not Disturb sign was removed from the door at 10:15 am.) When I checked out, I asked Olivia if they could do anything for us to make up for missing our room. She said none of the managers were at work, but I could call Tiesha Smith on Monday. I called Tiesha Smith and left her a voice mail. She didn't return my call, so the next day, I sent Tiesha an email. Tiesha called me that night (Tuesday, Jan. 20) and apologized for the lack of Housekeeping. She said she would check into it, see what she could do, and would call me back on Thursday. Tiesha Smith never called me back. I'm still waiting and it is now February 1. Anyone can make a mistake, but to me, this is a pattern of poor customer service. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROPERTY !!!! A Hotel that does not allow you to make a Reservation at the front desk ?!!! Really ??? Use your App, I was told !!!! Really ??? I don't understand how this Location can remain open, quite frankly. I guess I should have read the many Yelp reviews that are also One Star before booking here. Not to worry..... NEVER AGAIN !!! Much Noise from the HVAC in my room. Stunning View of multiple HVAC units from the window probably explains this ! Even the mini fridge made an annoying hum. Hot Water very hard to deliver to the 5th floor apparently. Shower took at least 10 minutes to deliver hot water $14 per night Parking ? read more

Terrible. Beware, they are under construction. One night no power or heat. Hot water is questionable and needs to run 20-30 minutes before warm. No working phone in room. Requested housekeeping daily, however after 3 trips to the front desk my room never was cleaned. The skybridge between the hotel and parking is also under construction and inaccessible. Knowing this I chose valet parking when checking in using the app, but guess what, no valet parking available. Terrible terrible experience. read more

We reserved our stay online at the Marriott for a King bed suite. When we arrived for check in we were told all beds were sold except for Double beds. We didn't understand how the room we held had been taken from us? Regardless, DO NOT STAY IN ROOM 705. - the door and lock appear to have been previously damaged with the lock barely hanging on the wall. It does work.. however with a little force the lock would fall off. This needs to be fixed ASAP as it a huge risk for those staying in that room. - we figured since it was two double beds we could push them together but for whatever reason one bed had an additional box spring making it much taller than the other. - the center lights are broken and about to fall down. Please have these fixed! - the coffee maker was very dirty, broken and did not have the pull out piece where you add coffee. This was frustrating however, across the street there is a Starbucks attached to the Hyatt. - the only USB port in the room (yes only one!!) did not work. - the shower head was FILTHY! It needs to be cleaned and it will function better as well. It's so dirty it is clogged and the water pressure is terrible. - the sheets had red stains (blood, idk?). This terrified me but my husband and I searched the room up and down for any additional specs, dots or bugs and didn't find anything. - we did find an old ball from a previous stay under the bed. Makes you further question the cleanliness of this hotel. Not ours so we left it. - the front desk said for internet to select the guest option and enter your last name and room number. It prompted us to PAY $12+ for a day of internet? There was another network option for the Marriott that was free so we did that option. Saddens me we were directed to the pay option, especially after our reservation had already been bumped. - note that the Breakfast buffet is NOT complimentary here. It's a standard continental breakfast buffet. I wouldn't have eaten here had I realized wasn't included. We weren't very hungry and got just some eggs, potatoes, juice, one piece of bacon and berries (GINORMOUS strawberries lol). It was $34 for two of us. Basically, if you're hungry sure... indulge but for a single serving before rushing out to work it was disappointing. - The only saving grace of this hotel is some of the people that work there. The two gentlemen that worked in the lobby buffet were pleasant, as well as the woman bartender and the girl at our checkout. While we described these issues to the checkout staff she did ask us how to make it right. That said, we weren't sure and she didn't provide additional options on what could be done. read more

See all

Everything I couldn't find a single glitch whatever you ask for you. It was available all of your creature comforts.

Hotel room refrigerator was not working, asked for help, they told me it was working and would be cool in 30 minutes and that never happened. Had to use the ice machine and my cooler from home to keep medication refrigerated. Toilet set was not connected to toilet so it slid off when you sat down. No shower gel in shower was a surprise. The light over the bathroom sink was also burnt out. I will never stay here again. Hyatt across the street is my new go to. read more

While I hate writing mixed (or negative) reviews, there were enough not-so-good items at this property that I felt that I should share. First let me state that the hotel does have a great lobby area and the meeting rooms (if you're there for an event) are well maintained and equipped. The guest rooms are nice, mostly feeling updated, except for the bathrooms that seem to still have original bathtubs and toilets. What prompted me to write were a few things that just seem strange given the large number of hotels, of varying levels (# of stars) and how unique these issues were. For starters, the front desk staff don't seem to be well trained. Don't get me wrong, they are very pleasant, but they just don't seem to know all of the things most front desk staff typically do as second nature. For instance, as a Gold Level Member of the Bonvoy family, usually i'm greeted with a thank you for being such a member and some sort of 'welcome' gift, e.g. a water bottle or discount code is shared with me. Didn't happen, and while not a big deal, it is an example of something maybe missing in training. Another thing is that the restaurant seemed to be opened and closed without any posted hours. So when I went at 5:30 on a Thursday to grab a bite, it was closed. So I went outside of the hotel to get a meal and upon return at 7, it was then open. Later that evening, around 8:30, it was again closed. No hours were posted so guests had no way of knowing, without asking the front desk, which I did, and they weren't sure of its schedule. Also strange was the fact that all 9 floors of guest rooms, every single ice machine was turned off which of course means no ice. So i went to the front desk and mentioned this and the staff seemed not to know this. So I then asked if there was some place that I could get some ice and they referred me to the bartender. Luckily, as mentioned above, this one time the bar (not the restaurant) was open, so I went there for a partial bucket. The bartender was friendly and helpful, but it just seems strange that no one seemed to know about this, yet I'd see several other people do the same thing over the course of my stay. Finally, while I'm usually not that picky about the shower water temperature, lukewarm as a maximum is something that just doesn't seem right to me. So some advice for travelers staying here during the winter, take quick showers! I'm hoping that some of the personnel issues can be addressed as the staff seem friendly and want to be attentive, they probably just don't know how. The building, while nicely renovated, does need to be maintained. read more

Stayed here for work. Really enjoyed the comfy beds and the blackout curtains (had to wake up at 3:30am so I had to go to sleep with the sun still out). Staff is very friendly and the lobby is very beautiful. Clean rooms. read more

Unfortunately promised a lot of things I didn't get (lounge on Friday, high floor and campus view). Other than that, nice place, clean and a good stay. Perfect location for visiting ISU. read more

See all

Let me first start by saying if you read my reviews I always leave positive reviews. This was absolutely horrible so I'm breaking my positivity rule. I am of Titanium status with Marriott and I have been for years. We really try to stay solely at Marriott properties. Two months ago we stayed here and it was fabulous. Nice restaurant, nice bar, the shuttle service took us to the hockey game, the hotel was clean and quiet it was great. So when we decided to come back to Bloomington we booked here. In the last two months this hotel has declined horribly. We checked in and we were put in room 911. The entire hotel is getting a remodel. The rooms on both sides of us were jackhammering, banging, ripping things out and it was extremely noisy to say the least. It started at 945am and went all day. We tried to go out and enjoy the town when we came back we wanted to take a nap, couldn't nap. Later we asked for a shuttle to the hockey game and we did so 7 hours before we needed the ride and we were told no shuttle service. This hotel is a construction zone. They were doing construction on other floors as well so moving wasn't an option. We checked out a day early and ended our trip driving north and flying home early. To say this hotel and this experience was awful is an understatement. I've already called corporate Marriott to let them know. First time I've ever called them to complain but this property should be closed for construction and not ruining people's trips and taking their money in the process. read more

We are gold Marriott members and stay close to 50 nights a year at Marriott hotels. This was truly one of the worst stays we have had. Once we checked in, we got to our hotel room, which was fine. First the TV remotes would not work. They exchanged them, and it still did not work. They exchanged them again before it finally worked. Then our internet did not work. We asked them about it. They said it takes time. It still did not work. They said to try another Marriott hotel connection. It finally worked, but was very slow. After 8 phone calls to the front desk, we got our technology working. Then after showering, the sink backed up with sewage. It was within 1" from the top. There was no way we were staying in this room. I asked to be moved to another room. We wasted 3 hours in this room unpacking and calling the front desk. I asked the desk if there was anything the hotel could do to help make our stay more comfortable. I never got a return call. I called the front desk again to see if they could help us move to another room. They just sent up a cart. Later, they asked if I could provide them with my license number for parking my car across the street. I brought it to the front desk. In the morning, I found a $33.50 ticket on my windshield. Again, more wasted time. I went to the front desk and they said, "Don't worry about it". They would take care of it. I asked, why did I even give you my license number? Someone forgot to put it into the system, so parking enforcement ticketed us because it was not in the system. After moving to the new room, the faucet leaked. We had to call for maintenance again. Needless to say, we won't be staying at this property again. read more

We had a clean, comfortable stay at this Marriott and found the staff to be very friendly. The room was spacious and well kept and the price was very fair. The parking garage is big and the sky bridge is a nice touch. We will return when next in the area. read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Clean, comfortable room - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

STAY AT THE HYATT ACROSS THE STREET. I was honored to elected into my university's Hall of Fame; my room was to be covered by the university. A week later I'm still trying to clear up $1,200 is room charges, for not one but two rooms. Left 3 messages for the manager, no return call. Front desk staff undertrained. Robert, who promised me everything was taken of on multiple phone calls, but it wasn't. On top of that, once the 350 people attending the event in the hotel's ballroom emptied out into the bar area.....well, only 1 bartender to service the group. A complete debacle from the time I set foot into the hotel. And, I'm a Marriott Bonvoy member...if I treated my best customers this way, I wouldn't have a business. read more

This review is strictly based on the Conference Center, as I was just here for a meeting. I'll say the meeting rooms are set up well. The acoustics were good and the set up allowed everyone to have a good view of the screen for the powerpoint presentations. It was a working lunch, the meeting continued as our food was being served and as we enjoyed our meal. I was impressed with the professionalism of the young lady who served us. I loved that she served all the women in our group first, then when back and served the men in a flowing order. She also made sure not to block views or distract from the presentation. Our group lucked out, the restrooms were directly across the hall from our meeting room. They were not as large as I'd expect in a conference center, but they were extremely well lit and clean. If you need a meeting room in Bloomington-Normal I'd recommend this center. It is also conveniently located across the street from the train station making it easy for your attendees to arrive. I'll be back? - If there's another meeting. When: September 18, 2018 Why: Leadership Meeting read more

Probably one of the best hotel stays in quite a while. Room was excellent, staff was beyond amazing. Pros: Very conveniently located in the College Town and near so much to do. Cons: Night life is not the most dynamic as far as places to go so you do need a car. I really enjoyed my stay here and I have to admit that the rooms are beautiful and they do use high end products. I think that the bar is awesome with some really nice drinks for all palettes. The conference rooms are extremely comfortable and are very well located. I really had an awesome experience. read more

See all

CS WAS soo good! They have great hotel staff that work there. Almond is a great supervisor. She went above and beyond to give us good cs all the time we were there. Front desk was great as well too! So responsive and respectful with anything we need. Breakfast was wonderful. Bathrms are clean as well as the rooms. Fitness center looks nice. FOLKS, JUST RESPECT THEM and the ROOMS YOU STAY IN. HOWEVER, 1 NIGHT at the bar, I did get ignored believe it was Friday night. I felt disrespected at that pt. I'd rather live here a bit than where I live now. BETTER PEOPLE, RESPECTFUL AND MATURE PEOPLE! read more

TV in the room would randomly turn off and wouldn't connect to all channel. Staff was friendly. unexpected charge from the restaurant on our bill. read more

We have stayed here a few times and although it is a convenient location to ISU and Uptown, the customer service has declined. We were put in a room next to a toddler who did nothing but scream and yell for hours. We reported this to the front desk 4 different times and they seemed less than interested in solving the issue. I left them feedback upon checking out and also in a follow-up email. The Director of Food and Beverage was kind enough to respond to my email with the standard, "our hope is that all our guests experience a relaxing and peaceful stay, and I am very sorry that this wasn't your experience." They missed the mark of their own mission statement: "To enhance the lives of our customers by creating and enabling unsurpassed vacation and leisure experiences." I will look elsewhere when traveling through Bloomington. read more

Dated. Dingy. Musty. Drove 6-hours from Michigan and couldn't have been more underwhelmed when I arrived and checked in. The gentleman at the front desk was nice enough but the decor, carpet, elevators, etc. are very dated and everything feels a bit "dirty around the edges." Like the lobby, the rooms have seen better days - my carpet was stained, walls had smudges, dings, etc. The bed was OK, bedding as well but the pillows were paper thin. I had to stack them all up and still have a broken neck, haha. Woke up early and tried to work in the lobby... all the tables in the lobby with power outlets do not work so I had go across the street to the Hyatt, which was frustrating. The only plus is that it's smack dab in the middle of Illinois State with quite a few restaurants nearby. But, even with the location I can't recommend and will not be back. I'm a big fan of Marriott but this place needs too much work:( read more

I can't believe they rent this room out. Stuck here for two days and this is our view. Two night stay plus tax over $500 read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

As you walk into the lobby you automatically get a nostalgic and magical feel for the ambiance. There is this homely scent that permeates throughout. The layout of the lobby is convenient as the reception desk and restaurant and convention area are in close proximity to each other. There is plenty of parking in a structure that has a bridge into the hotel. The rooms are spacious with ceiling to floor windows and a seating chair that makes for a great place to sit and relax. There is an in-door pool, a clean coin operated laundry facility and a good size fitness center. The breakfast buffet is just right in-line with a hotel breakfast buffet and worth the price. Almond at breakfast is the sweetest. Jaime at the Bar at night is so nice, makes having an end of day drink even better. The front desk is very helpful with information. I highly recommend this place as a stop for a long car ride, for business in the area and to host a group or convention. The general splendor of the hotel is by far the best in Bloomington Normal Illinois!! Stay here! read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - The seating area near the window in the room. - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

My husband was attending a conference and I was lucky enough to be able to tag along. Our room was clean and surprisingly quiet as we were right off of the elevator. We never heard a peep. The room had a nice big closet area, large TV, comfortable king sized bed, microwave, and mini fridge along with a desk, chair etc. Plenty of towels and amenities in the bathroom. The pool was nice and inviting but it was just a tad bit too cold for me so all I did was wade in about waist high. The workout area was clean, a pretty good variety of workout options and well stocked with water and fruit. What really truly impressed me about this property was just how nice and friendly every single staff member was. From the custodial staff to the front counter-- everyone had a smile on their face and greeted us warmly and even engaged in conversation. I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere that had every single person staffed be so friendly and kind. My husband and I were really struck by this-- they made that good of an impression. On Wednesday evenings they have some sort of welcome reception. We saw them setting up for it but never asked what it was about. The conference had an event in the evening so we missed out on all the goodies. We only figured it out the next day when we were riding down in the elevator and took the time to read the sign right there, big as day, advertising it ha ha ha!! D'Oh!! Our bad!!! Great job, Marriott!!! You should be very proud of your exceptional staff!!! PS: I don't know what scent you have wafting through your property but we absolutely LOVED it!!! Every now and again I'd get another whiff of it and just loved it!! read more

The rooms here are very basic, but the location is excellent. We parked here and were able to walk to the Hancock stadium and the nephew's dorm. I was annoyed that we requested a room for 3 adults and got one with a king sized bed. Most groups of 3 adults are not sharing one bed. If they are, good for them, but this wasn't our situation and we had to get a cot brought in. This was not ideal and I would have preferred 2 double beds, but it worked okay. We were in Bloomington to see a game and visit the nephew, not sleep. The staff was very helpful when I thought I left behind a pair of wireless headphones. A woman from the front desk helped me hunt down the cleaning staff and ask if they had seen the headphones. This was very nice, but it ended up being my fault for leaving the headphones elsewhere. I would stay here again because of the friendly staff and good location. The room could have been cleaner when we got there- the bathroom needed to be swept or vacuumed better. read more

I was in town for a conference in the hotel and stayed two nights. Clean and quiet room, helpful registration staff, covered parking garage. Just about all you could ask for. Didn't get a chance to use the pool or workout room, but they looked great. I've become more aware for handicapped access, what bothered me was the pull handle on the door for the main floor restrooms. I'll probably be back, thought I heard that they are going to have some remodeling. read more

See all

This Marriott was a HUGE disappointment. My husband and I always stay at a Marriott hotel; counting on the reputation of the hotel chain. However, this particular one was truly awful. The staff repeatedly made excuses for the damp smell and faulty A/C, the lack of soap (yes, you heard that right - no soap!) and very limited hotel amenities. Two shuttle buses are parked in front leading one to think that the hotel offers rides to the airport or into town. Nope! They are only for airport personnel who stay NOT for guests. Do not stay here! I repeat, do not stay here! There is a nice Hyatt Place across the street. Choose this instead. read more

This place is great to get a drink before jumping on the train. It is a short walk from the train station. I usually hangout in the hotel bar, sipping on a cold beer while watching others enjoy themselves here. The service is great here and the food, is not too bad. I ordered the house special, which is the pot roast with garden vegatables. The pot roast was tender to the touch and seasoned to taste. I've been here a couple times and everytime has been the same experience, never disappointing. I would recommend anyone who wants a cold draft and perfectly cooked food to come here. Tip: Free parking after 6pm on the street and Free Internet in the lobby area. read more

Outdated, dirty, beds hard, and they will keep charging you for whatever they want for days after you leave you. Stayed one night and was charged an extra $250 the day after I checked out for "smoking fees". No one smoked in my room at all; in fact, I am an asthmatic. Also, there is a review elsewhere stating the hotel smelled pungent of floral odor spray during our stay, so no idea what the real deal was. But wait, it gets better: We were then again charged for something 3 days later to the tune of $416 - no idea what this charge was about. All now being disputed by our credit card company. One night in a depressed, aged, unloved Marriott has cost us $790, and many hours reporting it to higher ups, and calling and emailing the hotel manager and corporate. I am even a Marriott member. We were not alone in the bogus charges that week either. read more

This Marriott opened in Fall '09 and it's located in Uptown Normal, next to the Illinois State University campus. It's one of the few restaurants in B-N that's in an area where you can walk to restaurants, bars and shops. The lobby is very nice and the workout facilities have 2-3 elipticals, 3-4 treadmills, 2-3 bikes - all with built-in televisions. There is valet parking and also a parking garage across the street with an enclosed walkway to the hotel from the third floor of the parking deck. I had dinner at the hotel restaurant (Jesse's Grille) and posted a review about that as well. read more

Nice hotel with plenty of bars and eateries within walking distance. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The decor is pretty much up to date. The food was good. I ordered room service two nights (grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and asparagus one night, then a burger with sweet potato fries and a drink that was essentially a chocolate martini) and the breakfast buffet one morning. I also got coffee and a muffin a couple of mornings in the little cafe downstairs. The only reason I'm taking my rating down to 3 stars is because of the proximity to the train. I had to ask them to move me to the other side of the hotel because of the train waking me up at least 6 times during my first night's stay. If you stay here, be sure to request a room as far away from the parking garage as possible. read more

See all

Was disappointed in this location, when I called I was told that there bar and lounge would be open, when I checked in I was told it would open at 5pm, but when we arrived to meet our guests we found it closed? I inquired why and was told that the "girl was not coming today" what does that mean? I could have stayed at a Hampton Inn or cheaper location, but I payed more for more amenities, a bar, a lounge, and better service. Is that all it takes to shut down a lounge, 1 person not showing up for work? I would have expected better from Marriott Corp read more

I have stayed here a number of times through the years. It has always been one of the top Marriotts in Central Illinois. The entire staff has always been very professional, knowledgeable and helpful. It is greatly appreciated that during a pandemic that they immediately tell guests checking in what services are and are not available. Very, very classy. Not all hotels are like that. Location of hotel is perfect. Through the years I have had rooms in a number of rooms and on a number of floors. Not once have I heard or been awaken by the noises of the trains that run so close to the hotel.Amazing. The neat little shops and cafes within steps of the hotel awe charming and wonderful too. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone traveling in Central Illinois. It is all around top notch. read more

We reserved a room for 6 nights. We were told their restaurant is closed for the duration because they can't hire help. Since we arrived around 8 pm the first night it made us search for a restaurant still open. We got back a little after 10 and decided that a glass of wine would be nice and the bar closes at 11. We sat for awhile until someone came out to clean who said they decided to close early. We went back to our room to find our cable had gone out on the tv. The next day they switched our room. The new room has a toilet that runs and you have to let the hot water run for 3-4 minutes before you get hot water. There are contradictory signs throughout the hotel about what you must do to get your room cleaned. We have been asking for 2 days and are running out of toilet paper. Management needs to be a little more attentive to the details if they expect to meet the standards put forth in their website. read more

Front desk is clueless. We were sent to a different hotel our first night because they overbooked and have been waiting over an hour for our room the second day (it's 6pm). Extremely unprofessional staff. Safe to say we will never be back. read more

My mother, myself, and my 2-year-old son stayed at the Bloomington-Normal Mariott Hotel and Conference Center in June, 2011. The hotel was easy to locate in Normal. When we arrived, the staff was pleasant and well-informed about the area and provided us with a map to find local restaurants and shops, as this was our first visit to the Bloomington-Normal area. Our hotel room was spacious and clean. We brought a Pack-n-Play for my son to sleep in, and there was ample room for the Pack-n-Play in the corner. The room contained a small refrigerator, microwave, and coffee-maker, which was one of the reasons we chose this hotel. My only concern about the room was the tiled flooring in the entryway, as when the floor was wet my son slipped and smacked his head (he's ok now!). After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we decided to go swimming in the hotel pool. The pool is indoors, large, and there is also a hot tub in the corner. Towels were provided for pool guests, and the area was clean and well-maintained. However, the tiles were very slippery, so if you have small children, please watch them very carefully in the pool area. For computer users, WiFi is free and accessible in the lobby area; however, there is a fee for WiFi usage in individual hotel rooms. There is a small media center in the lobby with 2 computer stations and a printer. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at this hotel and would definitely stay again. read more

See all

Arguably the "nicest" hotel in Bloomington, but given how small this market is, there are only a small handful of hotels. As far as a standard Marriott goes, this one delivers. The rooms are very clean and well kept. Everything is in working order. The front desk staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. There's lots of conference/meeting space and the lobby is well-designed to support informal meetings with colleagues. The restaurant leaves a lot to be desired, particularly the breakfast options. The menu items are pricey (basic omelets and eggs benedict, etc) and not particularly fresh + overly greasy. However, if I'm being budget conscious I might look to stay at the Hyatt Place across the street. It's 10-15% less expensive (on the dates I've stayed), with exactly the same amenities (actually, maybe better amenities since there you get free breakfast). The hotel is around the corner from several restaurants and a really good coffee shop (less than 3-minute walk). read more

In a nutshell: Terrible customer service, check-in time stinks, ok rooms. Read on for the good, bad and ugly. Requested early check-in on my reservation as I had a wedding to attend. Called the day before to confirm that I could check in early, they said @ 12:30 I could get a room. I arrived at 12:30, no room available, they said there would be one @ 2:30. Came back at 2:30, still no room. I reiterated that I had a wedding to get to, they couldn't have cared less. They said maybe at 3:30 there would be a room, yep you guessed it, no room available. So we were forced to get ready for the wedding in the hotel lobby bathroom. Now if they had just told me the day before that there was NO WAY that they could honor early check-in it would have been acceptable. And I could have stayed at my original location to get ready. But they promised me a room several times. AND, the kicker was the complete lack of care for our situation. The employees were surly and annoyed that we were even there. Hello, you are in the hospitality industry, be hospitable. Quite possibly the worst hotel experience of my long life, at least when it comes to employees. There was one nice gal, the rest were horrid. The good news is, they had a room available when we returned from the wedding at 10 pm. The room was decent, clean, etc. Oh, I should add that they had rooms available early for certain people, not sure what the criteria was. But we didn't t fit it, and we were part of a wedding block of rooms. So beware! read more

What does Normal look like? If you're ever itching to find out, I would suggest a quick trip down Krispy Creme drive, listing to the epiphany church bells chime, discovering the $11 haircut- today only!- and taking a quick detour past Swinger's Cafe. Do normal people actually go inside? And then, at the end of this terribly normal day, you can bury your head into the soft down pillows at the Grand Marriott Hotel, with its helpful attendants, spiraling staircases, embellished lounging areas, and efficient business center right next to the cafe (you take care of business while Starbucks takes care of you). Honestly, I think this town is anything but normal. read more