Sometimes you end up having some stray miles that are about to expire, and you then scramble to use them up. This happened to me when I found myself with a few AA miles that were about to expire soon.
When looking at ways to redeem them, I realised I needed another 2000 AA miles to be able to book a short haul flight. This seemed to be an expensive proposition as the cost to buy 2000 miles was $98USD. Add to that a booking fee when I was ready to book a flight. I also noticed that I could book a hotel room and pay a difference of as low as $10USD, so thats how I ended up staying at Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Mississauga/Meadowvale over the weekend for a night right around where I live. The booking process on AA website was easy and I got an email instantly with the confirmation.
I waited a couple of days and then called the hotel directly to confirm all was in place as also to add my Marriott Rewards number so I could view the reservation in the Marriott app.
At check in, the lady at the reception seemed like she was having a bad day and there was not even a slight hint of a smile or any welcoming attitude or gesture. I had checked availability of suites prior to check-in and there didnt seem any left to book, so I lucked out on getting any upgrades being a Marriott Gold Elite member. Courtyards dont offer free breakfast to Gold Elite members, but I casually asked and was told in the most rude way, there is no free breakfast and I would have to pay for it if I wanted breakfast.
However, she did hand me a “gift” bag to thank me for being a Gold Elite member which consisted of a bag of chips and a bottle of water.
The wifi in the hotel was pretty decent, but I was not offered the perk of enhanced wifi being a Gold Elite member.
The room was fairly spacious with a King bed and a sofa and a desk. The washroom, shower and the amenities were nothing to write home about.
There was a bottle of water in the room with a price tag of $2.50CAD. There was a water dispenser in the lobby infused with lemons and lime.
After checking out the room, I headed back down to check out the lobby, gym and the swimming pool.
There were lots of spaces to sit down in the lobby.
There were computer stations where you could print your boarding passes.
There was a mini mart style corner where you could purchase snacks and any essentials that you might have forgotten to bring with you.
The gym was pretty decent and was empty when I checked it out. There were lots of towels and and free ear buds to use at the treadmills.
The gym was pretty decent and was empty when I checked it out. There were lots of towels and and free ear buds to use at the treadmills.
After this, we headed out for dinner at The Keg which was actually the highlight of the evening and weekend with stellar service and not to mention the nice juicy steak.
The next morning, when I was checking out, I just handed over the room cards at reception and was surprised that there was no acknowledgement of my stay or asking how my stay was.
Overall, it was a very dry experience at this location, the hard product is fairly good and it was the staff at this location that didnt help to elevate the stay experience of their guests…atleast this guest felt that way.
Image courtesy of Marriott.com