We were unable to reach the hotel on the first night because of bad weather in the area. They refused to refund the night we didn’t stay at the hotel. Very greedy people working at this hotel. I think most place we have stayed is more understanding than this place was.
Older Marriott located near Ithaca airport without any outdoor noise. Our room which was on the first floor was quiet, although we were near the elevator as well as near the front lobby. The hotel is a bit dated although our room was comfortable. It also has an indoor heated pool and a nice front lobby. Free hot coffee, hot water and water is available during the day. There is also a surcharge for those that wish to have breakfast. My only complaint was our shower - it was hard to turn on, took 5 minutes for the hot water to come on and the shower head wasn't well attached to the wall. They should fix that as it looked like it may fall off at any time.
The room and amenities are first class. Breakfast at $16 plus tip was abysmal. Eggs were dry. No fruit. No juice. Potato hashbrowns were soggy.
When asked about fresh fruit or juice was told there was a supply issue. Went to 7-11 a few blocks away and they had a whole shelf of fresh cut fruit. A hotel of this caliber should have a full breakfast!!
The Ithaca Marriott Downtown on the Commons is the kind of hotel, like the bland pictures on its walls, that no one would notice, or even recall, if it disappeared tomorrow. As a guest one senses that the staff works there because they couldn't find a better job anywhere else--don't expect to see the same faces if you return a few months, or a year, later. My family and I stayed overnight on a Monday in March. The valet attendant wasn't happy we didn't use his services. Instead we were given instructions on how to reach ”our parking garage” (as we were told by the hotel staff) a couple blocks away. It turns out this is anything but the Marriott's parking garage. Did I lack an ”elemental common sense” (as the staff person later suggested to me on the phone) for parking in one of the many empty spots with a small sign that apparently says something like, ”Parking reserved for Hotel Guests of Hilton Garden”? It was nighttime, after a long day of driving -- fatigue reigns in a parking garage with reserved spots for a particular hotel. Signs are misread as ”Parking reserved for Hotel Guests.” Or maybe I parked in that space because I was told by Marriott staff that it was ”our garage”? And wouldn't common sense today suggest Marriott and Hilton are owned by the same corporation that owns everything else? No, this was entirely this guest's fault: no ”elemental common sense.” And the price of this ticket: on top of the $12 a night parking fee, a $30 fine that the Marriott didn't think it worth offering to compensate. O, the inhumanity! The dry, stuffy air in the Marriott hotel room; the broken ice machine on our floor with a sign of apology (yes, they posted a sign instead of fixing it); their version of the Big Dig right next to the hotel so that guests can wake up to the relaxing sounds of a jackhammer. Fortunately, the room came with four complementary foam earplugs and a $10 voucher for the restaurant downstairs where you can buy a cup of lukewarm coffee, stroll outside and around the corner to one of the many vape shops, or take your kids on a field trip to the very adult gallery a two-minute walk away (next to the theater). To end on a positive note having nothing to do with the Marriott: Maru Ramen and The Milkstand are excellent restaurants and more than make up for any hotel hardly worth its overnight costs. Two stars as our children enjoyed meditating during the slow elevator ride to the tenth floor.