Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center Review

Booking & Stay Details

Because the Hyatt Place Titusville / Kennedy Space Center was sold out for Sunday night I had to move hotels. I hoped to stay longer at the Hyatt to get my nights in to requalify for Globalist. Unfortunately, the hotel could not extend it and I looked for alternatives. The Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center is located just down the road from Hyatt Place. Usually, I am not a huge fan of the Courtyard by Marriott as they don’t have complimentary breakfast and no buffet either. The price was just a few dollars more than the Hyatt Place, but I would have to pay extra for breakfast which will be around $25-$30 depending on what you get. I also decided to book the slightly more expensive King Guest room with a River view, facing the Kennedy Space Center. This is the side of the hotel you want to be in.

Location

The Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center is located at the south end of Titusville, next to NASA Causeway. From the Causeway you can reach the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex within a few minutes. Very close to the hotel is the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum and the Space Coast Regional Airport. It is about a 60-minute drive to Disney World in Orlando from here. It’s also a very quiet area, few cars are driving on the road in front of the hotel. 

Parking

There is a large parking lot right in front of the hotel with very spacious parking stalls. The hotel also offers electric car charging stations. Parking at the Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center is complimentary.

Check-In

I got a late checkout at the Hyatt Place and checked out around 3 p.m. and drove down the road to the Courtyard. Checking in was quick and easy as always. Just a quick I.D. and credit card check. The front desk agent was even so great and upgraded me to a King Suite with a River view. Besides my room keys, I also received my points as a welcome amenity and a set of sunglasses, and a dry-frozen ice cream bar.

Check-In: 3 p.m.
Check-Out: 12 a.m.

1 Bedroom Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed (Room 523)

This suite is very spacious with 645 sqft/58 sqm. It comes with a separate bedroom. The main living area consists of a sofa bed and sofa chair on one side of the room. Opposite that is a work desk and office chair attached to a small dresser. Above the desk is a 55″ wall-mounted TV. In the corner behind the bathroom is a little kitchenette area with a counter and a small sink. On top of the counter are a microwave and coffee maker. Inside the kitchenette, the closet is a small refrigerator. 

The bathroom is at the beginning of the room, as you enter it. It’s a very spacious bathroom with a large vanity area with a single sink and wall-mounted mirror. The shower is at the far end of the bathroom and is half-open. Meaning only half of the shower area is covered with a glass wall, and the other half is open. There is no door or curtain. Because the shower area is so long, it is unlikely that you will have big spills outside the shower area. Right outside the bathroom is a wall closet. Inside you find an iron and an ironing board. On the inside as well as on the outside of the closet door is a large dressing mirror.

The bedroom is separated from the rest of the room by a regular door. The bedroom is very spacious and comes with a King bed with a nightstand on either side. Behind the bed is a wonderful space-themed wallpaper picturing a galaxy. On the right nightstand is a little astronaut projector. The projector looks like an astronaut, and it will project a wonderful space theme on the ceiling of your room. Just try it out. It’s amazing. There is a small note next to the astronaut, that the hotel will charge you $50 if the astronaut gets missing after your stay 😉 If you want to acquire the astronaut from the hotel, this is definitely the cheaper way, as the same astronaut costs $60 at the gift shop next to the front desk. The only thing you get extra there is the boxing material 😉

Opposite the bed is another 55″ wall-mounted TV. Underneath it is a small dresser for extra storage capacity. Besides another dressing mirror and a small chair, the room is pretty empty. No closet, nothing. There is a lot of space near the entrance which I used to set up my suitcases on the floor as there is no suitcase stand in this room.

The living room and bedroom have their own AC units which can be set up individually. Both rooms of the suite have large windows facing the river. From your room, you get magnificent views of the backyard of the hotel as well as the river and the Kennedy Space Center. You get a magnificent view of the sunrise from here as well.

Besides that, you can also watch launches from here. If you want an unobstructed view, just go to the rooftop bar. Even after the bar closes the area is open to hotel guests and you can watch the launch from there. 

Talking about viewing the launches. There was a Celestron binocular sitting on the shelf below the TV in the living room. With it, you can see most of the launch pads from your room or the rooftop. You are welcome to take the binoculars with you while you explore the area as long as you return them when you check out. Otherwise, you get charged $50. A little placard next to the binoculars has a QR code do an iOS app to give you guidance to see the stars. 

Public Areas & Amenities

Lobby

Right as you walk into the lobby you can’t miss the space theme. There are banners of two rockets in the main entrance followed by an astronaut manakin in the lobby. Next to the front desk is a monitor displaying upcoming launches. Take the dates and times with a grain of salt as they are very slow in updating the launches and changes. Just check the website or Twitter of the launch company. Otherwise, the lobby is very spacious with lots of seating opportunities. Most of them are used during breakfast. 

Patio and Waterfront

There is a beautiful patio area at the back of the hotel. It comes with more tables, chairs, and even two fireplaces to hang out throughout the day. Past the small, paved walkway there are more wooden chairs with small tables as well as a bunch of large hammocks. It’s just such an amazing place. 

Business Center

The business center is located along the hallway going north, opposite the front desk. You can’t miss it. It’s just a single workstation and printer.

Throughout the lobby, there are more tables with power outlets which can be used as well to set up your laptop. It feels a little bit like a Starbucks. Wait, there is actually a “Starbucks” in the lobby. It’s part of the Bistro and is open throughout the entire day. More about it later.

Fitness Center

The hotel’s fitness center is located near the elevators and guest laundry. You need your room key to enter it. Inside you will find a well-equipped fitness center with large windows facing out the back towards the river.

Pool

The resort-style pool is located on the south side of the building. Just follow the long hallway all the way to the end and you end up at the pool area. To enter it, you need your room key as well. The pool area is huge and comes with many chaise lounge chairs as well as some cabanas. The pool is L-shaped and has two small water cannons and a water mushroom sprinkler for kids to play with. Besides the large resort-style pool, there is also a whirlpool in the pool area.

The pool area also has a pool bar.

Opening Hours were originally from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. The same times were also printed on the little card I received during check-in with the hours of all the amenities of the hotel. During my week-long stay, the hours changed from dawn until dusk.

Guest Laundry

The guest laundry is open 24 hours a day. It comes with two washers and two dryers. They look like coin-operated units, but they are actually free. All you need is laundry detergent and dryer sheets if you want to use them. Both can be purchased at the front desk, or you bring your own.

Beach Bicycles

Near the pool area are four beach bicycles you can check out free of charge. There are two adult bikes and two children’s bikes. You can check them out at the front desk and use is complimentary. This is a really great amenity. Especially as there is about a mile-long and partially paved roadway right behind the hotel. But you don’t have to stay on that, you can also take it out and take the bikes toward Titusville. The only thing you can’t do is drive them on the NASA causeway toward the Kennedy Space Center.

Children Play Area

In the lobby near the main entrance is a children’s play area. Inside is a table with multiple tabletop games to have a good time with the kids while staying here.

Dining

Breakfast

Starbucks

The Bistro in the lobby is also a Starbucks. This has one advantage as you can get coffee already at 5:30 a.m. and some small snacks from the fridge or some items from the bakery. There is not a huge selection, and it is extremely limited as it is not a real Starbucks. They only brew Starbucks coffee.

Service throughout the day at Starbucks is hit-and-miss. I walked away a few times without anything as nobody was around.
Hours daily 5:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Bistro Breakfast

The Bistro has a pretty good breakfast selection. The only downside is that it gets very expensive if you want a “big” breakfast with coffee, orange juice, and an “entree”. The food is freshly made and very good. It can get a bit busy during the second half of the breakfast hours. Try to be early.
Hours daily from 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Bistro Bar & Dinner

The Bistro turns into a bar at night and has some tasty food. Well, it’s more the bar food style they offer here but at least you don’t have to go to bed hungry or thirsty. 

Hours daily from 4:00 p.m. – 10: p.m.

Pool Bar

The pool bar is only open at weekends. It’s a wonderful place to hang out and have a drink, especially on hot and humid summer days.
Hours: Friday-Sunday from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Space Bar & Food

One of the best spots in the house is the rooftop bar. It’s an outside bar on the rooftop of the building. It comes with magnificent views of the river and Kennedy Space Center. You can come here, have a drink, and watch a launch if they launch during the opening hours of the bar. Otherwise, the area is open non-stop for hotel guests. Come up here, watch the moon and stars at night. You can also come up here and enjoy the view without the need to buy anything from the bar. The large astronaut banner on the wall gets illuminated at night and just looks amazing. There is also a separate elevator going from the Space Bar all the way down to the ground floor as the bar is also open for non-hotel guests. 

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday 4 p.m. – midnight
Saturday 11 a.m. – midnight
Sunday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Kitchen is open daily until 10 p.m.

Crate

The Crate marketplace is next to the front desk. It is also a gift shop where you can buy NASA stuff. The NASA articles have the same price as in the gift shop of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Besides gifts, you can also buy snacks and beverages here. They also sell essentials like batteries, sunscreen, and more. Just have a look. 
The Crate is open 24/7 but alcohol is only sold between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m.

Conclusion

The Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center is definitely one of the best places to stay on the Space Coast. It is the most space-themed hotel in the area including Titusville, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. It’s the closest hotel to launch pad 39A and 39B. I really like the proximity to the Kennedy Space Center and the Visitor Complex. 

The property is brandnews. It opened in April of 2022 and is owned and operated by Delaware North. Delaware North also operates the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and other lodging properties in the U.S. and Australia.