I was heading back to Los Angeles and had to look for a new place to stay close to work, because my usual places were all sold-out. I discovered the Marriott Courtyard Los Angeles Baldwin Park. This hotel is located close to the office and I don’t need to use any Freeways to get there. That is a big plus in L.A.-traffic.
Reservation was done quick and easy via the Marriott.com website. This hotel offers a long-term stay rate for 5 nights and longer. A rate of $139+tax is not to bad in L.A.
If you are staying at least 5 days or more, don’t book any room packages, such as the breakfast rate. The rate with breakfast for 1 person would be (in my case) $184. That means you would pay $45 for breakfast every morning. I don’t think you can eat enough to buy that much breakfast of their regular menu.
Checking-In took a little while, because a shuttle with some Asian tourists arrived prior to me and they had some issues to sort out. Things like this happen and I was not to worried about it. I was waiting approx. 10 minutes and after that checking-in was a breeze. I got my room key and headed straight to the elevators. In this hotel you can only call an elevator if you insert your room key first. Also there is only one entrance to the hotel building. There are a couple of exits to the side of the building but no re-entry is possible not even with a room key. Be aware of that.
The Room
I booked a room with a King bed which also came with a sofa bed. This is the standard king bed room for this property. The room was very spacious and I liked that the bed was facing the window. There was lots of space for my two suitcases and my backpack. The office desk was huge and had a slide out desk. This almost doubled the available space and was great. I usually need a lot of space for my gear (laptops, camera,…)
The bathroom was big and clean and had enough space to put down your toiletry. The coffee maker and refrigerator are right between the bathroom and the bed room part of the room. The refrigerator is hidden in a closet to make it look nicer. Overall I was very satisfied with my room.
Amenities
Downstairs next to the lobby is a small business center with PCs for guest use and two smaller PC stations across from there. They are designated to print your boarding pass or whatever you need to print.
Following the hallway from the business center area down to the elevator, you have to the left “The Bistro” and to the right some seating with TVs. The Bistro serves breakfast and dinner and is typical for a Marriott Courtyard. They serve Starbucks products. Unfortunately, the choices are limited to a couple of items for breakfast and for dinner. The food was always good there and I enjoyed getting away from the usual daily continental breakfast I used to eat every morning. Once you placed your order, you will probably get a number to place on your table and they bring your order right out to you. There is more seating available behind the bistro. This is especially great for dinner.
Right outside is the pool area. The area was well maintained and had plenty of sunbeds to use. Next to the pool area was a little outside patio to eat or sit down. I missed this area until I actually explored the pool. To the side of the dining area was a little courtyard with tables and sunshades. Also, a great area to sit outside and enjoy your food but most people used it to smoke.
The fitness center is located in the far left corner of the actual guest room area on the ground floor. It is not the biggest fitness center, especially for a hotel that size.
Right across from the entrance and next to the check-in counter are four meeting rooms.
Location
As mentioned earlier, the hotel is located conveniently to two major freeways, I-605 and I-10. Sizzler is located directly next door. Literally! If you have to do some “upgrades” to your room, Home Depot is right next door as well. I used the driveway to Home Depot to get to the hotel. That was also the same route my GPS told me to use.
Mc Donald’s, Starbucks, Denny’s, and Guadalajara Grill are just a short 5-minute walk away from the hotel.
Parking is for free on this property and plenty of spots are available. The only downside, as mentioned earlier, you can only use the main entrance to enter the hotel. That means you might have to walk a bit to get to the entrance and from there walk back towards the elevators. Overall a good place for a hotel and I enjoyed my stay. The staff was great and very friendly. This hotel also seems to be frequented by international guests, but probably more for business as for leisure. The building is in a very well maintained condition and invites for a pleasant stay.
There is no shuttle service from any of the L.A. airports. You will have to get a rental car or look for alternative transportation if you arrive by plane.
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.