CA Orange County Marriott Irvine

[blkjck1]

This was our second experience with a 4* hotel in the Costa Mesa-Irvine zone. When we first bid for a room in this area, we were hoping to get the South Coast Plaza Westin. Instead, we received this room at $74 plus taxes. We weren't disappointed when we arrived.

This hotel is located near SNA (John Wayne Airport), and they do offer a shuttle to and from SNA. There is also valet and self-parking, and we used the valet parking at $16/night. In advance, we sent a fax to the hotel for a king-sized bed room, and this request was granted. The room wasn't big by any stretch, but it was still big enough to satisfy 2 travelers with large suitcases. The bed linens were of pristine quality, the bed very comfortable, and after a long day of travel, it was nice to collapse into. The bathroom was not all that big either, but was well stocked with towels and Bath and Body Works toiletries. A request for bathrobes and foam pillows was addressed within 10 minutes.

The key is to have a car though. There are not a large number of establishments in the area other than the office tower next door. If you do have a car, there are many great restaurants and shopping choices in the immediate area.

Absolutely no complaints with this hotel. We never felt as if we were given the Priceline treatment, and the staff showed absolute sincerity in dealing with their guests. We would be happy to get this hotel again.

[blkjck1]

We had a second experience with this hotel, and found it just as enjoyable as the first. We had a 3 night weekend stay in March 2008, and again found no reason to complain about the hotel. We bid $76/night on Priceline, and felt we got excellent value for our money. The room and bathroom weren't the most spacious, but there was enough room for us to maneuver around 2 big suitcases and a fair amount of shopping. The price of the valet parking has gone up to $19/night, but the valets were very quick to get our car out in front of the hotel when we called to retrieve it.

This Marriott is situated in the middle of an office complex, and services the surrounding business community and those who need to stay near SNA. We didn't try any of the restaurants in the hotel, but if you have a car, there is no need to limit yourself to the hotel establishments. There are many restaurants within 10 minutes drive in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach. We only used the Starbucks in the lobby for coffee.

If you have time, we would suggest that you take a car and drive along the Pacific Coast Highway and hit Laguna Beach and Dana Point. We weren't disappointed with the drive or the times we stopped to look around.