OverviewLocated just off Interstate 90 and adjacent to the University at Albany, the Courtyard by Marriott Albany Thruway is geared towards road travellers who prefer a stopover hotel with an indoor pool, on-site dining and easy highway access.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and suites comes with free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a mini-fridge, a coffeemaker, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a sitting area and sofabed and a microwave are also available, as are wheelchair-accessible rooms.
The hotel also offers an indoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, one meeting room, a business centre, laundry services, free parking and on-site dining at The Bistro, which serves breakfast and dinner daily. Pets are not permitted.
Albany's city centre is roughly a 10-minute drive away, while Colonie Center offers shopping 7 minutes from the hotel. New York State Museum and Albany International Airport (ALB) can both be found about 11 minutes away by car. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: September 25, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's staff, rooms and location.
The hotel's staff were praised by many guests, who found them accommodating, service-oriented and helpful with recommendations. One patron recounted, "We had a freakish occurrence where we dropped car keys down the elevator shaft. The staff immediately came to our rescue, most pleasantly I might add, and had us on our way in quick fashion. EVERY employee of this hotel was exemplary!".
Numerous reviewers enjoyed their accommodations at the hotel. They described their rooms as clean, quiet, spacious, modern, well equipped, tastefully decorated and well maintained, with comfortable beds and good Wi-Fi signals.
Several lodgers were pleased with the hotel's location. They found it close to highway access, the University of Albany, restaurants, shopping and the airport.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about extra costs and noise transfer.
Some guests were disappointed with the added costs they incurred while at the hotel. They found the restaurant prices and room rates to be expensive, and felt a free breakfast should have been included.
Noise disturbances were mentioned by a few guests. They reported noisy in-room air-conditioning units, as well as highway noise. These guests recommended booking rooms that face the front of the hotel.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #7 of 50 Albany hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 91 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 with a 92% recommendation rate from 49 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.7 out of 10 from 12 reviews
The author called the hotel on September 25, 2013 to verify some information.
