I have plenty of positive things to say about this wonderfully located property. But the negative issues are pretty important to me and outweigh the positives. The location of the property to the ISU quad, the new Uptown bus and train station, and the convention space and meeting rooms is perfect. It is the most expensive set of rooms in the Bloomington Normal area and the convenient location may not be worth the cost. If a hotel is going to require that even customers staying on property must pay high fees for parking in their lot or the valet, then why not pay half the price for a good room a mile away and drive to the center for your meeting or convention? The hotel is beautifully furnished from the lobby, to the halls, and even the guest rooms are pretty and relaxing (although the large framed picture of a corn field in the bathroom seems odd). The carpet is clean and a sturdy weave and nice design. It is clear someone has paid close attention to the aesthetics throughout the entire facility. Elevators are fast and wait times even in the morning rush seem minimal. There is a very pricy breakfast buffet on site but also a number of coffee and gourmet snack shops just feet from the hotel that are great and will save you a lot of money. I did find it strange that the towel rack is on the front of the sink hitting you in the groin and preventing easy use of the sink. On the positive side the shower head was the best I've seen in a hotel in months. I had three main issues with this property. First was while trying to confirm my reservation and bed request earlier in the day. I was told on the phone that two beds couldn't ever be guaranteed. So you reserve a room with two beds weeks in advance and then call early the day of check-in to confirm you're on the way and when you get there you could be stuck with a room with one king size bed? Who's willing to pay $130+ for no guarantee of room type? Not me. I guess we got lucky and got a room with two beds after all. A shame the hassle it took to get what I reserved weeks in advance. The next issue was that the sound on the TV kept cutting in and out. I checked the wires in the back and everything was tight. When I called down I was told that someone could be sent up in a while (likely after the child in the room was already asleep). So we went without sound. And the thing that really upset me was the lack at security at 3am. With the others in the room asleep I decided to check out the local late night music, bar, and food options. There were a huge amount of intoxicated college students and adults in the immediate area. I decided to grab some food at the Windy City Hotdogs down the street (loved the food) and headed back to the hotel. So at 3am with the bus and train depot across the street and drunk people wandering all around the area, the front door of the hotel was open. That would be fine but there wasn't anyone at the front desk or in the lobby checking people who came in. I waited a couple of moments believing that an employee was possibly watching the lobby action on camera (I was clearly looking for an employee) and nothing. Anyone was free to enter and wander the building. That isn't the type of security I expect in a location like this for the cost of these guest rooms. Or at any hotel at any price. Simply inexcusable. I'll be much happier on my next Bloomington Normal visit to stay somewhere half the price with free parking and better security. Even paying for a quick taxi to return me to an off-site hotel if I wanted to have a few drinks in the area would be less than the cost of hotel guest parking. I often use Marriott properties and enjoy the level of hospitality that comes with the Marriott chain. That seems to be missing here as all the issues are directly related to the lack of employee hospitality. If employees had been courteous and available this could have easily been a four star review. I still wouldn't have liked the inflated parking and valet costs for hotel guests but that is minor compared to the other issues. I see it's likely a hotel representative will post a comment here. It's really too bad you can only get attention when you complain after your stay and not just have issues resolved when they are happening. What happened to days when an employee would just say "I'm sorry, let me resolve this for you now"? I guess those days are gone. read more

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When I went to school in the area many moons ago out of town guests weren't given the option to stay this close to campus. Ah the spoiled new class, sort of like the third child in the family. By the time they're teenagers gone are the BS rules that apply to curfew/makeup/dating. The campus now has what is actually a really nice hotel within walking distance. To be honest I expected less since I spent many years in the area and had't been exactly blown away by anything. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Marriott didn't buy into the whole "we want everything to look like it was built in 1985" formula. Pleasant staff, clean rooms. Kudos. read more

We are a party of 3, a couple and a father/father-in-law. We reserved a room with 2 beds. We paid for a room with 2 beds. But we got a room with one bed! When I called the front desk, she apologized and said, "That's all we've got. But we can give you an air mattress." Seriously? So that I can sleep on the floor? FAIL! So when we finally discovered that they gave us the wrong room, we had to contend with a very large group that made a very large commotion after midnight. I believe there were drums and chanting or cheers in one of their meeting rooms. As the lobby has a four floor atrium, sound from the lobby area disturbs everyone. While the lobby looks nice, it can't make up for the aggravation and lost sleep. read more

I unfortunately had a terrible experience checking out at this hotel. I was charged $6.xx for a long-distance call I did not make and inquired about it at the front desk. Instead of politely apologizing for the error and taking it off my bill, I was grilled with questions on phone usage and was given a very hard time. The front desk clerk, Filli, was extremely rude to me and argued with me regarding the six dollar charge. I could not believe it. At one point I asked her 'Do you believe your system over me?' and she said 'Yes'. She treated me like I was trying to swindle the hotel out of six dollars. She even said that she was upset that I was ACCUSING Marriott of trying to screw me over. I wasn't accusing anyone of anything... I just wanted the erroneous charge off my bill. After about 10 minutes of her arguing with me she said very rudely, "As a COURTESY, I will remove the charge". That took about five minutes because she was helping other customers and answering front desk calls instead of serving me. Something really needs to be done about this employee. Her behavior was simply uncalled for. read more

I've stayed at this particular Marriott four separate times as a business traveler and already I'm a big fan. If you're working at State Farm you have a further drive than most of the other hotels in BloNo, but the quality of the hotel makes up for the drive. You also have some great restaurants (Medici, The Rock) and bars (Maggie Miley's) within walking distance. The hotel bar is also open late and there is usually a good scene most nights. The quality of the the rooms and lobby is definitely the best in the Bloomington/Normal area (and I've stayed at most hotels in BloNo). The room service is very well priced, tastes great, and they don't add in a bunch of fees. You even get to write in your own tip. The evening room service woman, Casey, is really friendly and nice. Kudos to her. The front desk staff is very friendly and, more importantly, they get things done whenever you're in need for something. I'm not that big of a fan of having to park in a deck across the street and then take a walkway to the hotel, but really it's not that big of a deal. The gym and indoor pool are really nice, so if you're into working out or swimming, you'll have a good time here. When the weather is nice you'll find me here, but the close proximity and quality of DoubleTree makes that my other go-to hotel. Either will treat you well. read more

If you are ever in the area, this is a nice hotel to stay in. It has an abundance of meeting rooms to use, it has a separate bar and even a movie theater that my organization used. The rooms were nice and clean and the staff is very courteous. Checking in and out was a breeze as well. They even have a nuce work out room with equipment that can get yiu through your morning routine. Now if you are using any of the meeting rooms, I suggest having a sweater because it's a bit chilly even during the winter. Also WiFi is not free unless you are connecting via your company. Even if I was not traveling for work, I would still stay here if in the area. read more

I can also say that I have not spent a night here. I have, however, attended an event here...actually participated in an event here. So, 1- the food. It was good. They offered a gourmet baked potato bar- clever, very clever and it was good. During 1/2 of the night, they had someone serving, and then they didn't. This was a bit awkward. People got a smidgen confused. 2- the staff. There were lots of them and mostly pleasant and also very young. Some didn't seem to know what to do and it showed. Don't get me wrong, they didn't do anything wrong, they just seemed a bit out of place. 3- the location itself is beautiful- they took a lot of time to make it look amazing. So, why 4 stars? Well, the parking garage attached to the hotel. You had to pay for parking. This really rubbed me. I guess I still think of Uptown Normal as Downtown Normal; still in the middle of a college campus in the middle of a rural area. It irked me to have to pay for parking. read more

I stayed here with my husband for a one night stay. Overall it was a good experience. Hotel and room was clean. Beds were not the most comfortable but not terrible. They only provide a few towels in the King room - we had to call to get more towels (twice because the front desk did not respond to the first request). Bathroom was big but the fan did not work well. TV had Netflix which is a plus read more

I came here for a friend's wedding, and got a room for the night with my boyfriend. Overall, our stay was OK. Pros: The room was very spacious, especially the bathroom. The bathroom included a hair dryer and heat lamp outside the tub. The decor was very modern and beautiful. The location in uptown normal is awesome. There's tons of parking in the adjoining parking garage (and parking is free with a room stay). Food at the reception was good - especially the steak. Cons: The toilet was backed up and the tub drain wasn't working - that's too bad since the hotel isn't that old. Bellhops weren't available to help with bags. In my opinion their price for the room was a little high. Overall, it's a beautiful place to have a wedding reception, as long as you don't mind potentially bumping into another bride in the bathroom. read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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Have stayed here several times - one of the nicest hotels in the Bloomington-Normal area. The good: - Very nice location, well maintained premises - nice rooms, good bed - friendly staff Some not so good: - Management is quite hands-off when there are issues compared to most Marriott properties (shows some level of complacency) - Front desk staff sometimes not as professional as other Marriott properties - Inexperience in larger event logistics as it relates to not affecting guests (for example, they shut down parking garage and strand their guests without warning) - the "groin" towel rack in front of every sink in every bath room (ugh) For business travelers: Good hotel choice in Bloomington. If your trip is very soon, you are probably already too late if you haven't already booked. Book well in advance for this hotel. read more

My first time at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and I have to say this place is top shelf!! The lobby/ bar area is absolutely beautiful and very comfortable to hang out at. The staff was very friendly as well. My room was very nice and clean and it was great having a parking garage connected to the hotel. One small gripe, wifi. It's free in the lobby area (great) but you have to pay for wifi in the rooms, that's very pimpy. Other than that I will be back! read more

I did not have a good experience here. The premises were very nice and clean, but the service was poor. When booking, we told them we had 5 people staying in one room, and we asked for a room with 2 beds. They said they were able to accommodate us. When we got there, they said they had made a mistake and they only had rooms with a single bed. They didn't seem very apologetic or willing to make up for the error. We wouldn't have booked a room if this was the case. How did they expect 5 of us to comfortably stay in a room with a single bed? They were only able to give one rollout bed that fit one person, so some of us had to sleep on the floor. However, they refused to give us extra blankets and pillows for those sleeping on the floor. We felt our requests were more than reasonable and they were only made because of their mistake. The stay was unpleasant and the experience was not worth the price we paid. Had it not been so late when we checked in, we wouldn't have given them our business. read more

Nice and clean hotel. No complaints. Pictures posted by previous reviews are accurate. Stayed here for a conference being held in their banquet hall. Posted a picture of the Hyatt next door from my room to show how close it is (literally across an easilly crossed road)...Hyatt is pet friendly Marriott is not. Easily walked to a few restaurants and coffee places. Clean and cute college downtown area. Staff is professional and courteous. Workout equipment is a step up from some average hotels. Coffee and toiletries in room are average, nothing special. Robe in the closet for use, looks average but did not use. read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Outside of Marriott Hotel. Clean and within walking distance to some restaurants and coffee shops. - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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My family (from STL) met my brother's family (Chicago) here. Got room rate of $120 through Priceline. Hotel is very nice. Everything is very clean and hotel is about 5 years old. Location is right on campus for Illinois State. 3 min walk to the Discovery Children's Museum as well as numerous restaurants and bars. Parking included. Pool and hot tub are nice, but deck area is super slippery. Pool goes from 3-5ft deep. Nice bar in huge lobby. Restaurant and coffee shop in lobby. Room is very nice. Fridge, microwave, tv, comfy chair, iron and board, huge bathroom, blackout shades. read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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Hotel was nice and a quick check in. Bed was nice and was very quiet. Only issue is no free WiFi. Figure if I pay 100+ dollars that would be standard No other complaints. Right across the street from ISU and great places to eat. read more

I stayed at this Marriott for over half a year for work. It's consistent with most of my other Marriott experiences. The rooms were clean, same staff almost every week that we super friendly people, relatively consistent rates. Only issue is if you're coming here for work, be aware of school schedules since its in ISUs campus. Homecoming, graduation weekends this hotel will be booked very quickly. Also, it's located right across the street from the metra station, so it gives you another mode of transportation to and from Chicago. Only issue I had is that I left a dress shirt and a pair of prescription glasses in my room (2 different occasions) after I checked out. I realized when I got home and called them to see if housecleaning ever picked them up, and was told they never found it. It was a bit difficult to talk to them since the lost and found office works regular 8-5 hours but those traveling for work will never get off early enough to speak with them. read more

I guess it was to much to ask to have two great stays in a row! My family and I were here a month ago for our son's track meet, it was our first visit and we loved it! It was clean, everyone was nice and we had a great time. There was no question where we would stay when we were in town again. On the second time around, we checked in and found that although we had reserved our room a month ago, our much needed request for a two bed room could not be honored. Therefore my 12 year old son, my husband and I (five months pregnant had to share one bed)! I called to the front desk to express my disapointment, and they said that people had booked a year ago and had been guaranteed a two bed room. So were we! Once I asked to speak to a manager, a two bed room mysteriously became available. Also, the last time we were here we were given free breakfast tickets. We were not told this was a one time thing so we expected the same on iur next visit. When we were not given tickets for breakfast, I inquired about this and was informed that my being given breakfast tickets the first time was a mistake. Needless to say, I was not as pleased with my visit this time and will explore other options when looking for a hotel. read more

From when we checked in, to when we checked out the stay at this hotel was miserable. The worst was at 2 in the morning, a drunk stranger stumbled into our room and urinated on the floor. We called the front desk immediately and it took 10 minutes for security to show up. When the security officer finally showed up, he said he "saw the guy, but he was too fast to catch." The follow up by the management staff was even more offensive. Every management staff person we spoke to had no empathy for us. None. They all had the same mantra: It was our fault for not ensuring that the door was latched behind us. We felt that no one cared about our safety, and more concerned about possible litigation. And when we asked to have someone clean up the stranger's urine, we were told there was no one available. After extensive asking for some compensation, we were told we would get 10,000 Marriott points. That doesn't even cover one night at that wretched property. To top things off, it took 2.5 hours to process our check out because they "thought we were roommates and split the bill in half" and didn't know how to rectify it. I'd be embarrassed to be a customer service representative and try to defend their actions. read more

Our room was not available for check-in until 6pm (that's two hours late and totally unacceptable - and we were comped NOTHING). Housekeeping was completely out of shampoo and gave us two bottles of conditioner instead. Gee, thanks. Rooms are small but fine. Fitness center was nice; pool area does not have a hot tub. The only redeeming reason to stay here is walking distance to campus & Uptown. Service doesn't seem to be much of a priority. We'll be contacting Marriott corporate about our experience. read more

Meal for our business meeting was by far the worse thing I have ever eaten. It was frozen bun chunks of cheese not sliced and Apple butter. My 5 year old once made me a pickle peanut butter and onion sandwich that I would rather eat. Epic fail read more

Bloomington Normal Marriott Hotel - Quite possibly the worst thing i have ever tasted. Epic fail. - Hotels Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I stayed here to attend a conference. Everything was perfectly fine, but Michael at the front desk is really what gives this hotel five starts. His customer service was impeccable as he helped us with several small issues. He was informative, professional, and amiable. We ate at the bar on his recommendation, and the food was good. The bed was comfortable; the hotel was clean and pleasant. Overall I would definitely book here again if in the area. read more

To start, the Yelp name should really include Marriott in the title. "Bloomington-Normal" almost makes it seem like you are reviewing an area and not the Marriott. My wife and I recently spent two nights here. I overheard someone saying the hotel is only four years old which I can actually believe, because everything looks incredibly new to me. It's also been very well maintained. Check-in was relatively simple and you are able to park in the garage next door as a hotel guest. It's also nice that the parking garage is connected to the actual hotel. The hotel is smack in the middle of downtown Normal, so it's a pretty good location. There are a bunch of different bars and restaurants that you can easily walk to. The room itself was perfectly fine. It was nice and spacious, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was in good shape. All pluses. I have a pretty big issue that they charge for internet. I've said this before, but the internet should be free. I'm sorry and this hotel isn't in a major city. And...they charge $12.95/day. They do offer free internet in the lobby, but who wants to schelp their laptop down 5 floors to get free internet? The amenities here are actually great. I used the gym, pool and whirlpool during my stay. That was nice. The gym was pretty nice and definitely much bigger than your average hotel gym. I'm pretty sure they had at least 4 treadmills, some elipticals and even a decent amount of free weights. I think there may have been an issue with the elevators the weekend we were here because they took an incredibly long time. It was kind of strange. There were 3 elevators and I think the hotel only has about 8 floors, so you really shouldn't have had to wait very long. Our check out was also pretty strange. We stopped by the front desk and told the guy that we were going to our room to grab our bags and head out of the hotel. That was really our plan, but he asked us to give him a call when we were leaving. In my mind, I was thinking we just told you we are leaving, why do we have to call you when we get to the room? Who knows? So...we get to the room and grab our stuff. My wife calls down to the front desk and no one answers. After that weird exchange, no one even picked up the phone. Whatever. I know that may sound like I was complaining, but I did enjoy the hotel itself. The rooms were very nice and comfortable, so I have absolutely no complaints there. There's also a nice gym and pool. I wouldn't be opposed to staying here again. read more

We stopped by the Marriott bar last Saturday, in between a wedding ceremony and the wedding reception. We had a few hours before the reception began, so we thought we'd have a glass of wine. We ordered a nine ounce glass of Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon and a nine ounce glass of William Hill Chardonnay. Both of these wines retail for ~$20 a bottle at Binny's. Want to guess how much the two 9-ounce glasses of wine cost us? $42. We were stunned and asked the barmaid to repeat the price. "$42", she said. I had to get out my credit card instead of my cash. Unbelievable. $26 for the glass of the Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon, and $16 for the glass of William Hill Chardonnay? We are members of four California wine clubs. We have had wine virtually everywhere in the world, in several countries and in many states and major and minor US cities and towns. We routinely vacation in Napa and Sonoma (wine country) in California. The wine cellar in our basement holds 21 cases. So we know wine, at least more so than the average person, and we are not averse to spending money for good wine. We are averse, however, to being severely overcharged for mediocre wine. These were by far the highest prices we have ever paid in any city for any glass of wine, anywhere, and we were in Normal, Illinois, of all places. We will not go back to the Marriott bar unless the Marriott compensates us for their pice gauging. read more

Just not impressed. If organizing a conference here, be careful about food. Our dinner sandwiches were truly sad. The vegetarian sandwich was a roll and a 1/4 cup of wilted lettuce, a few tiny bits of carrot and tomato, and loads of some white dressing. Basically, they took a leftover salad and put it on a roll. There were no napkins in the sandwich box. But seriously, maybe some cheese and peppers or something. Very unsavory. read more

I stayed at this Marriott for two nights for a training at their conference center. I did not book the room- everything was taken care of. The service I received was exceptional. Breakfast and lunch were included during the training. Each time was a buffet and the food was delicious (I was not expecting that and even had brought numerous snacks just in case. Did not have to eat them!). The wait staff was absolutely fabulous- friendly, attentive and with a constant smile on their face. I can't say enough good about this breakfast and lunch staff. They were awesome. I had a king sized room that was spacious, clean and modern. Bathroom was spacious and perfect as well. The lobby is beautiful. The valet was the best, holding doors open and saying something friendly every time we walked by. I wish we could have had free wireless in our rooms. I have never stayed in a hotel in recent years that did not offer that amenity. Some of my colleagues and I got drinks both nights of our stay and the staff at the hotel bar was consistently slow and hard to get hold of when we needed something. Overall I had a incredibly pleasant stay at this hotel and look forward to coming back for future conferences and trainings. read more

The accommodations were average clean but nothing outstanding. However the hotel is right by the Amtrak station and their windows are not noise cancelling and I was woken up three nights in a row several times each night by the loud sounds and horns of the train, will not stay here again. read more

The hotel was nice and new. I had 2 issues though. 1. The bartender blew her nose, didn't wash her hands, then cut lemons for drinks. Completely grossed me out. 2. There were no bath towels in our room. We called twice before we left for the night and they never came. Called the next morning and they brought 1 towel for 2 people. Ridiculous. read more

This hotel has a nice building and the absolute worst level of service of any hotel that I have ever seen. I have stayed in youth hostels with better housekeeping and service. read more

This is a fine new hotel that if wonderful designed. The section of town seems alomost wholly remodeled to good effect. This is well worth the effort to get off the interstate if you need a place to stay, with plenty of restaurants and bars in the area just off campus. read more

Good hotel and good hotel bar. Food needs some work though

I have stayed at this hotel once before and nothing has changed. Good: Service, cleanliness, nice staff, convenient parking, very nice rooms with modern flat screen TVs. Bad: Darn trains blaring there horns all hours of the night, mattress sagged in the middle, and you have to PAY for wifi. read more

This was my first experience at this particular Hotel and Conference Center. I loved every minute of it! Very classy hotel. I look forward to next years conference! Very well laid out, nice pool, nice bar area! Staff really took care of the guests! read more

Giving two stars only because the cafe inside the hotel is TERRIBLE. 1 person working. Waited 10 minutes for her to make the coffee of the person in front of me and then It took her another 3 minutes just to ring up a juice I grabbed from the cooler. Either get more people working there or replace the current woman. I always stay at Marriott (platinum) and this is the worst cafe I've seen for service. read more

Stayed there two nights for a wedding. Groom's parents were given the bride and groom's room which had another room for bridal party. Groom's father had to deal with their mistake in the middle of the rehearsal dinner. First and middle names are completely different. Bride and groom were told when they signed up to use this hotel (must of had 30-40 rooms booked for the wedding) that the bar would stay open until 1 AM. After the wedding reception about 50 people showed up to continue the celebration but the bar closed down at 11:15 PM. When the front desk was questioned about what was going on the bride and groom were told that was the normal closing time. When the matter was pursued a comment was made by the front desk about being over served. Talk about adding insult to injury. The wedding was perfect except the blemish left by Marriott. read more

I wanted to reserved a room and saw the price was $145. However, when I booked, it went up to $159. I called the support number and was told that the price on the site can change. After being told I could take a "screen shot" and send it to the Expedia site, I would be refunded the difference. I booked the site and when I went back for the screen shot, the $145 price had disappeared. Bait and Switch much???? read more

Attended Sunday Easter brunch and extremely unorganized and horrible service. We had a reservation for 12 people and after waiting a while beyond our timeslot they escorted us to a table set for 7, and left. We had to return to the podium where we suggested the table next to us was set for 12 perhaps an over sight. They returned with us and continued to put us at 2 separate tables. Unacceptable! We suggested bringing more chairs however the 5.5ft round would only set 10 comfortably we took the 2 tables. However the 12 top wasnt sat for over an hour later! We got NO service, had to help ourselves to the mimosa station which in actuality we discovered was set up for the staff, which was nowhere to be found. Our tables, as well as the entire room, remained unbussed, leaving dirty dishes the entire time. We actually bussed a few dishes ourselves. Very short staffed (approx 18 servers just to cover the table sections on the floor) and 1-2 servers per buffet. Meat at carving station was raw, some food items, cold The server that did assist us, Sarah was very helpful and patient but could tell the stress she was under. Very unexpected for a Marriott we frequent when traveling read more

AWFUL. Gorgeous hotel, horrible staff. Worst experience I've ever had staying anywhere.

I had the worst Marriott experience ever staying at this hotel during the ISU graduation May 2012. I have elite status, reserved 3 rooms 9 months in advance and was treated horrribly as well as they have charged 2 difference credit cards 6 different times, for 3 rooms. I will never stay at this hotel and will be sure that I tell everyone I know traveling to Bloomington Normal and Marriott Corporate. read more

This was a needed addition to the area. After driving from home "Chicago" to a wedding at the hotel I was very impressed. I attended college in the area and recall my family being devastated after staying at what was supposedly a "nice" hotel. This place is a true gem and what a cheap and comfortable stay it was. read more

Nice looking hotel and comfy enough room. But next to train tracks and right where trains blast their horns. Yes at night also. Walls on the thin side too so heard lots of thumping from other rooms. read more