***Like the Renaissance Boulder, Renaissance Las Vegas and Renaissance Chicago Downtown on Wacker, this Renaissance (located next to Gillette Stadium) features comfortable, contemporary and slightly upscale rooms, which makes a stay here more enjoyable than what you would experience at most Marriotts***
I prefer Marriott's Renaissance hotels to Marriotts. Renaissance properties tend to feature more contemporary and upscale rooms and also reflect the local color more. This Renaissance, like the adjacent Patriot Place and Gillette Stadium, looks new and nice. It also, unlike most Marriott and Renaissance hotels, features a spa.
The rooms at this Renaissance are attractive and are one of this hotel's strong points. Rooms are contemporary and comfortable with nice bathrooms that feature ample counter space as well as glass showers (great floor too). The bed is comfortable and so are the sofa chairs. You will also find an in-room safe, which is not available at all Marriott and Renaissance hotels.
The fitness center is okay. It is fairly spacious and the exercise machines are all in good condition though they did not feel as new as the rest of the hotel.
Marriott Rewards Gold and Platinum members have access to the Club Lounge, which offers breakfast on weekdays and nightly appetizers and desserts Sunday night thru Thursday night. The Club Lounge is very small, but it is actually quite nice looking. The Club Lounge has a flat screen TV, but there is not much of an entertainment / living area. There is a very small coffee table and a few upright sofa chairs. The dining tables are preset with napkins and silverware restaurant style and the Club Lounge is accessible in-between service hours if you are looking to pick up a bottled soda or water or a snack like potato chips, mixed nuts or whole fruit.
Breakfast was a notch below most Marriott and Renaissance hotels I have been to, which was surprising given the newness of this hotel. Breakfast offerings included scrambled eggs (not runny but not set or fluffy), warm and kind of dry slices of ham steak, smoked salmon (with capers and shallots), oatmeal, healthy cereal options in dispensers (Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Rice Krispies), sliced fruit, and an assortment of breakfast breads and pastries like muffins and croissants; the muffins did not look that good and the croissant was kind of bready and lacked crispiness (it was also not flaky).
Nightly appetizers on my visit were a very small offering. The Club Lounge offered the standard crudite with ranch dip and assorted standard cheeses with crackers. For the hot item, they were featuring mini corn dogs, which were okay but very frozen food-esque. Dessert was better. They served individual cups of cookies and cream mousse with whipped cream, chocolate mousse and chocolate cookie crumble.
While the hotel is fairly nice, there is not much in the surrounding area unless you are staying here for an event at Patriot Place or Gillette Stadium. This Renaissance is in a rural area and a long drive to get to Boston or Providence, Rhode Island.
Service throughout the hotel was very friendly--consistent with Marriott's strong customer service.
Prices are not bad. You can get good rates here as long as there is not an event going on at Gillette Stadium like a Patriots game. If you do stay on the day of a Patriots game, parking increases from complimentary to $50 per vehicle.
This Renaissance is a nice hotel and more upscale than most Marriott hotels I have stayed at despite the lackluster food in the Club Lounge. I would put this Renaissance a notch below the Renaissance Boulder, which featured slightly more luxurious rooms as well as a more upscale look throughout the hotel. Still, this Renaissance is a good option if you are splitting time between Rhode Island and Boston and do not mind the long drive.
Complimentary self parking is available on non-Patriots game days. When the Patriots are playing though, parking (as already mentioned) increases to $50 per day. read more