My wife and I had a free night that we needed to use, so we decided to give the Tysons Marriott a try. We planned to catch a movie, have lunch, and spend the night at the hotel.
First, if you're looking for a great movie theater that serves lunch and dinner, the CMX Theater at Tysons Galleria is very nice, and the food was good. I would recommend going around lunchtime because it was very quiet and relaxing. As for the Marriott, the room itself was okay. When I made the reservation, I applied a Suite Night Award in hopes of getting an upgrade. I was never notified about the outcome, so I contacted the hotel and was told the upgrade was not honored because the hotel was supposedly sold out. That was a little difficult to understand. We checked in around 5:00 PM, and the parking lot did not appear very full, while the garage had plenty of open spaces. We also spent some time in the M Club around 5:30 PM. There were probably 7-10 couples coming and going while we were there, but it was never crowded. The hotel bar was also very quiet, with no one sitting at the bar and only four people in one booth. Based on what we saw, it was hard to believe the hotel was completely sold out.
Unfortunately, this seems to be part of a bigger issue I've noticed with Marriott since the new computer system was introduced. Upgrade options and services that used to be available seem to have disappeared. Even when I don't have an elite upgrade certificate and simply ask at the front desk about an available upgrade, it seems much harder to get one. As a Titanium Elite member, I find that disappointing.
The M Club itself was pleasant, and we enjoyed sitting there, having some snacks, relaxing, and talking with other guests. However, breakfast was disappointing compared with other M Clubs we've stayed at. The eggs were probably the best-looking item available, but we've had considerably better breakfasts at other Marriott M Clubs.
We also had to call the front desk because the sound on our television stopped working, although that issue was eventually addressed.
Overall, the stay was okay, but nothing really stood out as exceptional. We've stayed at many Marriott properties and have had much better experiences, particularly with upgrades and M Club breakfast. I hope Marriott gets some of these service issues straightened out because, as a Titanium Elite member, I feel like some of the benefits and service I've come to expect from Marriott are slipping. read more