I stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot in Charlottesville for business. The room was clean and typical of other Courtyard's I have stayed at. The hotel has a parking garage you can park in. There were cookies at the front desk for check in. The front desk staff was very nice and efficient. I had requested a refrigerator in my room and there was one in the room. The hotel has an indoor pool and fitness room. I walked down to look at them but did not get time to use them.

The hotel is right in town in walking distance to the University of Virginia. It is a very pretty town with little stores/boutiques and small sandwich shops, etc. The campus is nicely landscaped and was nice to take a walk around in the evening.

The historic distance is a short drive away, but I was unable to go see it due to work. There was also a shopping center about 10 minutes away (driving) that had fast food, sit down restaurants, and a grocery store.

Unlike many of the other posters, I was satisfied with my stay at the Courtyard. It's true that the hallways are very long -- I, too, couldn't have been farther from the lobby, and the local restaurants are mostly typical American chain places -- but in general, it was fine. The room was clean, and the staff was more than courteous. Internet access was free and worked fine. My bed was facing the television, although that didn't much matter to me as I don't watch a lot of TV. No complaints here!

I stayed at this hotel Easter weekend 2007.

When we entered this hotel to check-in, there was a single person at reception and a line of six other people also waiting to check-in. The staff wasn't rude, but seemed very inexperienced and non-chalant with questions. We did not know Charloteesville very well, but we knew it better than the front desk staff. We asked for directions and restaurant recommendations and they responded with shrugged shoulders.

The rooms were small, but adequate for our needs. We are Gold status Marriott Rewards members and our standard profile has "no adjoining rooms" listed. This hotel ignored that request.

The location is off of Route 29 and the restaurant choices are slim pickin's if you try to avoid the processed food of chain restaurants. There are lots of Applebee's-type places and other "middle America troughs" to eat at. The better dining can be found down on the Historic Mall in town. (We found nothing historic about it and all shops were closed by 6PM.) The restaurants, however, were an eclectic mix.

As a huge Marriott fan, and having stayed in many of their properties, this was the worse experience ever in a Marriott.

The room was adequate, but I am a Marriott Platinum and was put next to a noisy stairwell, at the far (and I mean FAR) end of the hall from the elevator, which is well over a hundred yards from the lobby. Okay... guess I can live with that because even though I am platinum, why am I so special, right? So...

During my stay, the internet in my room failed, so I went to the lobby which touted wireless internet. I was shocked I had to pay for it... around $25 for an hour.

The front desk clerk said, "No sir, there is no one pulling wire in the hotel, so you should not be having a problem in your room at all. Everything is working great."

"But I AM having a problem," I repeated politely and respectfully. I am a seasoned business traveler, and angry looks and voices accomplish nothing productive. Despite my best efforts, however, there was no offer to help, to change rooms, or anything. Oh yeah, there WERE men pulling cable through the hallways.

Moments later, after trying to connect to the wireless internet in the lobby, I walked back up to the clerk and said, "It seems the only wireless internet I can find here in the lobby is something I am being prompted to pay for," I stated.

"Oh, yes sir. You have to pay for it if you want to use it in our lobby."

"But I am a guest and it is not working in my room."

"Oh, yes sir," she said without looking up, contentedly going back to her paperwork and computer terminal.

I will not return to this property even as an absolute last resort. I will sleep in my car first or go to another city.