Well, it was close to the convention center and had a pretty good rate. Usually I don't go for the big chain hotels, but I'd never been to Riverside before and was in a hurry. the nice thing about the room was that it was spacious and pretty much what you would expect from a Marriot. I too think the $10 per day internet fee is a little ridiculous, but that's a chain for you. The service was a little lackluster, but considering it's in Riverside, it's still a good deal. why do I always feel a little out of my element staying in the big name hotels? Just something sort of institutional and cold, even though everyone wa nice overall...

This hotel is a mixed blessing. Overall, the room and bathroom were nice, but I don't like being nickeled and dimed. I particularly think it's insulting to have to pay an extra $10 a day for the convenience of internet access in the room. Stay here a week, and you're paying $70 + tax, unless you want to take your chances with the unreliable wireless internet service in the lobby.

What I like:
*A little bit larger than average hotel room. Spacious area around the bed, so we're not bumping into each other.
*Very comfortable bed with pillowtop mattress.
* Lots of pillows on the bed with even more pillows in the closet.
*Digital thermostat you can set according to the temperature you like.
* More electrical outlets than in a typical hotel room for charging cell phones and other devices.
* Full-length mirror on bathroom wall.
* Excellent water pressure in bathroom and consistent water temperature. (However, knob was difficult to pull out to get the water flowing from the showerhead.)
* Spacious area on bathroom sink for personal items. (Note - sink is in bathroom rather than just outside.)
* Room and bathroom were clean, which is becoming all too rare today in the hotel industry. (Other than us finding a flea in the room.)
*Convenient location where you can easily walk to restaurants and stores.
* All staff was friendly and helpful.

What I don't like:
* No refrigerator nor microwave in room, although we them to deliver us a tiny box refrigerator.
* Clean towels are on a rack inside the tub area, so if you don't remove them, they could easily get wet or steamy.
* Nickle and diming you: Ridiculous internet charge, $10 for valet parking and $7 self parking (although those fees are reasonable for a downtown area), no complimentary breakfast or even a newspaper. (Although arguably, if it keeps expenses down to not have a complimentary breakfast, that may be a good idea.)
* Only 2 drinking glasses in the room instead of the typical 4.
* Often no valet at the lobby, so had to wait extra long to get our car. (I recommend self-park here over valet.)
* No lightweight blanket, so we're using a heavy down comforter in July!
* We could hear our noisy neighbors thru the air conditioning duct.
* I haven't used the pool or exercise room, but they look nice.


I'm on the fence about staying here again: Nice room and bathroom, convenient location, and I suppose you can find a flea anywhere. BUT I hate rewarding a hotel with my business when they charge $10 a day for internet service. My price was a special walk-in price of $119 a night b/c they had low occupancy. The lowest price I was quoted on the phone for a AAA discount was $159.

My wife and I stated at the Riverside Marriott for one night on June 15, 2007. We had booked the room through Priceline for $60. The total rate ended up being $83 after taxes and the $7 a night parking fee. This was a good deal as the hotel's website had the cheapest rooms going for $119.

Check-in was the fastest at a hotel that I can recall. There was plenty of parking in the hotel garage.

We were in a seventh floor room and upon check-in there were several USA Today papers still left from earlier that morning near the elevator. The room was fairly quiet and of average size. We had a partial view of the nearby Mission Inn. Several of the bathroom supplies were Bath and Body Works brand.

After parking the car in the garage, we walked down the pedestrian walkway past the Mission Inn and towards downtown. The pedestrian only mall starts right across the street from the hotel, but on several occasions you must cross busy downtown streets.

After our walk, we went and dined at the Marriott's Olio restaurant at 5:00 p.m. when they opened. We were one of just three couples in the restaurant. The service was good and the food was acceptable. My chicken was a little pink for my taste so I did not finish it. Dessert brought a huge piece of chocolate cake which I highly recommend.

As we were able to get a super rate through Priceline, I recommend you stay at the Marriott when in Riverside if you are able to book such a rate. This hotels appears to be the only three star hotel on Priceline, so it would appear that you can get a good rate.

I've stayed in many Marriotts in the past, but unfortunately the Marriott in Riverside does not meet the grade. First, as others have noted, it is somewhat difficult to find the hotel entrance... it absolutely needs better signage. Second, I had checked the rates on the Marriott website, but as I was not sure that I would be spending the night in Riverside, I did not make a reservation. When I showed up at the front desk to book a room, they quoted me a higher price than what their website quoted. When I asked about that, they said it was a "web only" fare. It wasn't, so I simply called the Marriott main number, booked the room, and then checked in (all while standing at the front desk). While I was doing this another clerk at the front desk DID quote the correct price to another couple asking to check in. The clerk I was dealing with apologized, said he was given the wrong rate by his boss, and he comped my parking for the night.

As far as the room, it was clean and very comfortable, although the paint on the ceiling in the bathroom was peeling. The air conditioner in the room is also extremely noisy... even noisier than the in-room units you find in cheap motels.

The rooms have no mini-bar or bottled waters. At 11pm I was asking all the hotel staff where I could get some water, and no one knew. Finally a staff member suggested I go to the bar of one of the private parties taking place and try to buy a bottle there. I did, but they did not have water either. It wasn't until the next morning that I noticed a vending machine on our floor (out of sight), that did have bottled water. I'm still a bit surprised that no one in the hotel knew about the vending machine....

While I would stay here again, it would not be my first choice. The Mission Inn, while usually more expensive, does provide a much higher level of service and comfort.