Courtyard by Marriott Hamilton — Hotel in Hamilton

A wonderful staff really made this hotel experience great! I had the opportunity to travel from Pennsylvania in the United States with my six-year-old daughter to see the eclipse in Hamilton. While I doubt many will use this review for the future eclipse on 26 October 2144 and most of the area/staff will likely be different, the opportunity to view it from the hotel lot was perfect. Staff actually joined us, and many residents were able to have a clear view thanks to lucky breaks in the clouds right as the eclipse reached totality. ||Earlier in the same day, staff also did a great job managing a fire alarm that went off in the premise in the morning- as a Paramedic myself, seeing the staff prioritize safety is quite reassuring. This, plus the AED and other safety features of the property, were much appreciated. ||The room itself was also quite nice. We stayed in the King Whirlpool Suite (Rm 269). Just a note, it’s more of a studio experience than a 1-bedroom as the suite lacks doors connecting the rooms. The bathroom very slick and clean, the water pressure and shower height perfect for a tall male. There is some wear on furniture that we only noticed when using the sofa bed, which my daughter found quite comfortable. Two TVs were appreciated so we each had something to watch. The minifridge worked well for our provisions and kept our ice packs cool for the long drive home. The lobby and events area was quite nice and, while we didn’t use it, would be great for gatherings. The only negative I have on the whole experience, I think I may have incorrectly tried to set up a whirlpool bath for my kid- the drain kept draining and the tub did not fill. This may have been my error, the tub and bath experience still made my daughter happy even without bubbles. ||Tips: The hotel is more south and on the mountain in Hamilton, but close to the 403. We noticed many of the Go trains into Toronto stopped at Aldershot but didn’t continue to the Hamilton stations (Hamilton or West Harbour). Both times we rode we did so from Aldershot, which is about a 18 minute drive on the 403, but had ample parking AND VIA rail connections. On Upper St. James, there is a Tim Horton’s conveniently located for a quick grab-and-go style breakfast, we did not take advantage of on-site offerings. There are also a bunch of great playgrounds and parks nearby the hotel- my daughter was a big fan of William Connell Park. Finally, my daughter was quite amused by the geese that hung around on the roof, acting as Roosters do and honking to welcome...

The night we arrived, Aug 14th around 6pm, we noticed how bad the fridge smelt. We went down to the café and asked for 4 glasses as we do not like using plastic. It does not bother us to get them but what happened was not good management of staff. The server passed us some glasses and they were so dirty and cloudy we asked if they were clean ones. His answer was yes. He then took "one" of the glasses and rinsed it with hot water and then took an old cloth and wiped the glass off and passed it back. We told him in our day wait staff were not standing around do nothing they were ensuring they glasses were clean. We took the glasses so we could show the manager the next day. The next day we noticed there was no ventilation in the bathroom and the tv did not work. On our way out for the day we spoke with the Manager about these four things. He was appalled by the look of the glasses but we are unsure what he did about it with staff. When we left for the day and came back around 9:00 pm we again were shocked to come back to the room not looked at. This happened 3 times!!! From our little experience with staying in a hotel we thought that the room would be tidied up but maybe we are wrong. Correct me if I am wrong. We called down to the front counter for some clean face clothes and advised that our room was not looked at. A very nice lady came up with clean towels and apologized. We explained that we are late risers and that when we left around 10am we removed the do not disturb sign. She said that the staff are supposed to come back to the room and check it. Guess they forgot. She also brought us some tea cups and glasses and some flavored teas. The next day our room was looked at but the used tea bag and dirty tea cups and glasses were not replaced which we thought would. Maybe our mistake. We decided to wash the glassware ourselves. The tea bag and cup sat there for our whole stay......lol Our third evening the manager left us a message advising us that the tv now was working, the ventilation was fine and that the fridge was changed out. The fridge still smelt bad and everything was in the exact position I placed it in. We find it strange that there is no air flow to get rid of smells and steam from the shower, also he gave us $100 plus tax off our bill. That is not even one night stay in what we thought was a replicable...

The Courtyard Hamilton is a wonderful stop if you are seeking cleanliness, comfort and staff that is beyond superb! I have stayed here on numerous work related occasions and have had nothing but the best experiences.

As with all my previous stays, I leave the Courtyard Hamilton, incredibly well rested :)

They have a wonderful group of folks employed at the Courtyard Hamilton!!! From the moment I am greeted at the front reception desk, chatting with housekeeping or maintenance crew, and even upon check-out, I am always treated warmly with big friendly smiles.

On a couple of occasions I have requested an extra packet of coffee from the housekeeping staff. While it may not seem like a big request, not only were they MORE than happy to provide the coffee, but immediately asked if I needed fresh cups, or linens, ANYTHING! The one particular mid-morning that the staff did not have an extra packet, she asked my room number and hung two packets in a bag on my door! WOW!!! These ladies, by far, are so thoughtful, accommodating and always have a fantastic smile!

From the moment I step into my guest room, I am always thrilled that it is spotless!! Being a bit of a neat freak myself, I TOTALLY appreciate the cleanliness. The rooms always smell fresh.

I like the big windows that allow for plenty of natural light, yet have great blackout drapes when daytime sleeping is required. By far, the pillows are thee BEST in any of the accommodations I have stayed at. Within moments, I am comfortable, no re-fluffing, or scrunching to make them comfy.

As well, I appreciate the CLEANLINESS and bright lighting in the bathroom. There is nothing worse than trying to ready for work in a dim lit mirror and the end result is similar to Bo-zoe the Clown!!

Further, as I travel with several days worth of perishable foods, having the mini fridge is such a blessing. No scouring the hall for ice to keep food chilled or having to surrender food to the staff at the front desk, which leaves me uneasy.

Lastly, as I like to do a bit of yoga in the mornings, it is wonderful to not only have the floor space to roll out my mat, but see that the carpets are not filthy! Mat or not, it's disturbing to see dirty tracks when you enter a guest room!

Even though my stays have been booked through my employer, I would absolutely stay at the Courtyard Hamilton when on a leisure visit...