Solid no-frills hotel

The hotel gives you exactly what you expect from a Courtyard. It was clean, the room was large and included a refrigerator. While I agree with other reviews that the area is less than great, it is hard to find any wonderful areas in New Haven.

I felt very safe in the hotel itself, the room key was required to gain access to all entrances.

The thing that set this apart from other Courtyard's was the staff. The front desk staff offers great suggestions on where to go, especially to eat, and they have great maps showing how to get there.

As far as my personal favorite, go to Frank Pepe's Pizza (it is the best pizza I have ever had). Avoid the Yorkside Diner (as a business traveler I often travel alone and the diner refused to let me sit in a booth at an off-peak time because they are only for parties of 2 or more).

Finally, the breakfast was a great deal! It was fresh and well-stocked

Clean but to be expected: Courtyard Grim

It's hard to pick the real reason I dislike staying at Courtyard by Marriott. The room was clean, large, and it included free internet, a coffee maker, and in room fridge. The location is somewhat sketchy as other reviewers have mentioned. It's right across the street from the local Popeye's Chicken, which is some sort of hangout for the local unemployed folks. I got the feeling that if I kept walking to the West, I'd soon end up in a "less desirable" area. This is not the type of area where I'd feel safe just strolling through. Instead, I tend to speedwalk.

My main problem with the whole Courtyard idea is that it's so depressing and gloomy to stay there. I understand that the concept is to cater to business travelers, but I presume that even business travelers want a cheery hotel to come back to at night. Every Courtyard I've stayed at feels like Cell Block #9. Long corridors, dimly lit rooms with a lot of empty space, and no hotel amenities.

This hotel is clean, quiet, and a decent place to sleep. But if you want any kind of amenities (a fun neighborhood close by, fun things to do on the property), look elsewhere.

Probably would return

There were definitely strengths to the hotel. First, the location. Convenient, and less expensive than the other hotels nearby. The rooms were adequate and the facilities generally fine. However, the service was a disaster. We chose this hotel for the free Internet, but it never worked in our room. We kept calling and they offered for us to switch rooms -- at midnight! -- but were never able to fix it. The cable was on the fritz. And the cleaning service left something to be desired. They left us without toilet paper. We were calling at midnight and they kept saying, someone will be up... Finally, I went to the lobby in my pajamas and they sent someone to an empty room to take some from there. Not well organized, not good service, but worth the price I guess.

Best place to stay near Yale

We had recent occasion to come here for a family gathering and reserved 6 rooms for a long weekend. The facility is luxuriantly renovated from its past incarnation as a Holiday Inn and there could hardly be a nicer place for visitors to stay at Yale. The rooms are immaculate, the beds are very comfortable, there are coffeemakers and refrigerators in the rooms, and the bathroom fixtures add a nice touch of elegance. Several restaurants, a Rite-Aid, a convenience store and the Yale Co-op are a few steps away, and many elements of the Yale Campus including the undergraduate quadrangle are an easy 5-7 minute walk. An excellent buffet hot and cold breakfast is available at a modest fee, and a fireplace and fresh cappucino machine make the lobby a very pleasant place to hang out. A outdoor pool is available in season. The clientele is clearly upscale, with well-behaved visiting teams from other Ivy League schools adding to the fun atmosphere. We were sorry to leave and are happy knowing that for the first time in years there is truly a great place to stay in New Haven.

Not if you want hot water!

They say they have a business center but don't try and use it! The drives don't work - so you cna't do anything but check your email. And if you want hot water - all you'll get is a weak apology. It maybe okay for kidsa & their parents who are so exctied about touring Yale - but for us busienss folk! Forgedaboudid.

OK but needs to address certain issues

When we made a reservation at this hotel in May 2004, it was called "Holiday Inn at Yale University." When we arrived a month later, we couldn't find a Holiday Inn on Whalley Avenue. Instead, there was a Courtyard by Marriott -- apparently, the hotel had changed name and ownership. Hotels change hands sometimes, but it would have been nice if we had been told in advance so that we had known what to look for, particularly since we made our reservation directly with the hotel, not with a booking service.

Our room was large and clean and the hotel's location within easy walking distance of Yale University was great, but be aware that only 1-2 blocks in the opposite direction, you will find a much less desirable neighborhood with drug deals etc. going down in broad daylight.

To the disappointment of our 12-year-old daughter, the hotel had decided to close its swimming-pool for renovation. Not the smartest thing to do in the middle of the summer season! In the morning, we came down to breakfast late, but before closing time. The buffet table was completely cleaned out with no staff in sight to replenish the serving plates. After sitting at a table for about 10 minutes, listening to the staff chatting and laughing behind the closed kitchen door (not once did anyone bother to check if there were new breakfast guests in need of food), a hotel manager happened to walk by. When told what was going on, she went out to the kitchen to find someone and eventually more breakfast food appeared. Still, this is unacceptable at a well-known hotel, regardless of whether it calls itself Holiday Inn or Courtyard by Marriott.

The best value for money!

We did not believe at first when in-car navigation system announced "arrival to the destination" at front of Marriott hotel. Can you imagine our pleasant surprise when we were told by a friendly receptionist that the hotel has recently changed its name from Holiday Inn to Marriott Countyard! But... the price was not the Marriott's one - just US$ 107 for a double room of a very high standard! Overall conclusion: we considered this hotel to be the best value for money we've seen for a while.

Convenience and value

Can not get closer to campus and town center unless you stay in one of the colleges. Price is reasonable. Amenities, including exercise room, adequate. One of the better New Haven hotel deals.

Nothing but problems

We stayed at this hotel due to it's proximity to a wedding we were attending near the Yale campus. We were guaranteed a 3 p.m. check-in, however, upon arrival shortly after 3, there was a huge line at the desk that was moving at a snails pace. So, we left and came back at 5:30. After waiting on-line for 30 minutes to check in, we were told that there were no rooms were ready for us. The rude staff at the desk gave no apologies and did not even offer us a place to keep our luggage. We were only told that they had a lot of people checking in that day and were backed up. After sitting around the lobby for another 20 minutes (and already late for the wedding we were there to attend), we got our room keys. The rooms were damp and musty and the bathrooms were in very poor condition.

Excellent location and reasonable rates

I had a very pleasant stay here in April 03. Walking distance to Yale campus, catty corner from the Yale bookstore. Plenty of parking or an $8 cab ride from the train station. Rooms were very nice and the common areas are also pleasant. Hotel is very secure and there is also a little bar/restaurant downstairs if you want a quiet drink. My only complaint here was that noise from the room next door was occasionally quite loud (I could hear someone's entire cell phone conversation word for word) but they quieted down, so it was not a big problem.