Review: Courtyard By Marriott Reykjavik Keflavik Airport (Clean & Convenient!)

Meanwhile, across America, 95% of Courtyard Marriott properties are actual dumps. Imagine what the brand would become if franchises were made to care like this.

Been there few times but never noticed the 737 above the revolving door.

The shuttle is only available for airport drop off and not for the pick up. At least that was the case until last June.

There’s a gas station too in the hotel complex, so that’s convenient as well.

Not bad for an “airport” hotel.

I take it they “knew” you as a blogger, since they somehow acknowledged it was your last day in Iceland in the amenity note (unless they assumed so because the hotel is at the airport). No doubt affected your upgrade as well.

@ Jm -- Interesting observation, and that's possible. However, even if they knew I was a blogger, I'm not sure how they would've known it was my last day in Iceland, since it's not like I wrote out my itinerary on the blog beforehand.

Regarding your comment "no doubt affected your upgrade as well." You really think getting a standard room on the top floor is more of a blogger thing than an Ambassador member thing? :p

This is what frustrates me the most with Marriott. Why is this a Courtyard? It is not really a Courtyard. The room itself is probably as nice or nicer (judging by the furniture) as a Delta. It also has real restaurants, not the stupid "bistro" concept that's just coffee, drinks and microwaved food. Other than the small gym, this looks like a genuinely decent hotel.

This is actually a franchised hotel owned by Ingvar Eyfjörð.

It was built in whole modules in China and shipped over with rooms already decorated where the modules then just had to be assembled together.

It seems to have been built almost exclusively for military customers with transients filling the rest of the nights.

Yeah! Courtyard Marriotts are supposed to be cookie-cutter on the side of I-95 one mile apart from each other! Tell ‘em FNT!

Especially with a car, I'd encourage people to stay in Keflavik town instead, just a little further than this Courtyard and far more local. Cute local shops, a surprisingly decent dining scene (and every restaurant in iceland takes their food more seriously than most places in the USA), and a broad waterfront with a walking path and some interesting spots.

Without a car, it's a $35-$50USD taxi ride each way from KEF (typical pricing there), though there might be buses also (last year, the bus schedule in google maps didn't match reality).

Recently had to stop here to use the bathroom (I was not a guest), and I was shocked by the quality of hardware used. It made me question, "why is this a Courtyard?" when it can definitely go up to a standard Marriott brand. Heck even brand it a Sheraton/Renaissance.

i think you've got it wrong the other way around. maybe you're just used to terrible courtyards in the US? the courtyards in Asia I'd say are way nicer than this hotel. I stayed here for a night before my early flight out the next day and thought it was pretty standard/meh compared to what I'm used to in Asia. Many Courtyards are Taiwan, Thailand, Tokyo have decently large rooms, multiple full service restaurants, pools, etc.

Yes, I'm aware that some Courtyards in Asia are more like a full-service hotel. However, even Fairfield in Asia have restaurants. In fact, nobody (not even elites) get free breakfast at Fairfields outside the US and Canada. But, the hard product at this hotel is more in keeping with a Delta than a Courtyard.

But my point remains that Marriott should at least have brands following the same concept regardless of region.