- Introduction: An Amazing Week In Israel With My Parents
- Review: The Adelaide Hotel Toronto (Former Trump Hotel, Future St. Regis)
- Review: Porter Airlines Lounge At Toronto Billy Bishop Airport
- Review: Porter Airlines Economy Toronto To Newark
- Review: Marriott Newark Airport
- Review: Art & Lounge Newark Airport
- Review: EL AL Business Class 787 Newark To Tel Aviv
- Review: Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem
- Review: Sheraton Tel Aviv
- My Incredible Week Visiting Israel
- Review: EL AL First Class Lounge Tel Aviv Airport
- Review: EL AL Business Class Lounge Tel Aviv Airport
- Review: EL AL First Class 777 Tel Aviv To London
- Review: Premier Inn London Heathrow Terminal 4
- Review: Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5
- Review: Aer Lingus Lounge Dublin Airport
- Review: 51st & Green US Pre-Clearance Lounge Dublin Airport
- Review: Aer Lingus Business Class A330 Dublin To New York
- Review: Delta SkyClub New York JFK Airport
- Review: Delta One 767 New York To Los Angeles
Our flight arrived from Toronto at around 5:30PM, and we were connecting to Tel Aviv the next day at 1:15PM. I had a lot of work to do between those flights and also wanted to arrive at Newark early the next day, so we decided to stay near the airport so we could get lots of rest in anticipation of our time in Israel, which I knew would be active.
While I’m usually a Hyatt and Starwood loyalist, neither brand has an especially compelling property near Newark Airport. However, the Marriott Newark Airport seemed like a great option, and fortunately I have Marriott Platinum thanks to the status matching opportunity between Starwood and Marriott.
The rate for our one night stay was roughly $150. This is a Category 7 Marriott Rewards property, meaning that a free night would have cost 35,000 points (which I value at 0.8 cents each), so paying cash was the better value.
Upon arrival at Terminal B we proceeded to the outside roadway, and specifically to zone five, which is for shared ride services. This is where the shuttles to the Marriott and off-airport parking facilities depart from. The Marriott shuttle runs approximately every 15 minutes.
Marriott Newark Airport shuttle pick-up
While we were standing there I realized just how close the Marriott is to the airport, as I hadn’t looked at it on a map. You could easily walk there, which I would have done if I were traveling alone.
Marriott Newark Airport from Terminal B
The shuttle ride to the Marriott took just a couple of minutes.
Marriott Newark Airport exterior
While the hotel has a fairly outdated exterior, the interior was recently renovated.
Marriott Newark Airport entrance
Marriott Newark Airport lobby
The lobby actually felt cozy, especially thanks to the fireplace towards the back of the lobby.
Marriott Newark Airport lobby
Marriott Newark Airport lobby
I also appreciated that they had several individual check-in podiums, which makes the check-in experience feel more personalized. Since we were staying on a Saturday night, the guy checking us in informed us that the executive lounge was closed, but that it would be open the following morning for breakfast, so we could eat there. We were also given the choice of bonus points or a $10 credit for the restaurant, and we selected the latter, since we knew we’d want to have dinner.
Marriott Newark Airport reception
Marriott Newark Airport Platinum credit
The elevators were located behind the fireplace, so we headed up to the ninth floor.
Marriott Newark Airport elevators
The hotel is in a “T” shape, and our room (#960) was about halfway down one of the hallways. With the exception of the popcorn ceiling, everything else about the hallway felt fresh.
Marriott Newark Airport hallway
Marriott Newark Airport room exterior
Marriott Newark Airport floorplan
Inside the entrance to our room was a closet to the right and the bathroom to the left.
Marriott Newark Airport room entryway
Marriott Newark Airport room closet
The room had two queen beds, and was beautiful for an airport hotel. Maybe my expectations are just too low, but this has to be one of the nicer room designs I’ve seen for a US airport hotel, and I thought the sky-themed wallpaper was especially appropriate.
Marriott Newark Airport room
Not only were the beds comfortable, but each bed had four pretty big pillows.
Marriott Newark Airport room
On the table between beds was the tip envelope for the housekeeper. I have no problems with Marriott’s current envelopes, and find them to be significantly less tacky than the ones they used to have.
Marriott Newark Airport housekeeping envelope
Opposite the beds was a multi-functional console that held the TV, could be used as a luggage rack, and also acted as a desk. I don’t love this design since I often put on my headphones and work while my mom wants to watch TV, but for an overnight at an airport hotel it’s perfectly fine.
Marriott Newark Airport room desk & TV
Underneath the desk were two small bottles of water and a coffee machine.
Marriott Newark Airport room water & coffee
In terms of the view, our room faced the airport in the distance.
Marriott Newark Airport room view
The bathroom was small but functional, and featured a sink, toilet, and shower/tub combo.
Marriott Newark Airport room toilet
Marriott Newark Airport room shower
Toiletries were from Thann, which I find to be perfectly agreeable.
Marriott Newark Airport toiletries
While all Marriott Rewards members receive complimentary basic internet, I got free high speed internet for being a Platinum member. This usually retails for $12.95-16.95 per day.
After settling in, my mom and I headed down to the hotel’s restaurant and bar, located off the lobby. It’s called Aviation Grill, and we sat in the bar area.
Marriott Newark Airport Aviation Grill
The menu read as follows:
More than anything my mom appreciated the $5 per glass of wine happy hour. To eat I had a caesar salad with shrimp, while my mom had a chicken noodle soup.
Marriott Newark Airport dinner — caesar salad with shrimp
Marriott Newark Airport dinner — chicken noodle soup
We got a good night of sleep, and then in the morning headed to the concierge lounge, which is located on the tenth floor, at around 7AM.
Marriott Newark Airport club lounge exterior
The lounge was small and nearly full, which I guess isn’t surprising given that just about everyone seems to be Marriott Gold or above nowadays.
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge
In addition to a handful of tables seating two people each, there were some communal tables and then also some long tables looking out over the windows.
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge
For a US property I thought the breakfast spread was quite good. There was fresh fruit (both whole and sliced), toast, bagels, croissants, muffins, pastries, hardboiled eggs, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast buffet
Then there were two hot dishes, including scrambled eggs and breakfast sausage.
In terms of drinks there was drip coffee, tea, juice, water, and soft drinks.
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge breakfast
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge juice
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge soft drinks
The one thing that really surprised me was that they had to-go containers. Every club lounge I’ve ever been to has a policy of only consuming food in the lounge. While I certainly appreciate the generosity of the feature, this policy is just plain dumb, since there’s always someone who has no self control.
Not only did the lady at the table next to us have a big breakfast, but then she asked the attendant if she could have a bag. She then filled several of the to-go containers with food, and then stacked handfuls of yogurt and whole fruit in the bag on top of that. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Marriott Newark Airport executive lounge to-go containers
We headed to the airport shortly after breakfast, though I quickly had a look at the gym, located off the lobby. It looked nice enough, and was empty.
Marriott Newark Airport gym
Marriott Newark Airport gym
There was also a business center just off the lobby.
Marriott Newark Airport business center
Marriott Newark Airport bottom line
As someone who has been loyal to Hyatt and Starwood for so many years, I’m enjoying exploring all of Marriott’s brands. I know an airport Marriott may not seem like much to review, though this was my first stay at a Marriott in the US in quite a while. Overall this was a significantly nicer airport hotel than I was expecting, with beautiful rooms and public facilities.
While I was a bit disappointed that the lounge was closed in the evening (though I guess I get it), the breakfast spread was quite good in the morning, and the to-go offering was bizarrely generous, and clearly abused by some. This hotel was definitely the right option for us for a quick overnight, as it allowed us to rest up before our week in Israel.
Great gym. Good restaurant. Pleasant staff.
This review allowed me to make a decision to book at the Marriott EWR. Very glad I did. It met all expectations
I've had the same pleasant experience as everyone else and the shuttle goes direct to the terminals. One thing I've not liked in the last few years is this shutting down of the lounge on weekends.
Agreed. This property is not walkable from the airport thanks to concrete highway dividers.
Was there meant to be an actual Taylor Swift quote in the review or was it a coincidence?
Love Marriott! Did you check out the Spring Hills Suites by Marriott as well?
Nice, clear review. Hope to make use of the information in the near future. Thanks!
I stopped staying at Marriott when they took away the desks and started leaving the tipping envelopes. At least they brought back the desks, but under no circumstances will I tip a chambermaid when I've already paid $150.00 to stay there. Especially at an airport hotel which is a transient operation anyway. Maybe they should just leave me a dustpan and some mops so I can clean my own room! Marriott can afford to pay their staff a bit better and still be profitable.
Lucky, you always include in your write-up how much you value points for, in explaining your decision to pay or use points. Is there a table listing all programs and how much you value the points? Then I'd know if I'm getting a good deal or not when I have the option to use points or $$.
@glenn t - to take a shuttle to any property other than the Marriott Airport, you have to take the gawdawful "Air Train" monorail (which is totally inadequate for an airport EWR's size and can get extremely crowded) to the P4 parking garage and get the hotel shuttle from there. The Marriott Airport can pick up at the terminals, so it saves quite a bit of time, especially since to get to some of the...
@glenn t - to take a shuttle to any property other than the Marriott Airport, you have to take the gawdawful "Air Train" monorail (which is totally inadequate for an airport EWR's size and can get extremely crowded) to the P4 parking garage and get the hotel shuttle from there. The Marriott Airport can pick up at the terminals, so it saves quite a bit of time, especially since to get to some of the off-airport hotels requires some vehicular gymnastics on the 1&9 and takes longer than you'd expect.
I stayed here once. The lounge was full of pilots making vulgar comments about flight attendants.
I enjoy reading your hotel reviews and viewing the photos. There seems, to me, to be a sameness to all these places that mainly cater to business travelers. And while the décor is kept up to date, you could blindfold me and I could probably feel that I'm in familiar surroundings regardless of brand.
To be honest, I'm glad that I got to retire -- 3 X's -- from what was then known as the...
I enjoy reading your hotel reviews and viewing the photos. There seems, to me, to be a sameness to all these places that mainly cater to business travelers. And while the décor is kept up to date, you could blindfold me and I could probably feel that I'm in familiar surroundings regardless of brand.
To be honest, I'm glad that I got to retire -- 3 X's -- from what was then known as the rat race; flying 5 days/nights a week, sometimes overseas, meet and greet my clients, etc., etc.
Once upon a time, I was flying out of LAX. I boarded my plane and sat in my business class seat. Along came another traveler and he apologetically said that I was apparently sitting in his seat!
So I pulled out my boarding pass, which showed that the same seat had also been assigned to me. The FA examined both of our boarding passes and sure enough we had the same seat!
What to do?!
It turned out that I had tickets for every Friday night for several weeks on the LAX-IAD flights. And I had pulled out my ticket for this flight but which was scheduled for the following week.
Fortunately, I also had a ticket for this flight, but with a different seat assignment. It was good for a laugh. This and other miscues livened up my travels.
This was a much nicer stay than going into Manhattan to stay at the much costlier Marriott Marquis. What was worse was that the Executive Lounge at the Marquis is closed on weekends. To compensate, they offer 1000 reward points. That’s equivalent to $8 total for two people. That will just cover the tip for breakfast in NY. We were boarding a cruise ship the next day out of Manhattan. Had I used the Marriott...
This was a much nicer stay than going into Manhattan to stay at the much costlier Marriott Marquis. What was worse was that the Executive Lounge at the Marquis is closed on weekends. To compensate, they offer 1000 reward points. That’s equivalent to $8 total for two people. That will just cover the tip for breakfast in NY. We were boarding a cruise ship the next day out of Manhattan. Had I used the Marriott shuttle and stayed at the Newark Airport and Ubered to the ship directly, I probably would’ve saved over $300 in one day.
Although close to the terminals 'as the crow flies', it is not walkable as there would be various impediments, like roadways, barriers and no path anyway. As you need to take their shuttle, it stands to reason you could also take any other hotel shuttle to their nearby property, opening up your options.
I stayed there a week or so ago, and agree with your review. As I had a very early flight out...
Although close to the terminals 'as the crow flies', it is not walkable as there would be various impediments, like roadways, barriers and no path anyway. As you need to take their shuttle, it stands to reason you could also take any other hotel shuttle to their nearby property, opening up your options.
I stayed there a week or so ago, and agree with your review. As I had a very early flight out (the reason I was there) I had no time to graze, unfortunately. A pretty good hotel and would do it again.
Hotel choices in Newark are certainly much better than options at either JFK or LGA. Love the EWR Marriott yet parking there is not preferable as there is no covered parking. The Hilton offers covered parking and their Diamond breakfast is better than what is served at the Marriott.
My husband and I also stayed at this Marriott at the end of Oct. and feel your review is spot on. Very enjoyable for an airport hotel, clean rooms, good food. I have Marriott status as well so was able to experience all of the above amenitites.
Well-written, concise review.
That looks like a fairly good gym for an airport hotel...or for most any hotel aside from 5-star properties, resorts, or those attached to an actual membership-required gym. I think that's one of the most overlooked amenities in hotels these days. Internet should be considered a public utility and free of charge - a whole 'nother discussion - but gyms seem to be a hot commodity these days. I know I'll purposely choose one hotel...
That looks like a fairly good gym for an airport hotel...or for most any hotel aside from 5-star properties, resorts, or those attached to an actual membership-required gym. I think that's one of the most overlooked amenities in hotels these days. Internet should be considered a public utility and free of charge - a whole 'nother discussion - but gyms seem to be a hot commodity these days. I know I'll purposely choose one hotel over another based on their fitness center. The days of a converted guest room and a broken elliptical being the "exercise studio" are over; seems like hotels are finally getting with it.
Everybody is Marriott Gold these days due to the generous SPG match (and via AMEX Plat). Meanwhile as a Marriott Platinum I don't get SPG 75.
This is so much nicer than the EWR Newark Hilton. Long wait for a shuttle, tired rooms with weird stains, overpriced lounge and skimpy 'continental' breakfast for Golds. At least the lobby could double as a set for Mad Men. That was the only cool thing about the Newark Airport Hilton. My next stay at EWR is Newark Hilton Penn Station as I have a lot of time and am going to visit NYC. But, if the prices are comparable, this looks like a much better hotel.
How early does the Concierge lounge open for breakfast in the morning ? Thanks
Sounds like that lady got her grocery shopping for the week done.
I have stayed at the EWR Marriott several times, and the convenience cannot be beat. All the off-airport properties involve a air-train + hotel shuttle ride. Several years ago, I had a minor service issue (failed to deliver on promise) and the recovery was poor (promised upgrade on next visit, but that was not delivered either.) Other than that, I would recommend this hotel for an overnight as it is a nice property with a...
I have stayed at the EWR Marriott several times, and the convenience cannot be beat. All the off-airport properties involve a air-train + hotel shuttle ride. Several years ago, I had a minor service issue (failed to deliver on promise) and the recovery was poor (promised upgrade on next visit, but that was not delivered either.) Other than that, I would recommend this hotel for an overnight as it is a nice property with a decent restaurant and lounge, and as mentioned, convenient location.
Nice review. I almost stayed at this hotel last month because it was so close to EWR and I had an early morning flight. Having Marriott gold (I'm one of those guys) next time I will.