Lobby of the West Palm Beach Marriott

I recently spent a weekend with a girlfriend in West Palm Beach doing, well, girl things.  Yes, I realize that’s a ragingly sexist description, but our itinerary for the weekend included:

  • shopping
  • appetizers
  • more shopping
  • wine
  • a trip to the spa
  • lunch on the beach
  • napping
  • spraying sun tanner all over ourselves in the hotel bathroom
  • more shopping, food, wine
  • a comedy club

Girl things.

The Marriott West Palm Beach proved a perfect base camp for a weekend spent enjoying West Palm Beach and neighboring Palm Beach.

The hotel was conveniently located just off I-95 with a small, well lit parking lot steps outside the front door – perfect for a weekend with no one else around to carry luggage.  The lobby, which always sets the tone for me for my impending stay, was spacious and updated and assured me that our room would probably be well cleaned and updated as well.  Check in was a breeze, and the front desk staff didn’t give the slightest hint of being inconvenienced by our request to split the room among two credit cards.

As expected, our rooms were clean and appropriately modern.  The beds were outfitted in soft, white linens and plenty of pillows that would not have to be shared.

West Palm Beach Marriott Standard Double Room

I did notice, however, that there appeared to be no coffee maker in the room.  A quick search of the closets and other doors and drawers revealed that it was simply hidden in the large dresser/entertainment console, which I’ve found is typical for hotels that sell Starbucks in the lobby.  A minor irritation, but an important reminder to keep looking until you find your free coffee!

B&BW at West Palm Beach Marriott

Speaking of freebies, the bathroom was stocked with Bath and Body Works products.  I love a hotel that allows me to pamper my guests with pretty soaps and hair products.

But back to what you pay for.

The staff at this hotel went above and beyond in providing friendly service, and they had no idea that I was going to be reviewing this property.  With their help, my husband was able to have a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting in our room when we arrived.  The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle to local attractions, including the Clematis Street district  and CityPlace, and the driver was still eager to please and genuinely pleasant at midnight, when the last shuttle will return guests to the hotel.  The restaurant wait staff and chef manning the omelet buffet during breakfast earned every dollar of their 20% tip, even going so far as to have a new batch of french toast made for me because I’d gotten to the buffet late and found the remnants cold.  This staff treated my girlfriend and I like we would be reviewing the hotel for the New York Times, and I watched them extend the same hospitality to every guest around me.

I would highly recommend the Marriott West Palm Beach if you have plans in either West Palm Beach or Palm Beach.  We actually spent a day enjoying the spa at another Marriot in Palm Beach, but were happy to spend the night at this more economically priced property a few miles away.  The location of the West Palm Beach hotel also gave us access to excellent shopping and nightlife with the convenience of an on-call shuttle or a cheap cab ride after midnight.

Overall, we definitely got what we paid for and more from the West Palm Beach Marriott.  I wish I could say the same for my Sephora purchases that weekend.

Photos by Marriott West Palm Beach and Britt Reints.