The Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott hotel is on the grounds of Newark Liberty International Airport – or better said – not connected to any terminal but on airport property. It’s necessary to take a shuttle bus to the terminals unless you want to cross a highway and a large parking lot.
The Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott is a typical business hotel, with a very short list of amenities for visitors coming in from various time zones around the globe.
I arrived there after a very long flight from Bangkok via Tokyo to Newark. With a 12-hour time difference, I was desperate for a good espresso coffee, and believe it or not, I had booked the hotel because of it listing a Starbucks on property. I was devastated that this Starbucks is only open in the morning hours and not at 3 pm when I arrived.
When will global hotel groups like Marriott learn that the clock for many of their guests is not the same as the clock on their walls?
My room was comfortable, except for a big surprise.
Desperate to get on the Internet, I found a good network connection, and it was free for me as a Marriott Gold member, but where was the plug?
A very small “desk-like” table and a chair was located between my bed and the window. So I got settled in with my computer, but then I discovered that there was no way to plug my computer into an electric outlet, unless I moved and sat on a bed and then plugged it into the night stand lamp in between the two queen-size beds.
I remember Mr. Marriott junior once saying at a hotel how important it is to plug in your computer these days and not have to crawl under a desk or move furniture to find an electric outlet. I am sure the big boss did not yet visit this hotel.
I knew the hotel advertised an indoor pool, so I plugged my computer into the lamp, with the plan being to get the battery fully charged so I could work on it at the “desk-like” table later without having to plug it in.
Changing into my still-wet swim trunks from my stay at the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, I went to the ground floor and followed the signs to the “pool.”
What a disappointment! The pool was permanently closed. I asked the front desk about this, and it was explained that this was the first day the pool was closed, and it was not going to reopen. It was simply too expensive for this $300 a night airport hotel to operate a pool.
The food at the hotel was good, including the breakfast. Of course I did not expect a breakfast like the ones I have enjoyed at Marriott hotels in other parts of the world, but considering everything is a step down in the United States when it comes to hospitality, I had no complaints.
The hotel is in a great location, and the bed was comfortable. The staff was friendly and responsive, and I received 1,000 bonus reward points for the missing pool.
Would I stay there again? Yes, I would, if I were arriving in the morning when Starbucks is open, and I would be sure to bring a long extension cord with me so I could work on my computer using the “desk-like” table.
