Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel New York: 3-Day NSA Conference Stay: August 2008

SylviaH — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:59:44 +0100

The National Speakers Association held its "NSA Rocks!" annual convention at this hotel in August 2008. While I am a trainer/speaker who also plans meetings for organizations to which I belong, this time I rate this as an attendee since the conference was for trainers/speakers.

The property was EXPENSIVE! This is why I do not plan to stay again unless a client for whom I'm speaking books me there. The property was clean and nicely appointed. Staff was friendly, courteous, and helpful. My room was spacious; amenities suited my needs (which are not demanding). Food was good. Looking down onto Times Square...priceless!

Things that disappointed:
- Breakout rooms were small. We maxed-out capacity for EVERY SESSION we had. It was very uncomfortable and disappointing for those who could not get in. Staff kept fire marshall restrictions reasonably well.
- Room temps were uneven. Where one room required a sweater, another required a bandana to wipe off.
- The elevators were a challenge. Once we figured them out we were fine. I did not like that all elevators were accessible only from the central elevator bank. I would have liked to have had some elevators accessible from opposite ends of the hallways. Mobility was challenged at times.
- In line with mobility, sessions were spread out over four floors, four corners of the property. Again, this was a challenge to get from session to session. And on top of that, one or two escalators did not work at times during the convention.

Overall, the hotel was "nicer than many". It SHOULD be. I would have liked it to be more "excellent" for where and what it is - a Marriott premium property in a premium location.

Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel New York - Meetings Collaborative - By and for Meeting ...

Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel New York: 3-Day NSA Conference Stay: August 2008