Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott’s newest location in Downtown El Paso thrives with comfort (Texas)

Set in the heart of Downtown El Paso, and having just opened up mid last year, is the new hotel and convention centre from Courtyard by Marriott. Sitting in a hub of museums and just around the corner from the El Paso train station, the 9 floor hotel boasts a stunning outdoor pool that overlooks the city, the neighbouring Mexican city of Juárez and a baseball / soccer stadium that sits next door. If there’s a game on you’d actually have a decent view in between dips on the pool. There’s also an impressive 24 hour fitness centre.

The lobby provides a comfortable entrance, with a lounge area around TVs, a pantry and a dining area (Bistro | Bar, open for a la carte breakfast and dinner). There’s plenty of parking available – the first few floors being dedicated to it and costing $10/day for guests. This means, while being a sizeable building, the hotel only has 145 rooms; so there’s a bit of a boutique feel and plenty of attention available to every guest. It also meant that even on the beautiful day I stayed at the hotel there was no competition for space at the pool.

My “King Guest Room” was dominated by a phenomenally comfortable king bed, with four excellent pillows. There is also a small pull out couch in the corner should you be travelling with a larger party, or a child. The couch doubles as a place to work by the window and helps make this a comfortable business hotel as much as it can be a place for a getaway. There is 765 sq ft of meeting spaces across two rooms here so business guests are certainly an focus here.

A huge movable Smart TV sits against the wall, providing an easy process to log into your Netflix, or browse the usual array of cable TV – and for a fee you can watch some of the latest Hollywood Blockbusters which are paraded as still being in theatres.

The design of the room sits around whites and beiges and light browns, with a little bit of light yellow thrown in; behind the bed sits something along the lines of a tree against a sunset. It all makes the room feel warm and comfortable, with great lighting built into the wall fixtures, and an excellent design that makes it feel like you have heaps of space even though there’s everything you could possibly need.

The air con unit is an easy to use and modify unit on the wall, and ensures a comfortable stay for all guests. The bathroom meanwhile is massive, with a huge walk in shower and a mirror that runs the length of the room – sans the shower area. The Paul Mitchell toiletteries are excellent, especially the tea tree / lemon sage body wash. The shower head is strong and the temperature easy to change (I find even for newer hotels this isn’t always the case). Towels are thick and comfortable and there’s a hair dryer in the room.

Beyond these amenities you’ll also find a coffee machine (though no tea), a fridge and a microwave. USB and AC plugs with a mirror sit by either side of the bed and there are some drawers too – additional drawers are available underneath the place you put your suitcase, and while the couch can be used as a work area, there is an actual chair and desk underneath the TV. Wifi is fast and free, with no login required (though you can pay extra if you want super fast internet), and you’ll find an ice machine on your floor. Rounding it all off, near the bathroom you’ll find a cupboard with extra pillows and an ironing board.

About the Area

There’s plenty to do in the area, from great places to eat and drink, to the museums that sit a short walk away from the hotel. You can also take a short drive to a number of amazing destinations. El Paso sits on the US/Mexico border, so consider a trip over the border to Juárez, Mexico (don’t forget your passport!), or in less than an hour you can be in the New Mexico City and the city of Las Cruces. If you’ve got some extra time in the State, also consider starting in El Paso and then driving inland to cities like Marfa and areas like the stunning Big Bend National Park, which is about 4 1/2 hours along the Mexican border.

Final Verdict

The design of the room excellent, the pool fantastic, its central location wonderful, and the hotel providing everything you could possibly need, there’s nothing not to love about this brand new Courtyard by Marriott. With superb service from the front desk, this experience extends from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave – and in that respect, the midday checkout is also very welcome. Because if you’re going to live as the locals do, you’ll probably have a late night out as I did!

 

FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

The hotel is located at 610 N Santa Fe St, El Paso, TX 79901, USA. To book, visit their official website, or book using the form below.

The author stayed as a guest of the hotel for one night. Photo of bathroom by the author, the rest provided by the hotel.

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.