Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI

We got moved here from the westin book Cadillac during a marathon weekend: CON: Small room. Dirty carpet. Small bathroom. DOUBLE BEDS. There were crumbs left over when we got there from last person. The hallways were HOT. Cleaning staff were sweating. It was very old and outdated. Staff were not very friendly (I felt like I was bugging them when asking questions) HUGE hotel. You will get your steps in! Lots of cool stuff to look at. PRO: good location. Close to tunnel, downtown amenities and waterfront. Would 10/10 not stay again. I’d take my money and go somewhere else.

We booked last minute and this was available. We’ve stayed there before but for other reasons. For the Detroit Free Press half and full marathon it’s a wonderful place to stay. Not only was checking easy even though there was lots of people, the Valet was very easy as well as They had an amazing wonderful room for the runners. Arissa, was so helpful and so kind we gladly will be back.

I have never had worse customer service than what was experienced at this hotel. My situation is a bit complex, but, in a nutshell, could have been easily rectified with an acknowledgement by the managerial staff at the time it occurred to honor the stay without need for changes due to the misinformation provided by Marriott Corporate and its reservation website. The situation that entailed my poor experience took place on Monday night, October 13,th 2025. I will not share staff names for protected identification of the individuals, but it was the acting manager for the night as well as the supervising manager at the hotel on that evening. My 18 year old daughter and her same aged boyfriend were attending a concert in Detroit that evening, a gift from my daughter to her boyfriend for his birthday. They were traveling to Detroit from 3 hours away in West Michigan and it was felt that the best thing to do was provide the two of them with a hotel room to stay in following the concert to prevent the need to drive such a long way home in the middle of the night. We decided to book the hotel room with the Marriott at the Renaissance Center because it was nice, safe, clean, and close to the concert venue. We booked the room through Marriott’s reservation service and were able to flawlessly book the room. Here is the sticky part of the situation. Earlier this summer, I learned that the majority of hotels in Detroit require a person to be 21 years plus to check in independently. My son was attending a concert with friends and we found this out on the day before check-in, shared by the hotel on the pre-check-in checklist. Because of this stipulation in the Marriott hotel we booked with for a room following the concert, I had to drive 2 ½ hours from West Michigan to Detroit to get them checked in. Dropped everything, life was placed on hold, work the next day be damned. Lesson learned by me. So when it came time to book a hotel for the exact same situation for my daughter, I made sure to check ahead of time for hotels requiring a minimum age of 18 to book with (see picture). The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center was one of those. It clearly says so on the main reservations webpage. I asked the reservation specialist at the time about the age requirement and was assured that it indeed was the case. I slept soundly knowing that there wouldn’t be a repeat situation as my son. Well, that didn’t happen. My daughter attempts to check in to the hotel on the day of the concert, and she was turned away from the door. Slammed right in her face. “I’m sorry, but the website is wrong, our hotel policy requires an individual to be 21 years of age to check in. You need to go to another hotel, there are some nice ones in the area.” This is Downtown Detroit, there is no way that an 18 year old young woman should be wandering around looking for a hotel that will meet these age requirements when she already had one booked. She of course calls home to share the dire situation. I proceeded to call and discuss the situation with the manager who was very nonchalant and dismissive of my concerns. He “apologized” multiple times throughout the conversation, also informed me that he checked with his supervising manager (but failed to provide me with a direct number to them to discuss the situation personally). There was nothing they “could do”. Even when the Marriott website for the hotel distinctly says “minimum 18 years of age at check in.” I also was told that the website was “wrong” though this is the CORPORATE WEBSITE. He took no ownership for Marriott in acknowledging the situation and mistake, but resolutely stayed firm for the “hotel’s” policies which were INCORRECT according to the booking website. He informed me that they tell customers to check with the hotel individually at the time of booking to double check the age requirements. Now, how does this make sense? The corporate website says one thing, but at the time of check-in, an individual is barred from entry because an individual hotel “changed” their policies without informing corporate and the booking public? My son’s hotel, which was ACROSS THE STREET, clearly stipulated “must be 21 years of age” for check in. In fact, that hotel’s staff suggested I book with the Marriott Renaissance Center that night because they had a minimum check in age of 18. Well, what to do, but repeat what was trying to be avoided in the first place, and drive 2 ½ hours to Detroit, dropping everything in life at the time, to check my daughter in to her hotel to keep her safe from wondering aimlessly around a busy urban center at night as a young 18 year old woman. What a crock. What are customers to believe when booking with Marriott? This is a great hotel company, the rooms are always clean and comfortable. But they cannot own up to a mistake made, instead choosing to continue lying to their customers and say it is the customer’s fault and not their own. They don’t take ownership for their mistakes. They don’t rectify a situation diplomatically. They make asinine suggestions to compensate for their mistakes, placing the impetus on the customer, not even taking the time to assist in finding a suitable hotel that is safe and clean like a typical Marriott, and then still collect the customer’s money because “cancellation” fell out of the cancellation deadline. This says a lot about Marriott. Customers are lied to beginning at the time of booking. What else are they lying to customers about? Are the rooms really cleaned? Are facilities really inspected?

WOW, what a gorgeous place for our daughter's wedding & reception. Our daughter and her husband planned everything themselves and chose the Marriott Renaissance. The wedding coordinator and her assistant were excellent. The views from the 72nd floor were incredible. The food (especially the scallops and short ribs) and service were terrific. Beautiful flowers, two fun photo booths, two bars, and great DJ: all fabulous. Staying at that hotel made it easy to get to the venue. You can get a block of rooms at a discount for your guests.

Very unimpressed with this iconic Detroit property. For the rate, you can do much better. It is dated and tired. Tiny bathroom with tub and shower curtain and 1 sink. Cracked tile and stained/cracked grout. At 350/night you have to offer better. No answer for room service - call just rang and rang. Two rooms under one reservation was too complicated for them to figure out and checked us both (arriving at different times) into the same room. Everything smelled deodorized. Friendly staff.