Courtyard Buffalo Downtown/Canalside

During the 4^th of July this place was lit! It was around the time that they 1^st opened and the outside was beautiful. Inside was just as nice! I think it’s a great addition to downtown Buffalo. I don’t know how busy they are now, but every time I walked past it there was always cars waiting for valet.

What a pleasant surprise! Fun décor. Great location. The bathrooms are wonderful… bright lighting, wonderful shower and even a magnifying mirror. The bedroom provides plenty of charging stations for every device imaginable.

Stayed here over the Columbus Day long weekend and had a great experience. A two queen beds room averaged $ 200/​night, booked about 2 months out. Staff were always courteous and friendly at the front desk both in person and over the phone when I called ahead to quiz them on their parking options ($ 12 + tax per day valet with unlimited in and out privileges) and to ask dumb questions about taxis in Buffalo. The hotel is located in the trendy new Canalside area that everyone in Buffalo seems super excited about! The area has lots of walkable restaurants, a lovely view of the waterfront right outside the door, the flagship Tim Horton’s literally across the street, and I think more than one sporting events stadium — sorry, not a sports person.
The room was very spacious and modern with the two very comfy beds, desk, tv, a little fancy chaise and footstool, as well as a microwave and mini fridge tucked inside a cabinet. There’s a fancy little coffee maker with special coffee packets like a tea bag. So I think it’d be hard to use with regular coffee grounds if you’re particular. Rooms have free wifi that mostly worked fine. The bathroom is also spacious with a giant shower stall. I wanted better water pressure, and the bottom edges of the stall could’ve used some bleaching I think — there was the slight pink tinge of creeping mold. Amenities include some nice Paul Mitchell shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. There’s a pool open til 11 pm and a gym, but I didn’t have the opportunity to use either.
Only substantial complaint is that there was a connecting door between my room and the people next door (they lock from each person’s side securely) but they definitely don’t do much in the way of soundproofing and you can hear the people in the other room talking.

I haven’t been back to downtown Buffalo in 4 years and wow!!! The changes are incredible and this hotel is just one of them! My partner and I are loyal Marriott rewards members and were so happy to hear that this was a new hotel and just a short walk from the canal, numerous restaurants, and near where the wedding reception was that we were attending. We were not disappointed. We had a couple issues with check-​in (completely our fault) but Elia was absolutely a delight in accommodating us and making sure we could continue with our plans. We kept valet pretty busy with our multiple trips to and from the hotel to various reunions with friends and wedding events but not once did they seem inconvenienced. Their valet service really is set up to make things more convenient for YOU, the guest. At $ 12/​day, the price was incredibly reasonable and the staff was so personable and fun!
The room itself was BEAUTIFUL. It was so trendy and stylish! You can tell they put a lot of thought into the details. The shower is big enough for two ;-) and the little ledge that hangs out at the end makes for the easiest leg shave I’ve ever had. The bed was extremely comfortable and the curtains blocked out all light so that when we slept in to 10am with a slight hangover we didn’t even know it was daytime! The little couch and ottoman with table stand was so cute that my friend and her boyfriend turned it upside down to find out the brand so they could purchase their own.
We didn’t really use any of the other amenities like the pool or bar but I just have to reiterate how great the service was when we first arrived and actually continuously by Elia at the front desk. I’m not sure if she was a manager or not but she was the one person who stuck out to us and made our experience top-​notch. If and when I return to Buffalo there isn’t anywhere else I would consider staying.

I come to Buffalo often for work and prefer to stay here in the spring and summer months. The Canalside area is an up and coming area with more restaurants opening up and greener outdoor spaces. The pool/​spa and gym are pretty standard and both located I the basement. The rooms have very modern décor. I’ve had nothing but friendly experiences with the staff. You can easily walk or take the above-​ground trolley to most places downtown.
The only negative is that there’s no self parking; the only parking option is a $ 12 valet service — kinda steep in my opinion especially if you’re tipping the valet on top of that.

Potential customers, read Ted’s review. We had similar experience: wheelchair– accessible room by elevators (with no heads up at check in), constant noise by young Canadian revelers through 2 am (congregating in and by elevators), blasé staff. Booked this room direct, four months ago, Marriott rewards members. I should have heeded the fact free earplugs were provided in nightstand. Room itself pretty nice, and good walkable location, so 3 stars total.

The hotel is relatively new and has the state of the art décor. However, I suggest you ask them to see the room you will be getting before check-​in. My first room was next to the elevator and you could hear all the noise from people standing waiting to use the elevator as well as the opening and closing of the doors.
My second room was further away from the elevator with less noise, but had a square pole (approximately 18×18 inches) directly in the middle of the room. The sofa was pushed up against the wall so close that I had to move it adjust the temperature. Not the room I was expecting for $ 199 per night.
Plus the staff seemed to car less about my frustration. I’ve been extremely loyal to Marriott — staying some 1,200 nights — go figure.

Just wanted to share that the manager contacted me and has offered to make things right. I would try this hotel again.

It was a bit of a mess. We bought a king bedroom and then decided to buy another 2 Sabres tickets and called to upgrade our room to 2 double beds instead. They instead booked us for the next weekend. They were sold out so we were stuck with the king and after making a big scene, they finally decided to get us a cot. However, this hotel does not have cots so we had to have them get one from the Hampton. The eventually got it to our room when we came back around midnight.
The wifi is limited to 3 devices. So as a Canadian coming over the board, trying to avoid roaming fees, we normally connect most of our phones. 4 phones, 2 MacBooks. Only half of those could connect so it was a big fuss.
Now we are finishing the morning by coming down to eat breakfast and the staff is so slow and cannot support the hotel. We’ve been waiting for longer than it took me to write this up.
The wifi is not entirely free and they will charge you after 3 devices. They are not organized and do not have cots. The breakfast is chaos. The hotel across the street should be done by next season and I cannot wait as it’ll be closer and hopefully pick up where this hotel left off.

Friendly staff from the valet to the front desk. Very modern hotel, great gym, comfortable beds and HUGE showers! Noise isn’t bad considering the location with the highway at level with some of the rooms.
Checked in via mobile app — very easy process. Quick turnaround time with valet.
Highly recommend this location — perfect for walking distance to the hockey arena and the ballpark.

Loved this place. The nicest Courtyard I have ever been to. Plus, it’s a repurposed building so the rooms are very spacious. I loved the design plus my room had a fridge and microwave. I missed having a tub, however, it had the best shower I have ever had in any hotel including 5 stars. I like the valet option.

We spent a weekend at the newly opened Courtyard Mariott. Having stayed at several other hotels in the area for an annual trip, I think there are some definite pros and cons.
Pros:
Appearance. Beautiful modern hotel, which is more than I can say for others in the area (looking at you Adam’s Mark). The lounge area has a lot of seating and a large tv. In addition, it has a small café where you can get sandwiches, snacks, and coffee.
Staff.The staff were very friendly and accommodating. I always saw staff in the lounge who were willing to help.
Location. Close walk to first Niagara – highly recommended if you are going up for a Sabres game in February and don’t want to walk a mile in –5 degree weather. Also close to Pearl Street.
Rooms.The shower is beautiful and BIG so you’re not bumping your arms against the walls or bending down to fit under a shower head. In addition, the curtains are great and block out the light.
Cons:
Parking. Given limited parking in the area, the parking situation is pay per day in their lot which requires valet service. You can go down to the car level to get something from your car, but you need the valet staff to go with you. You can leave the lot as many times as you’d like and the staff are happy to bring your car up for you. It’s just not as convenient as some of the other hotel parking situations.
Rooms. The rooms were smaller than I was expecting, and the pull out bed only fits one person (it looks like a twin size). The fridge was pretty small – luckily we brought coolers for our tailgate and kept our beer cold in them.
Some construction in the area so it’s a bit noisy right now.
All in all a great stay as long as you can plan ahead for the cons!

***This Courtyard by Marriott is very new and the rooms here feature a design and décor more similar to full service Marriott brand hotels than other more simple and functional Courtyard properties***
This Courtyard by Marriott is a very nice and new Courtyard located right in Downtown Buffalo. While the lobby feels like every other Courtyard by Marriott, hallways and rooms reveal a completely different story. Hallways showcase sepia photographs of historic Buffalo that allows this Courtyard to capture some of the local flavor (similar to Marriott’s more expensive full service brand Renaissance).
Rooms also stand out. Rooms have a great contemporary touch and they go beyond standard Courtyard rooms, which are clean and very functional but lack character and identity. The rooms here are nicely laid out and feature a circular lounge-​like couch that is so much more attractive than the dorm room-​like couches you get at most Courtyards. The flat screen TV is nicely mounted and while the closets and such showcase the kind of light colored wood that you might associate with inexpensive or cheaply made furniture, the furniture here is nicely shaped and contoured to give it a modern and distinct look.
The bed at this Courtyard also has several full service hotel bed touches like a headboard and lots of pillows (for sleeping as well as decoration). The quality of the bed decoration is definitely not up to Marriott standards, but I still felt it was a nice touch for a Courtyard.
My room was fairly comfortable. The bed was comfortable and the shower featured a great rainfall-​like shower head as well as a good water temperature. The glass shower was also spacious and very clean and new feeling like the rest of the bathroom and room. I felt the room temperature was too warm the first night, but it was noticeably cooler the second night. I did not like the placement of the temperature gauge above the couch.
This hotel has several nice pluses like free Wi-​Fi and a 24-​hour fitness center, which features new exercise machines with great attached televisions.
The food at this hotel’s bistro is not good – very frozen food-​like and airplane food-​like. Marriott Rewards Platinum members receive a free arrival gift of Marriott Rewards points and a choice of an item from their market. The market has a great selection from a variety of soft drinks and bottled waters to snacks, candy and lots of ice cream including pints of Haagen-​Dazs.
I felt the room rate was too high. While hotels in downtown areas tend to be high, I did not feel that there was enough going on in Downtown Buffalo to justify the high room rate here.
Service was good and up to Marriott’s high standards.
This is a new and distinct Courtyard. I am not sure if other Courtyards are going to adopt the design and style of this Courtyard, but it definitely makes for a nicer and more special hotel stay. While my room rate was too high, this Courtyard is a good option if you are loyal to the Marriott brand or if you are able to plan ahead and get a great room rate.
Valet parking is offered and it feels fairly reasonable at $ 12 per night.

I can’t believe that there are negative reviews of this place! It’s brand new (only open a few months). We stayed here for one night to see Lady GaGa at the Niagara Center (it’s WAY easier to get decent seats to a big show outside of NYC!). From the moment we got to the hotel, it was all positive. Parking was easy. It’s valet. The distance to the arena is less than two blocks, which was SO convenient. The rooms were all brand new and totally clean. The staff were all pleasant. It was a great experience and, as frequent courtyard-​goers, it had all the amentities as expected… of yeah, and the show was AWESOME!

I attempted to book a block of rooms for my wedding in August. After SEVERAL attempts to have someone call us back who handles groups, we ended up going with a different hotel. I guess they didn’t want my business or the 100+ people I have invited to my wedding. I can only imagine what the service is like if they don’t even care about booking a large group.
I’ve never stayed there. I guarantee you I never will.

I came here to visit a friend. Parking can be tricky due to all of the construction downtown. The rooms were nice and comfortable but the faucets remind me of video game joysticks and it was kind of annoying. We called room service to help us with something and they said they would help us. A half hour later we called back and they said they couldn’t help us. I thought that was a waste of our time.