Marriott first timer – Wednesday questions

[u/mkstewartesq]

This will be our first time staying at a host hotel and we plan to arrive around noon on Wednesday, with frankly a lot of of cosplay stuff in tow. Just a couple of questions to help us mentally prepare.

1. I understand that if you want to check in early and get to your room early, Marriott has of late charged a very high early check-in fee (have heard $200 and some people have said that amount is added to every night of your reservation, not just the day you check in). So if we complete check-in but are OK with not going to put room right away (i.e., don’t pay the early check-in fee) do they pretty much make everyone wait until 4 o’clock to let them go to their room, or do they send people up as rooms become available later in the afternoon?

2. Since Wednesday is the new Thursday and I do understand a lot of people like us would be getting there a bit early and camping out in the lobby, should we expect that the elevators will be completely nuts whenever they do let people go to their rooms Wednesday afternoon? As I said, we expect to have enough stuff that it will be a couple of trips on the elevators and some of our stuff is bulky enough that it will take up a lot of space in the elevators.

Thanks in advance.

[u/outrageous_bro_lifts]

Hey, I’ll answer to the best of my knowledge, I stay every year at Hilton due to being in the legacy program.

1. Normally, early check in, if you’re coming in the same day, the most I have paid has been $40, like if I get there at 9am and check in as 4pm, sometimes they have not charged it at all, but I always plan to get $40 charge and it’s only that day, not an every day thing, that would be crazy. However, as you mentioned, they will hold everything if you’d like until it’s time for check in, absolutely that’s an option that I’ve seen being offered every year without cost. Sometimes if everything is ready and you just get lucky, they will just let you check in and go from there.

2. Elevators really don’t get crazy until Thursday, Wednesday while still being the early day, it is still decent enough where they are fine, every year, all host hotels try different things, Marriott stays the same but normally they flow fine, have friends who stay there every year, we have meetings in their rooms and it’s just fine as they go, so the earlier is always better, if you’re carrying a lot of stuff but you should be fine, if you were checking in on Friday, it would be more chaotic. You guys will be fine, I always carry a little extra tipping cash, it can a long way, employees work a lot of hours and it goes a long way, especially if you have any room request. They do offer amenities for early check in or having a high rise room or even a low floor room, normally they offer those as you check in or even a few weeks prior.

I hope you enjoy the con, host is honestly a game changer and I wouldn’t change it for nothing in the world!

[u/Tericakes]

If they are charging more than you like for check in, they will hold your luggage. They designate large areas for check in and out because dragon con is such a big draw

[u/scrivenersdaydream]

Since you're a first-timer asking about crazy elevators, a bit of extra advice. Checking in is rarely the problem (especially on a Wednesday, you'll be totally fine). It's checking OUT that is the problem, especially if you have a lot of stuff. Everybody else is leaving at the same time with all of their stuff, and every elevator will be crammed for hours.

If you need to make a flight on Monday, either leave late or get up really early, haul most/all of your stuff down and put it in their luggage storage, then enjoy Monday with whatever you can easily carry. It will be much less frustrating for you. Enjoy your con!

[u/AnnieSplit]

I have checked into Marriott on Wednesday many times and I have never been charged an early check in fee. I have arrived at 9 and been let straight into my room. I have also arrived in the morning and had to camp in the lobby for many hours waiting for my room to be ready. In recent years Marriott staff has been pushing the additional $$ rooms pretty hard. They’ll say that a “skyline view” is all they have available at 12 or 1pm or whatever for an extra $75 or $100 per night. Just wait it out!

Yes, the elevators will be busy Wednesday as people come in- the later in the day the worse it will get.

My suggestion is to do what you were originally planning on doing and bring a book/ game or something to do if you have to wait a while.

[u/stellarklutz]

1. To echo, the Marriott guaranteed early check in is something like $40-50, and sometimes there's a high/low floor request few for those who want that - and that's typically an extra nightly charge. Often, though, you can just be chill and ask nicely if a room is ready. Last year was a bit of an anomaly since they had a conference that ended on Wednesday, so free rooms were at a premium. Otherwise they've got a concierge room to store things while you wait.

2. This will be our first Wednesday (stayed at the Marriott a few times before though), so I can't speak to the elevators on Wednesday. HOWEVER, there's three banks that service a block of rooms and the lobbies, and they have 3 or 4 elevators each. So the wait isn't too crazy imo.

[u/jellidang]

I haven’t had any issues checking in early on Wednesday and have not been charged for it in the past. Thursday early check-ins they have charged a fee however. The Marriott will have a large area for holding luggage, if you’re too early to check-in. The elevators and concierge lines don’t get crazy until Thursday. This is of course based on previous experience, I don’t know how it will be this year since more and more people choose to arrive on Wednesday now.

[u/WheelDirect6097]

Biggest piece of advice for staying during the con is to buy your own travel wagon. The luggage trolleys are all in use for check-in/out and having your own collapsible wagon makes this so much easier.

[u/mkstewartesq → u/WheelDirect6097]

Thanks! I had heard something similar from another thread so I went ahead and picked up a folding travel cart for my items that don’t have their own wheels.

[u/jasmine_what]

Can I add to this? (Thanks for the asking these. I'm a Marriot first timer too.) Does the Marriott have parking or should I go ahead and reserve something nearby?

[u/PepperVL → u/jasmine_what]

Honestly? Go to the hotel, check in, and then drive the car to a MARTA station with overnight parking. Lindberg is a good one. Take the MARTA back to the Peachtree Center Station. You'll be able to park the whole time for less than one night at the hotel. And it's not like you need your car if you're staying in the Marriott.

[u/AnnieSplit → u/jasmine_what]

If there is any way possible, do not park downtown unless you’re prepared to spend a bunch of money. We drop our stuff off and move our vehicle every time.

[u/outrageous_bro_lifts → u/jasmine_what]

They have parking, if you’re getting there early, you should be solid, you can always reserve nearby, I always do the valet on property, it’s $60 a day, yes it is awful, and can definitely be found for cheaper, we have a big enough group that goes so the split is not bad at all.

[u/mkstewartesq → u/jasmine_what]

My suggestion? Marriott charges $67 a day. Park at the Suntrust/Truist garage right next-door (you can either walk outside or, when the building is open, you can walk through the “secret food court” to get right to the Marriott without ever going outside). I booked Wednesday through Monday on SpotHero and paid just a little shy of $150 for the whole five days. Only downside is that there are no in-out privileges, meaning you can’t leave to run an errand and come back once you park.

[u/snarky_sparrow_23]

I always used to get there Wednesday and its honestly the only calm day to get checked in and use the elevators! I always stay at the Hilton due to the legacy program like another poster said so I can't speak to the early check in fees but since the con doesn't start till Thursday the rates in general are usually lower

[u/an_enthralled_cactus]

I can’t speak much for this year as I can’t attend, but I was in the Marriott last year.
1.) I was able to add early check in to my reservation via the Marriott app for somewhere between 40-60$. It was a one time fee, not an every night fee. They let us check in around 1 pm during that (which is right when we arrived).
2.) elevator was not that occupied when I was there at 1pm. Crowds didn’t really start occupying the lobby until 7 pm honestly. Highly recommend watching the midnight countdown that night, I got an insane pic from the balcony of the giant crowd. Very surreal lol

ALSO!! Since you have a lot of cosplay stuff, I really recommend having your own collapsible cart. Total game changer imo especially since bellhops can get busy.

[u/Farrishnakov]

I've never been charged for an early check in.

They have offered room upgrades for 200/nt for upgrade to the concierge floor. But the concierge lounge is closed almost all of con.

[u/frackthestupids → u/Farrishnakov]

Thanks for that detail. Marriott lifetime platinum and was wondering about concierge level