I usually stay at one of the nicer hotel chains due to their consistency of product-you know you will have good service, good beds, good hotel and transport options, etc. The hotel options in the Provo area are limited so I chose to stay at this Marriott even though it was not the hotel recommended by the conference I was attending. They noted that their lobby was being renovated on the website, but the notice understates the situation.

The lobby renovation has dramatically limited their restaurant, bar and workout facility at this time (they say it will be completed by April). These all have been relocated to smaller rooms in the convention center, but they are an attempt to provide a minimal service at this point in time. The workout room was a major disappointment for me. The minimal room they relocated only had two treadmills, two recumbent bikes and a small stand of barbells to use. It was hot and stuffy in the room and a portable room fan was the only thing moving air around the room to cool it. The front desk apologized and offers guests a complimentary pass to a local Gold's Gym as an alternative, but this was a mile away and I really had no desire to leave the hotel at 5 am, in a strange city, to do my workout, so I made the most of what they had on hand.

The rooms were similar to what I found in the lobby. They had been remodeled, but only partially (the bed, bathroom, furnishings and electronics had been updated, but the old, stale-smelling, dirty carpeting remained. It's almost like they ran out of money in the budget and only completed part of the project.

For business travelers, the concierge lounge on the 9th floor was nice. The staff was very helpful and friendly and did their best to make up for the hotels dreary appearance and upkeep. I spent a lot of time in the lounge because the rest of the hotel smelled musty and it was as far away from the noise in the lobby that I could get. One major detractor was that the hotel is supposed to be no smoking, yet I could smell fresh cigarette smoke in my room and in the hallway every day and I hate this!

I wouldn't recommend avoiding this hotel to other travelers, but I can say that I won't go back for a few years until the renovations are completed. It's overpriced for the condition of what you get and it doesn't live up to the Marriott name and reputation for quality.