Throughout my many stays around the U.S., I always try to be fair and impartial as to how I rate a hotel or restaurant when I write my reviews. My first impression of the Racine Marriott was very clean, and welcoming. I found this to be true throughout my stay. As a matter of fact, this has to be one of the cleanest hotels I think I have ever stayed in. The housekeeping staff and management should be commended for their hard work. I'm very picky when it comes to cleanliness, and this hotel rates a 10 on cleanliness. As for comfort, The bed was very comfortable, and the room was as well, with plenty of space for relaxing.
What really makes a hotel are the people who work there. Being a Platinum Elite member, I have daily access to the Concierge Lounge which is an added benefit for the business traveller. My first experience with the Concierge lounge was with the host, Raymond Mathews. It was worth going to the Lounge each day just to visit with Raymond. I can't say that the food there was spectacular, because it wasn't. Most of the time it was cold, but that was the fault of the food & beverage service at the hotel. That is the only reason I gave this property a four, instead of a five rating. I also tried room service, where I found my breakfast to be cold, and inconsistent from one day to the next. In all fairness, I brought this to the attention of the General Manager Brian Wismar who was very receptive to my comments. He seems to be a very caring GM for the hotel, and assured me that he will take the necessary actions to improve the quality of the food service. I spoke with my business associate prior to writing this to be fair, and he too had the same general complaints about the food.
Overall, I would rate this as the best spot to stay in the Racine area, based on the other properties I've seen, so I would recommend this Marriott for your stay, be it business or family. The personnel for the most part are excellent, but Raymond is the best. I know that the General Manager will make the improvements in food service, so my next stay I'm confident it will get the full 5 star rating. So on your next stay at the Racine Marriott, say hello to Raymond, and tell him I sent you. He'll get a kick out of that. Enjoy your stay there.
- Marriott Racine
