Ok, the decor wasn't at all to my taste------kind of a strange colour-scheme and decorations. But that's a small complaint; the rest of the stay was brilliant.

My suite----at a thrifty $199 per night----was 750 square feet! I especially liked that the bedroom and bathroom were up a small flight of stairs, so were totally separate from the living area-----which not only included the kitchen and living/dining area, but a large front hall with a big coat-closet.

The kitchen was very well apppointed, with full-size fridge, dishwasher (!), microwave, toaster, huge four-burner range, etc etc. Not that I actually cooked anything, but there was plenty of cookware and dinnerware to have accommodated just about anything. A nice touch was the small things-----good kitchen linens, a big roll of paper towels, plenty of coffee, and even microwave popcorn.

Daily maid service was excellent. There were two large flat-screen teevees (living room and bedroom). The living room and dining area were VERY comfortable, and the desk/work area was good (very comfy desk chair). The bathroom was small, but traveling solo it didn't matter to me. The bedroom had a huge closet with good large full-length mirrors.

The free breakfast was the best I've ever had. Besides the usual breads, fruits and cereals, one could even make oneself a Belgian waffle, with add-ins such as chocolate chips or blueberries. I did not try any of the hot items but they all looked delicious. It's been a long time since I've seen a hotel breakfast buffet like that.....and free.

As others have noted, the staff was just amazing. Even the maintenance man I encountered in the elevator was friendly and outgoing.

The location is on Main St. in the old Brown Thompson building. It's a great "adaptive reuse" of a lovely an historic building in the heart of downtown. Everything is walkable from this location (it's also on bus lines; though I used my car as access is very easy).

One caveat----avoid room service. It is not run by the hotel, but by an adjacent restaurant named "City Steam"-----see my separate review of that.

I stayed here for over a week recently while in Hartford for business. Overall. Hartford is not a very exciting city, so location to work/business is key when booking in this city. This hotel is within a walkable distance to all of the restaurants & businesses in the downtown area. It is also easy to get to from the parkways if you are driving.
The staff was very helpful, knowledgeable & accomodating.
The decor could use refurbishing - the lobby is a sea of red carpeting and the rooms are far from 'modern'. The rooms were very clean but the 4th floor has a permanant odor...
The breakfast that they serve is just like any Marriott property would provide. A good start with a ton of variety/choices for starting off the day. They also offer a free nightly dinner which I did not try, but other members of my group did & seemed to enjoy it.
There are 2 restaurants accessible from the hotel & many others to choose from within a 1 block radius.

We all wanted to visit Hartford for a family weekend. We wanted to stay together. This hotel had an enormous two-bedroom and two-bath suite for the six of us at a moderate price. A private bedroom for my wife and me while our daughter and her husband and the grandchildren had the rest of the two story unit.

On Saturday afternoon we visited the Connecticut Science Center after receiving a map and directions from the desk. Just a few blocks away this four-year-old six-story center overlooks the Connecticut River. A lot of fun and learning too

For supper we never had to leave our hotel building because City Steam Brewery Cafe is in the same building. It was crowded but having many rooms they found a table for us while my grandsons and their dad shot pool in a four pool table separate bar room. The food and beer were very good.

That night we played a board game in the very large dining room off the large kitchen with a stove, refrigerator, microwave, sink, cabinets with dishes, flatware, and cooking utensils. If City Steam wasn’t so good we would have eaten in.

On Sunday morning we had a great breakfast. My grandsons made waffles with syrup and whipped cream while the adults managed to eat healthier. I enjoyed the oatmeal with add-ins.

This hotel is in the HH Richardson building named after the famous architect. He designed it in 1875.

Last but not certainly, least is the people at the hotel desk. I have travelled a great deal for both business and leisure. I can’t remember a more pleasant and helpful front desk staff.

Recently stayed at the Residence Inn overnight in downtown Hartford and had a fantastic experience. Once I figured out where the parking lot was everything went smoothly. you do have to pay for parking overnight and the parking lot is behind the building. Once you check in, you receive a parking card that you can use when going to and from the parking lot. The receptionist was great at suggesting some dining spots within walking distance of the hotel. I typically stay at the Marriott chain when conducting business and occasionally, being a Marriott member, I receive bags with a bottle of water and snacks. I noticed them behind the counter but the receptionist did not offer one to me. Not a big deal. The room was excellent. There was a lot of room for me to do work and a living room area where I was able to unwind and watch television. The room was very large and all of the amenities I needed for an overnight stay. Would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a place to stay while visiting downtown Hartford.