I've been visiting Duluth since I was a child, so I've been to the city a lot. Thus, I've stayed at many hotels and B&Bs in the area. So when I say that the Marriott Residence Inn is the best in the city, I MEAN it.

Additionally, I'm a Marriott Silver Elite, so I stay at Marriott-branded properties often. This hotel exceeded ALL of my expectations. We stayed over Labor Day weekend.

Check in was an easy process. We arrived a bit early and our room wasn't ready but no biggie. The staff offered to hold our luggage for us. We decided to bum around the nearby mall and hit up Target for some things we forgot.

Room: We had the King Suite w/ the fireplace. The room was beautiful, spotless and modern. Granite countertops in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Plenty of plug-ins for all of our electronic gadgets -- also plugins near the bedside tables, which is great because these days, everyone uses their phone as an alarm clock. The Wi-Fi is fast and requires a password but you will get this when you check in. I love the Paul Mitchell hair care products in the bathroom!

Workout room: I used the workout room both days during my stay. The equipment is modern (cardio machines have TVs). Towels are fully-stocked and they even provided HEADPHONES (individually wrapped) for your use in case you forget them. I thought that was a nice touch.

Breakfast: Loved this! Full breakfast bar with waffle irons (plus fresh fruit toppings and sugar free syrup!), sausage, potatoes, bagels, etc. Two ladies were workin' the breakfast area and were attentive and friendly.

Staff: So, so nice! I can't say enough good things about them. Everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Cons:

I mean, I'm getting nit-picky here. Don't get me wrong, I WILL ABSOLUTELY stay here again.

Breakfast: This is more of an annoyance with the other guests than the hotel itself. The only thing I didn't like was the eating area that's right off the buffet area. The lobby/eating area is HUGE but people seem to want to sit & congregate RIGHT.THERE. Kind of annoying because you have step past all these people eating breakfast in order to get to the food. SPREAD OUT, PEOPLE. It's a HUGE lobby with lots of seating and tables. You don't all need to gather right there by the food!

Location: This can be a con for some but for me, I don't care. But I thought I'd mention it anyway because I know some people will care. This hotel is more in the "non touristy" area of Duluth, (thus it keeps the families away, which is nice) but it's a quick drive to Canal Park. If you need to pick up something (like I did. I needed another pair of shorts) it's a quick drive to the Miller Hill Mall and Target. If you need groceries, Cub Foods is within walking distance. Plus lots of places like Caribou Coffee, Starbucks, a bowling alley and some chain restaurants. Don't let the location put you off! It really is a short drive down to the touristy stuff.

Parking Lot: It's kind of small. Again, we stayed over the busy Labor Day holiday, so the hotel was hoppin' and it was tough to find a parking spot.

Final thoughts:
Stay here. Don't bother with any other hotel.

I read the reviews and couldn't believe a Residence Inn would deserve all of the kudos. Well, not that we stayed there for a couple of nights I'm a believer.

The rooms are very nice and compare in quality to a Westin/Hilton. The kitchen areas are superb and granite/wood touches throughout the rooms really add to the experience.

Add to that real HD TVs, comfortable beds, and nice amenities and you have a winner.

If you can afford the two bedroom suites, get them. They are off to the corners and away from other rooms.

I'm still shocked how much we liked this place. Great visit and highly recommended.

If you're really into the tourist experience, you might want to pick a property that's located near the harbor on near the lake. Otherwise, we were very happy with this property and the drive down to the harbor, Canal Park, downtown, etc was only about 5 minutes.

If you're someone who uses the kitchen, there's a Cub Foods right next door.

There were two people taking care of breakfast, instead of the usual one at most Residence Inns. It seemed to really make a difference.

This hotel has a lot going for it. It is fairly new and modern. The lobby and social/eating area was well designed. The staff is very courteous and all speak fluent English. It only had a few cons, but I would definitely stay here again if I was in the Duluth area. Pros and Cons are listed below:

Pros
+ Exceptional fitness room. Free weights, towels, water, modern treadmills and stair climbing machines.
+ First-rate breakfast. Staff was very courteous and made sure we had everything we wanted. The Manager’s Social Hour had excellent food also. Tables were kept clean.
+ Excellent and comfortable furnishings. New furnishings and large rooms.
+ Comfortable bed and pillows.

Cons
- There were small hair shavings all over the granite bathroom counter from a previous guest. These were difficult to see, but you would expect the counter to be clean upon check-in.
- Parking lot may not be large enough, since some cars were parking on the grass adjacent to the parking lot.
- Our bedroom door (within the one bedroom suite) would not remain open, as it would swing closed.