we had reservations for 2 rooms on 9/18/12. A storm closed the airport so all planes arrived very late. Our room was there when we arrived. But my sister's room was given away. My sister notified the hotel at 5:00 PM that her palne had been diverted but that she would be there at some point. We arrived at 9:00 PM and were assured that her room would be there when she arrived. She arrived at 12:30 AM and there was NO ROOM. We stood in the lobby until 2:45 AM when they decided we were not going away and a call was made to someone who authorized a suite be given to my sister. The clerk had the gall to say they were giving her this room at no additional cost. Never trust this hotel to honor your reservation.

Unfortunately I was displaced during the storm with my family. Newark was one of the few places that the power companies were restoring first, so I took the opportunity to get a room for my family.

The staff was truly unbelievable under the circumstances and was doing everything they could to accommodate the unusual demand for rooms. The hotel was clean, but the room had a stale air odor. That could have been due to the fact that it was without power, so I do not want to hold that against them. The rooms are quite small. If you get a cot in a King room, you will not have room to walk. The bathrooms were also small, and the front desk lacked simple toiletries like a toothbrush, which is often forgotten by a traveler.

The fitness room is small, but had your basics. The pool was very small. Basically a wading pool. You would certainly not be able to swim laps (unless you want to be turning every few strokes).

The breakfast was typical for this type of business/travel hotel. Typical eggs, waffles, cereals, juice and coffee. Breakfast area is in lobby and can accommodate a large crowd.

All in all this was a decent hotel. I would not choose to return, but you will not be dissatisfied.If you are a traveler stuck for the night alone, it will do just fine, but for a family of any size, one room will not work out for you.

Once again it is important to note that the front desk staff is super. These guys work hard to insure every guest is happy, and they never say no.

Between the runways of Newark Airport and the beautiful Northern State Prison on the other side of the freeway, you'll find your collection of three Marriotts (each separated by parking lots or a hundred or so feet of unmoved grass & no-man lands). During a recent mileage run, I did a two night stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites.

I think I understand why there's such a dramatic difference in the reviews for this hotel. I didn't think the Marriott sub-brands had different kinds of rooms but this Fairfield certainly does. The first room I was given, on the third floor, felt very utilitarian, unadorned and not comfortable at all. Since I was a single traveler and this room had two beds, I went back down to the front desk and asked if I could have a room with a king bed. The second room I was given, on the sixth floor, was an actual hotel-room sized suite. Much better outfitted and more comfortable for me.

In my sixth floor room, there were two flat panel TV's (one in the living room area and one in the bed area). There was also a stereo system in the living room area (which also had a couch and a nice easy chair). Between the living room area and the bathroom was a small mini-bar area, with an empty fridge and a microwave (you can get items to cook from the little store area next to the reception). There were dimmer light switches to turn a few of the lights down to low and soothing.

There's no room safe in the room.

Down on the first floor you'll find a small gym room and a small indoor pool and jaqquzi.

Aside from the breakfast area, there's no restaurant on the property or anywhere nearby. I went next door to the Courtyard (which has a "Bistro") to find something reasonable to eat for dinner before 10 p.m. on the night of my arrival. Dinner at the Bistro was okay; a burger, hummus appetizer and a beer came in just under $30. Not much ambience to the Bistro though, but at those prices, they're charging like a full service Marriott. The night crew at the front desk mistakenly told me breakfast ended at 10 a.m., so when I came down to attempt breakfast a few minutes after 9 a.m., everything was already packed away. Grrrrr. So I think the hours for breakfast are actually 6 until 9 p.m.

In terms of the shuttle bus, getting picked up at the P4 AirTrain station was a piece of cake. They arrive at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour (and the departures from the lobby are on the hour and 30 minutes past the hour). I'm glad somebody else did the driving; judging from the crazy amount of twists and turns the bus has to do to get to the property, it feels like the place is in the (impossible to find) Smurf Village. If you have an early morning departure (i.e. 6 a.m.), you can try sweet talking the bus driver to have him drop you off directly at the terminal.

I did a subsequent stay a week or so later at the SpringHill Suites hotel across the driveway from the Fairfield and between the two locations, I very much prefer the Fairfield's suites. They just simply felt more comfortable and classy.

Hopefully this information helps you out. And if you did find useful information in my review, please let me know by clicking the "Helpful" link down below. Have a great stay!

I stayed here coming and going from New Jersey. The rooms were fine and the staff was friendly. The stay was a little disappointing in two ways. On our way out of Newark the poll was closed because the hot tub was not working. Why close the whole pool and not just the hot tub? Drain it and let us swim. I need the workout and with arthritis swimming is my best exercise.

The breakfast was good but on my way out of Newark I had to leave before it opened. The desk promised us a box breakfast on checkout. It was not available. if you want it you need to insist I guess.

The hotel is a little hard to find in the spaghetti maze of highways around the airport. It is confusing and the directions are not exactly clear. Actually I am not sure how they could be in this maze. I have had this problem in the past so I took the van and rented a car the next day. On return I checked in the car and took the van to the hotel.