A Weekend in Cleveland

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the hotel and very happy with the value we received.

We stayed on the $119 Rock and Roll Package, which included room, breakfast for two, and two tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I used my Marriott Elite Exclusive Offers "buy one, get one free" coupon for the second night, so this worked out to be an excellent deal.

We received a larger than average outside room with a westward view that included Lake Erie in the distance. The room was nice and seemed to have been partially renovated within the past few years (with new carpet, bathroom, comforter, and wallpaper), but it was nothing spectacular. There was no high-speed Internet access.

We used another Elite Exclusive Offers coupon to receive a free entrée in the Sans Souci restaurant, which is reportedly one of the finest restaurants in Cleveland. My opinion: sure, it was one of the better meals that I’ve had in a Marriott family hotel, but it really didn’t knock my socks off. I wouldn’t eat there again. (Additional details are available in the Sans Souci restaurant review.)

On Sunday morning, we headed down to The Brasserie to take advantage of our free breakfast. The small buffet spread was perfectly adequate, but probably a hair below the usual Marriott standard. And, in my opinion, the facility itself is a pretty sorry excuse for a Renaissance Hotel restaurant – with the stained drop ceilings, basement location, and loud atmosphere, it felt more like "Quality Inn coffee shop" than "Renaissance Brasserie." That said, breakfast was included in the rate and was perfectly decent, so I wasn’t about to complain.

On Sunday evening, we headed up to the nicely appointed two-level Concierge Lounge a little too late and missed the appetizer spread, but sat down for a dessert snack. Nothing spectacular – just a few mini-dessert/cookie items.

This morning, we ordered breakfast through room service rather than venture to the basement brasserie. The food arrived in a timely fashion, and tasted fine. . . I don’t really expect anything earth shattering when I eat at a Marriott family hotel.

When we left (and on other occasions when we accessed our car), the valet staff were very helpful, polite, and professional. If you stay at this hotel, you should be aware that self-parking is available as well (even though I was advised otherwise.)

The Sans Souci restaurant is reportedly one of the finest restaurants in Cleveland. My opinion: sure, it was one of the better meals that I’ve had in a Marriott family hotel, and the service was very good, but it really didn’t knock my socks off. I wouldn’t eat there again. Here’s a little adventure into our orders:

COCKTAILS
--Partner: Sidecar – nicely mixed
--Me: Citron Soda – fine, but no lemon (kind of odd)

APPETIZERS
--Partner: Lobster Gouda thing wrapped in phyllo dough – he liked it, but said “they could have put turkey in it and it would have tasted the same.”
--Me: Wood-fired mussels – nice flavor, but overdone.

MAIN DISHES
--Partner: Filet Mignon - He enjoyed it. Prepared properly.
--Me: Bouillabaisse - Bounty of seafood included, but no real “wow” factor.

DESSERTS
--Partner: Feta Cheesecake – intriguing idea, horrible taste.
--Me: Vanilla-bean custard with some port-based sauce – decent, but sauce was way too sweet.

COFFEE/TEA
--Partner - Mint tea, the usual Bigelow stuff
--Me: Coffee – aged, but not to perfection.

Total, reflecting tax, tip, and free entrée: $110.

After getting lost on the East Side of Cleveland for half an hour, we were in "let’s eat anywhere" mode. A place like Guarino’s wouldn’t normally be on my radar since it has a certain "we advertise in WHERE Cleveland" sort of feel, but my partner’s growling stomach overruled our usual selection criteria.

The Victorian atmosphere was quaint, and the food was certainly above average, but I found it a bit expensive for lunch (in Cleveland, no less). $13 for lunch lasagna seems a little out of whack to me.

This “Spanish” restaurant in the Warehouse District gets a ton of recognition from the local media, but I really can’t endorse it. I don’t know if they have had to “Clevelandize” their offering to appeal to locals (no offense), but the food tasted more Slavic than Spanish, and many of the items on the menu did not seem remotely Spanish. The chorizo a la plancha (grilled sausage) was strikingly kielbasa-like, and the chuletas de cerdo en salsa de ajo (pork chops in garlic sauce) tasted like a poor rendition of something my Czech grandmother used to make. I never recall gravy being an integral part of Spanish cooking, and didn’t know that “Spanish potatoes” were the equivalent of kettle-style potato chips. On top of it all, this non-Spanish Spanish food wasn’t even well prepared – my partner’s duck was ordered medium/medium rare and delivered well done, and my pork chops were very overcooked.

I had high expectations for the restaurant, and was seriously disappointed. The staff were very professional and polite, but the food was lousy. I can say with confidence that this was the worst Spanish meal I have eaten in the United States.

I usually give a place a second or third chance if I think it was a bad night, but I feel confident that the restaurant’s food doesn’t cut the mostaza on other nights as well.