Leaving Boise, Idaho, we continued our epic “National-Park-during-the-pandemic” road trip on our way to Glacier National Park.
I wasn’t sure which route was going to be the most scenic from Boise to Missoula, Montana (the highway 55/95 combo to the West, or the 93 to the East). But after reading a few reviews, I decided on the 55/95 combo that would take us through Grangeville and the Idaho/Montana Border at Lolo Pass.
Though nearly the entire drive was beautifully scenic, the section from Kooskia to Lolo was just magical in the afternoon sunlight (even though we literally came about 3 feet from colliding with a moose on the freeway, but that’s a story for another time).
Review: Courtyard Missoula
Full Disclosure: We visited this hotel during the pandemic (when resort services were limited).Â
Booking And Marriott Bonvoy Redemption
On the night of our stay, a “Guest Room, 2 Queen” went for $139.
The Courtyard Missoula was also a Marriott Bonvoy Category 4 hotel, but it was going for the peak redemption rate 30,000 points a night.
This meant a Bonvoy redemption would have been worth only a measly .046 CPP.
Because of that, and a Marriott Amex Offer I had, I opted to pay for the room with cash.
Arrival And Lobby
By the time we pulled in to Missoula, it was dark and we were tired after the 9.5 hour drive.
The Courtyard Missoula was a sight for sore eyes indeed.
The Courtyard Missoula was strangely positioned “behind” a couple other name brand hotels on N. Reserve Street, making it hard for our GPS to navigate to and even harder for us to find with our own eyes.
Eventually, I saw the illuminated Courtyard by Marriott sign on a building behind the other hotels, and eventually we figured out how to get to it (through the Quality Inn parking lot).
By the time we arrived, the Courtyard parking lot was 100% full, although it was hard to tell where the Courtyard parking ended and the Quality Inn parking lot began. As such, I just parked at the Quality Inn.
Image: marriott.com
Image: marriott.com
The Front Desk And Check-In
The place was packed when we arrived, but the hotel was properly masked-up, plexi-glassed, and socially distanced.
We were quickly checked-in, however I was not recognized for my loyalty nor was I given a room upgrade.
Image: marriott.com
The Room
The Bedroom Area
The room was in the style of “standard Marriott Courtyard”.
It appeared a little dark, perhaps a little dated, for sure heavily lived-in, but it was also clean and comfortable and that’s all we really needed on our quick “drive-thru stay”.
Flower display
The Bathroom
The bathroom was “standard”.
I did find it a little strange that all of our toiletries (and coffee items) were bundled into a plastic bag and left for us to discover in the bathroom.
I’m all for being safe during the pandemic, but this was a “first” (and “only”) out of the 20+ hotels I stayed at throughout the year.
Better “safe than sorry” I guess.
The socially-distanced toiletries (and coffee?)
Bathroom artwork
The Business Center
The Courtyard Missoula did have a notably large business center and lounge area.
Breakfast At The Bistro
The next morning, we were in a hurry to hit the road to get an early start at the nearby National Bison Range, so we opted for breakfast at the Bistro.
Again, the place was popular. There seemed to be only one person working, and to her credit she was doing the very best she could.
We ended up waiting longer than we would have liked, but the breakfast ended up being better than we had expected (although breakfast and coffee ended up costing us close to $30 with tip).
The Convenience Store
Image: marriott.com
The Fire Pit
Image: marriott.com
The Swimming Pool
Image: marriott.com
The Fitness Center
Image: marriott.com
The Bottom-Line Review: Courtyard Missoula
The bottom-line was the Courtyard Missoula was a “standard” hotel, and I don’t mean that in a bad way.
The Courtyard’s general location in Missoula was excellent, but its exact location off the main street and behind the other hotels was a bit strange.
It was popular, which was great for the hotel, but maybe not so much for guests (it was crowded, parking was hard to find, the public areas were heavily trafficked and smudgy, and the indoor swimming pool was full of people).
Also due to its popularity, I wouldn’t expect an upgrade, but I’m also not sure how great an upgrade would be.
However, when you book a Courtyard Marriott you are asking for a solid, reliable, standardized product, and you get that at the Courtyard Missoula.
Final Rating: 7 out of 10.
