The Griffin Gate Marriott offers a full service hotel within a stone throw of Lexington Horse Park, Downtown Lexington, the University of Kentucky, and Keneeland Horse Track, making it a great jumping point for exploring thoroughbred & bourbon country. The large 7-story hotel offers all amenities one comes to expect from a Marriott including a full service bar, restaurant, spa, pools, gym, valet, large ball rooms and more.
Rooms
I had the pleasure of spending a month at this hotel and must say it was a very comfortable place to call home. The rooms are decently sized, quaint, but sufficient and look like the very standard 1990s décor. Marriott is furnished with the standard TV stand with pull out coffee maker, desk, and large blue chair. The one part of the room that truly stuck out to me though was the bed. It was the first time I had stayed at a Marriott hotel with the newer memory foam beds. When I first sat on the bed, I thought to myself, it’s going to be a long month sleeping on plywood, but then I suddenly started to sink and the bed conformed to my body’s contour. I was instantly in heaven, realizing that like my bed at home, this was a memory foam bed! Honestly, I had the best night sleep ever night than I’ve ever had in ANY hotel bed!
The bathrooms in the rooms are small, but are good enough for one person, offering the typical shower/bath combo, a single sink, and toilet.
Stay tuned for the presidential suite photo tour!
Concierge Lounge:
The hotel has a concierge lounge located on the first floor and offers complimentary breakfast, a light dinner, and coffee and dessert each day. Unlike most Marriott’s though, there is no complimentary bar or happy hour and drinks are charged per drink using an hour system. The lounge is large and is open air, with only partial walls closing it off from general use area.
Pools
There are two pools and Jacuzzis with one in a solarium and another outside. The outside pool offers a walk up bar, but the entire time I as there in August, I never once saw it open. There is plenty of space to lay out in the sun and relax in a lounge chair and there is even an outside gas firepit!
Gym & Spa
The hotel has a small gym that is open 24 hours a day. It offers a number of cardio machines, some free weights, and a couple of weight lifting machines. The spa is located across from the gym and offers a number of services. Yet the best part of the spa is the sauna that is free to use for all guests!
Overall this hotel is a great place to stay for anyone traveling to Lexington for pleasure or business. It’s a pity the concierge lounge does not offer complimentary drinks, but otherwise the hotel is an all-around decent place with amazingly friendly and extremely helpful staff.
Scott Mackenzie created Travel Codex to share his tricks for better travel.
