Our one-night stay here enhanced by friendly hostess Monica for the "MixIn"--her welcoming smile brought us in to share a few minutes and a glass of wine with one of the longer-stay residents who turned out to be fascinating. This apparent feature of Residence Inns was offered 6:30 to 7:30 pm--we didn't try the appetizers. Monica was back for the breakfast hour with good cheer and surprisingly good coffee: in the elevator going down to breakfast we met someone carrying his own coffeemaker and we had added a coffeemaker to our van for this cross-country trip because coffee in most hotels and gas stations is notoriously weak, but this Marriott's simple regular coffee was full-bodied and more than acceptable. Our Queen suite had a full refrigerator/sink/cooktop and a good door between the bedroom & living room, windows that opened. Our pets (two cats) were welcome, although for a fee--they have been cross-country several times and are good travelers. To make sure that our pets--and yours?--are always welcome, we carry a portable vacuum. Dinner choice was Dave's Famous BBQ, where we both chose the chopped salad with slices of BBQ beef after having tried this in another city. Rachel was our server--another cheerful Saginaw representative.

I've stayed here for both a few days and a few weeks for business trips. While the kitchens need an upgrade, the rooms are a good size, the bed is comfortable, the shower is excellent, and the staff is friendly. There are a lot of things offered for breakfast, but most of the food is merely OK. The eggs cannot stay hot in the container they are held in, the fruit is often unripe, but you can always do toast or a bagel and cream cheese. It would also be nice not to have the TV on in the breakfast room. The social gatherings in the evening are very nice, and the food at these events is good. Everyone on the staff is pleasant and helpful. If you are there for an extended stay, the washers and dryers are clean and not too expensive. The exercise room is small but adequate.The hotel is also pet friendly. It is definitely my go-to hotel in Saginaw.