The Goodwin Hotel - Hartford, USA     

I had the pleasure of staying at The Goodwin for several days while I was in town for an annual business meeting. I was part of a large conference and I was impressed with how this boutique hotel was able to maintain its charm and personality while catering to such a large group. This hotel impressed me from the moment I approached the door. The building itself is exquisite and easy to locate right on the corner across from the Hartford 21 Garage. The doorman/doorwoman who attended to the door always greeted you with a smile and was helpful in recommending a quick place to grab a drink. It really made you feel warm and welcome. The moment you walk into the lobby, you are immediately acknowledged and offered assistance. The check in process was quick and painless - it took less than 2 minutes in its entirety. When I entered my room, I was pleasantly surprised by the rooms size. I have stayed at other hotels that have been listed on the national registry of historic places and they often offer small rooms, no storage and closet-like bathrooms. This room was exactly the opposite. I had a generous foyer, spacious tile and marble bathroom with extra deep soaking tub. There was plenty of room for me to spread out all of my personal effects. The bath featured an extra deep soaking tub and had fantastic water pressure. They offered Rusk products - I love their calm line for that reason - it makes you want to take longer showers. There was a beautiful gift box waiting for me in the room upon arrival. The furniture, carpeting, wall coverings and bedding all looked newer. I am extremely discerning when it comes to the bedding in the hotels I stay in. I want it to be as good or better than what I have at home. The King size mattress and pillows were so comfortable - it rivals The Westin Heavenly Beds and Marriott's new upgraded mattresses. I'm not sure if the renovations are complete, but it would be great to see crisp duvets as opposed to the floral bedspreads and a better thread count sheet. The rooms were clean and made up immaculately. One of my favorite aspects of my stay was the turndown service in the evenings. You come back to your room and there is music playing softly in the background. Your bathrobe is laid out on your bed, which has been turned down. They place a beautiful, restfull poem on top of your robe with a flower and candies. On the other side of the room, there was fresh ice in the bucket and a bottle or champagne or sparkling water. Each night it was a new combination. I felt very well taken care of. Every night they offer champagne in the lobby - it was a very lavish touch before heading out for dinner. Our company hosted a banquet in The Atrium and it was out of this world. The food was exquisite and the setting was dramatic. The upstairs conference rooms and breakfast/lunch service were also wonderful. Overall, I would recommend you stay at The Goodwin on your next trip to Hartford. You can pay more to stay at the Marriott, Hilton or Crown Plaza, but you will not get the tremendous value. The people, amazing service and personalized touches and amenities make this a fantastic property.

It was OK - I was expecting a little better. The room was average, the TV was next to the bed instead of in front of it which was a little annoying, and the room was a LOT smaller than I'd expected for this caliber of hotel. The bathroom, on the other hand, was HUGE, and they use RUSK products which is nice. Not enough pillows - they only leave you 2, but other than that the bed was comfortable enough, although it was a queen and not a king, which I vastly prefer. The neighborhood was great, within walking distance to lots of stuff. The service was fine, no complaints. Overall it was so-so, nothing spectacular, which I was kind of surprised at, I guess I was expecting more.