Stay & Play
Oshawa, Ontario’s Courtyard by Marriott
and TownePlace Suites by Marriott
by Mike Cohen
The City of Oshawa is located in the Durham Region of Ontario and best known as the home of a major General Motors plant. It is less than a one hour drive from downtown Toronto and closer to some of its top attractions like the zoo.
The Marriott International property, opened just a few years ago, is a combined 115-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel and 98-suite TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel at 1011 Bloor Street East, owned and managed by Sunray Group of Hotels. The property shares a fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and meeting spaces with over 12,000 square feet of versatile event space. Sunray has some 50 hotels under its umbrella in Canada.
The dual-brand property I stayed at is situated just north of Highway 401 and is connected to the Oshawa Harmony Event Centre. It offers convenient access to the Oshawa Centre, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Tribute Communities Centre and the Canadian Automotive Museum.
I was elated with my accommodations, a full suite with all the comforts of home. Upon arrival, guests can store bags on the “Luggage Drop” and plug personal devices into the “Tech Drop” ledge for seamless technology integration.
The Courtyard also offers the Refreshing Business lobby environment, where guests can enjoy an open and bright area outside of their rooms. Along with media pods, complimentary Wi-Fi and a variety of seating zones, the redefined space is ideal for everything from pop-up meetings to social gatherings. The lobby also features the newly designed Bistro, the epicenter of the lobby, which fosters social connections and collaboration with more flexible and informal seating options
This hotel is ideal for travelers who need accommodations for longer stays, offering studio and one-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens that have stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, and separate living/working and sleeping areas in some suites.
On both mornings I took advantage of the excellent buffet breakfast, from waffles, eggs and bacon to bagels, toast, muffins, Danish, juices and of course coffee.
