Hotel Albany

I stayed at the Renaissance Albany Hotel on May 23, 2026, while traveling from Virginia to Boston during terrible weather. After driving nearly 10 hours in pouring rain, I decided to stop for the night. The hotel’s website advertised a historic boutique-style experience, which is what convinced me to book here. The hotel itself had some positives. The rooms and common areas appeared updated and modernized, and the location was convenient. However, the overall guest experience fell far below what I would expect from a Marriott Bonvoy property, especially over Memorial Day weekend. At check-in around 7:45 PM, the front desk employee was not welcoming at all. She appeared irritated and exhausted. I asked whether a military discount could be applied since my son had booked the room online while I was driving. Her response was blunt: “You should have added that when you booked online. I cannot change anything now.” No empathy, no attempt to assist, and no hospitality whatsoever. The room itself was decent but lacked attention to detail. The towels were extremely scratchy, there was no blow dryer in the room, there was no complimentary water, and parking cost an additional $22 per night. After checking in, my son and I rushed downstairs to eat before the restaurant closed at 9 PM. We stood at the hostess stand while one employee acknowledged us, said she would “be right with you,” then disappeared down the hallway and never returned for quite some time. Thankfully, another waitress stepped in and took care of us. She appeared to be running the entire restaurant by herself, yet she remained friendly, professional, and upbeat the entire time. She truly carried the dining experience on her back and deserves recognition for her work ethic and attitude. Unfortunately, the night became much worse when a fire alarm went off at 3 AM. Guests evacuated outside in pajamas, with many of us assuming there was a real emergency. We stood outside for about 30 minutes, only to later learn someone had been vaping. After a long day of driving, this was incredibly frustrating and exhausting. The one bright spot during our stay was breakfast service the next morning. Our waitress was wonderful — warm, personable, and genuinely hospitable. She mentioned previously working at a country club, and it showed. She treated guests with kindness and professionalism and honestly provided the best hospitality experience we had during the entire stay. At checkout, I politely asked whether any accommodation or discount could be offered due to the overnight disruption. The staff member assisting said they would need to ask a manager, who was not there. Unsurprisingly, nothing was offered. Overall, while the hotel has updated spaces and some excellent individual employees, the general atmosphere felt cold and unwelcoming. Hospitality should make guests feel cared for, especially travelers arriving exhausted after a difficult journey. Unfortunately, that was not the experience here.

I stayed at the Albany Renaissance while attending a convention held at both the Albany Convention Center (ACC) and Empire State Plaza (ESP). First of all, my experience with the front desk staff was absolutely excellent. I’d like to call out the young man with glasses who was there on at about 7:15 am on Saturday, May 2nd, who saved me from a first timer’s serious miscalculation about the convention centers! He could not have been kinder or more professional. Also, the help I received in navigating the room service (excellent food from the onsite restaurant) and leaving the attached parking (super convenient and quite secure) was also courteous and efficient. The room was spacious, clean, and well kept. The walkway to the ACC (5-10 minutes) was extremely convenient, and one can access the ESP (20-25 minutes) as well. It needs a bench or something in each section; people with mobility issues were struggling, and the front steps definitely need a railing. However, these are very easy fixes which I hope the hotel will implement, and overall I would certainly stay here again.

This place can not be topped if downtown for something. Second stay here and already looking forward to next year (here for a festival). Staff is perfect and rooms are quality!> Thanks for a great stay!