Courtyard Port of Spain

I came as part of a 10-day trip to T-n-T. I stay at Marriott hotels frequently, so I knew what to expect. The amenitites are the same in all Courtyards, so there were no surprises. The location is terrible. Once you walk out the door there is construction and a raggedy "mall" next door whose only saving grace is they have American chain resturants. They have a breakfast buffet at the hotel but it is very expensive ($22 USD) for what they offer. The complimentary breakfast leaves a lot to be desired, but it's free--very few fruits and stale pastries. Other than the breakfast there is nothing complimentary, not airport transportation or to downtown. Most of the Courtyard's I've been to internationally, offer that as an amenity. However at $10 USD, the taxis from the hotel than those on the local economy which will charge you whatever they want if they realize you are a foreigner. The staff is pleasant, very polite, but not really helpful about going into town especially after 4pm. The taxi drivers are stunned when you ask them to go to the beach or outside of town for the evening, they really try to discourage you from doing anything they find inconvenient. I actually decided to stay in a small B&B in the Newton area, since it is closer to the beach and walking distance from Queen's Park. The expense of the room, taxis, and food are not worth staying at the Courtyard Marriott unless you know your way around or rent a car.