BLU-Tique, Akron, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

"When we arrived at Blu it was pouring rain. There’s no coverage at the entrance of the hotel to protect you from the elements. For this reason and the parking I didn’t give the hotel five stars. You have to drive around the corner to the back of the hotel to access the garage. Once inside the garage you have to follow the hotel signs all the way down to the very LAST level and walk through the uncovered courtyard to access the building. This sucks when the weather is bad. Parking fees are interesting. There is not an in and out options that makes sense. You can pay $7 for a voucher every time you leave or you can pay $7 at the gate every time you leave. It’s a distinction without a difference and the older gentleman at the gate collecting the money gives the impression that greetings and smiling isn’t a part of his job description. Bless his heart;-) But, I love the hotel itself. Blu, converted from a bank to a hotel has a metropolis feel to it. The hotel has a charming retro chic style, and I love it. Walking down the hall you feel the presence of the past. I kept imagining Clark Clint and Lois Lane working in a building like this sporting vintage fedoras. Our room was small, but adequate, and the attentiveness and quick response of the staff is noticeable. Our safe wasn’t working in our room and before I could hang up the phone maintenance was knocking at the door to fix it. We didn’t have a do not disturb sign for our door. I ask a housekeeper for one and she eagerly provided one and a few bottles of water(free). It was refreshing to communicate with a staff that was pleasant, kind, and understood my needs. Another little gem about Blu is downtown Akron is in a revitalization process. There are limited stores and restaurants nearby but the onsite restaurants serves some surprisingly good food. The crab appetizer, duck egg rolls, flatbread, and desserts were decent."

"I’ve stayed at this hotel twice now with my wife. The rooms are immaculate and the staff is accommodating. The lobby is an old style federal bank kind of converted into a hotel kind of into a blues hotel with a piano bar. REALLY COOL!"

"The hotel is cool. The staff was nice enough. The windows are paper thin. You can hear every car drive down the street.. Any car with bad exhaust will rattle your brain. Don't plan on sleeping if you are a light sleeper. We left at ten pm and went home. What a waste of $200"

"As someone who rarely has time for reviews, I would be remiss if I failed to write one for this amazing restaurant and hotel. From the second I stepped into the restaurant, Bryan greeted me with a courteous air of warmth and professionalism that most in the service industry could learn from. After couple of great recommendations as per drinks and dinner ( don't go farther than medium rare for the medallions) , Bryan treated me to top-notch service, bringing out a meal - no, a dining experience, that I would have to rate in the top 3 of all time! Some great tasting local coffee to go with obscenely rich peanut butter brownies, with the absolutely perfect touch of raspberry on the plate, and I was in culinary heaven! Rhiannon at the front desk was warm and welcoming, even going so far as to offer a lighter when I had forgotten mine. If you ever have a chance to dine or stay here, by all means do it, you won't be disappointed!"

"My wife and I have had cocktails in the lounge before, but it took us until recently to realize this was a Marriott property! We had an impromptu overnight stay, just for fun, and this hotel is gorgeous! The lobby and the lounge are so beautiful and comfortable! I can't believe we didn't get any pictures of the room! Big windows and high ceilings, the entire building is gorgeous. Great mid century vibe throughout!! We decided to have ourselves a cocktail for Breakfast, and Brian came through in the clutch!! He was very personable and took great care of us!! There was also a woman working the breakfast that popped over and chatted, I feel terrible for forgetting her name. It's her birthday tomorrow! Go buy her a drink! Ha!"