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.

I decided on a last minute trip to Hartford for the weekend and called around to a few hotels and all were booked. I was a bit nervous about calling the Goodwin due to the reviews i read but my list of hotels was dwindling so i made the call. I was pleasantly surprised on how polite the staff was. I was able to get a bi-level suite for only a few bucks more than what other hotels in that area were offering for a regular room. The hotel was easy to find and parking was a breeze due to the valet parking. Check-in took no more than a minute and i was off to my room. i was still a bit weary on what the room would look like, most of the reviews on here stated the rooms were dated, but they were wrong. Well, maybe they didn't get the room i had because this room was not dated. the furniture looked new and the room was extremely clean. The suite layout, first floor the living area and bathroom second floor bedroom and bathroom. On my next trip to Hartford i'll be staying at the Goodwin.

...(it didn't help that I was still trudging around the streets of midtown Hartford close to 1 a.m. due to a flight that arrived at 11:50 p.m. from L.A. and Chicago Midway—we had delays at LAX), this place was actually a little slice of heaven and immaculate—especially for the $99 rate my group obtained! Having just dealt with 27 degrees F outside, I felt the facility's central heating was just right (not too hot, not too cold...and I generally experience the former). I'm sure another part of the temperature modulation comes from The Goodwin's lathe and plaster walls (a DISTINCT advantage of an older building), which also provides stellar soundproofing. Front desk staff was quite helpful, genuinely happy to see those of us who finally checked in during the wee hours! Throughout my two-day stay, drivers got my rental SUV in and out of valet parking in no time. I'm hoping that The Goodwin's $12 million renovation is just one part of a larger revitalization effort downtown Hartford desperately needs!

My husband had stayed at the Goodwin a year or two ago on business and enjoyed the accommodations and service. So when we needed a place to stay after an area concert, we booked a room there. From the moment we gave our car to the valet to the moment we retrieved it, the service was SUPERB. Every person we interacted with was professional, polite and extremely helpful and knowledgeable. While the room was a good size and the bathroom large, the decor and carpeting could use some updating. Still, for the amount we paid, we thought the hotel a good value. Also, the buffet breakfast at Pierpont's was excellent and the service also above average. We will definitely stay at the Goodwin again and highly recommend it.