Travelers beware; this is not what you may think it is!

I am a long time Marriott fan and have what they laughingly call Elite Status, so it was without much research that I booked a single night before a flight out of Franz Joseph International outside Munich last week. I booked directly on the Marriott Web site.

I had several problems with this hotel, but the primary one was that it is NOT at the airport. It is in fact some 7-8 KM distant in the town of Freising, which meant that the business I had planned to transact at the airport entailed going back to the airport.

Getting to and from the airport is also a problem. Nothing in the web site or the booking confirmation prepared me for the fact that there is no scheduled shuttle service between the hotel and the airport.

In snow and freezing rain, I waited at the unsheltered bus stop # 11 outside terminal 2, for more than an hour, being assured by several other bus drivers that the Marriott shuttle was due any minute, operated on a 20-minute schedule. Finally, I hauled all my luggage back in to the terminal, found a phone and called the hotel. After being on phone tree hold and dropping 60 cents (Euro) into the phone, I got someone who said that I had to order a shuttle and that it was not on a schedule. Within 20 minutes, a cab arrived and said they had been sent for me. There was no indication of a price.

At check in, there was a problem with the key making machine, so I got no key until later.

I was asked if I needed a wake-up call and told them 0630 which they confirmed. I also booked a shuttle to the terminal in the morning at 0830, which the receptionist also confirmed.

On my way to the room, the bellman first said, in excellent English, that the shuttle operated every 15 minutes. Then, under some close examination, he changed his story and said it had to be called.

Part of this problem is the assumption on the part of hotels that everyone has a cell phone and can easily call. But USA-based Sprint and AT&T cells do not operate in Europe, so mine were useless. The other missing link was that the web site and email confirmations I got said nothing about calling for a shuttle. They also do not show any fees for same.

I had just gotten undressed for a shower when there was a knock at the door and a rather cranky woman demanded to inspect the mini bar. I told her I was not getting dressed for her and to come back later. This resulted in a nasty little note under my door a few minutes later which essentially said that they needed to inspect the mini bar. This is an old issue, but most hotels have worked it out long ago, knowing that road warriors do not want to be bothered with this sort of nonsense once they have checked in, especially after international flights. There is no good reason why these things can't be checked before the room gets occupied and the people doing it are probably just too lazy to bother.

A little later, I got a phone call from the desk asking if everything was alright. I said a preemptory "yes" and went back to sleep.

Next morning, jet lagged anyway, I was up at 0600, but got no wake-up call.

At 0745 I called and asked what happened to the call and they said they had asked if everything was all right and I said call me at 0700. Someone got it wrong. Given the rest of the events, I doubt that it was me.

Check out was enlightening: An airport shuttle fee of about $34 US was added on to my bill as 11 Euro each way. At current exchange this is about $17 each way, which is a nuisance and is not shown anywhere in the confirmation or booking information.

Dinner in the bar restaurant was fine and service was okay. Two beers and a huge weinersnitzel with salad were 28 Euro.

A three minute local phone call was about $5.60US when converted from Euros.

Would I go back? Probably not. It's a nice property but in the middle of no where and if you want to carry out business in the Munich airport area, you are better off staying at the Kempinski which is, in fact, right next to terminal #2. As another review points out, if you have a car, it's probably fine.

I am pretty convinced that Marriott has a problem with how it trains its German help. I'd say the same for the Munich Marriott in Schwabing, where I have stayed several times over many years is also a weird, chilly place. Other hotels do not seem to have the issues that the Marriotts in Europe seem to have.

stayed in this hotel on friday night prior to flight back home, got a fantastic package of €55.00 per person B&B, the breakfast was fantastic, everything you could want. the bedroom was large and very comfortable, and the staff were most polite and helpful. We went down into Freising for a meal out and the staff in the marriott recommend a restaurant for us which we really did enjoy. Price of drink in the hotel is a bit on the high side, pint of lager €4.20 while down the village of freising it was €2.50.
Overall would highly recommend.

Stayed 3 nights at this hotel in December 2007 for a business conference.  Reception was pleasant and efficient upon both arrival and departure.  Room was a typically comfortable Marriott standard. All of the conference breakout rooms as well as the main area were of a very good standard. Food both in the restaurant ,and particularly for the business functions, was excellent in variety, quality, and presentation.

The hotel is situated in the town of Freising which is about 15 minutes from Munich Airpotr and about 40 minutes from Munich.

Very good experience. Would recommend.

Hotel had great beds, typical of Marriotts worldwide. Room service was pretty good; bathrooms were great. Shuttle service is subcontracted and was expensive Euro 10 per person, and was dirty and inefficient on the arrival, though departure was better.