Stayed at this locale during my second trip to Detroit since moving away. I had read several reviews about this motel....and I have to admit I was a little concerned about booking the place. However upon arriving my fears were eased. The staff was pleasant....check in was a breeze....and while I expected this to be a average motel it was really quite nice. We had a mini fridge....microwave....the beds were really comfortable and due to the fact that it was a little chilly for April....the heat worked great. This was all a great relief to me because I was in town to see the Redwings for my B-Day and since my wife had paid a pretty penny for the tickets...I really needed an affordable and clean place to stay. My only complaint was the restroom.....it was small....and only had a shower....but I got over that because the bed was so comfortable....LOL. There are plenty of eating and shopping places located right across the highway from this location.....and there are many more within about 20 minutes or so. I really had a great time at the game.....and coming back here after a long day in the city almost....I did say ALMOST....made it feel like home.

Although the landscaping is very nice and the grounds are clean, the outside of this hotel looks a little dated. The dirty windows, fading and peeling paint give this hotel a budget roadside motel look. As we walked the corridors toward our room, I thought to myself "what did I get us into!" There were washing machines and dryers in the hallway facing our door. Once we got inside the room, though, it was like walking into a totally different hotel. The room was nicely furnished and updated with a comfy leather chair and nice comforters. The beds were very soft, too soft for me but the pillows were great. The large bathroom was completely granite with a garden tub and a great shower that I did not want to get out of. Everything looked clean and was in good working order. There is a modest continental breakfast in the lobby. The staff were very nice and polite. Some of the people that were staying (or living?) at the hotel looked a little "interesting" but there were no problems or loud noises. I gave this hotel a 4 because the room was so nice, but if there was a 3.5 that's what I would give it due to the outside condition of the hotel.

Marvin's Garden Inn won't be for everybody. It's a rather odd hotel, with very cheap signage (e.g., "Hi" and "Bye" signs decorated with castles in the parking lot), and a freakishly funny vending machine out of which one can buy condoms, cigarettes, shampoo, or cupcakes. The front desk clerk wore a diaphanous leopard skin blouse. The housekeepers are dark-eyed beauties with Eastern European accents and a cute, chubby girl child in tow, who wears plastic gloves and empties the garbage. There are no elevators to the second floor, where I stayed, but the rooms on the first floor are accessible from the outside.

The hallway on the second floor looks like 1970's chic, with glass and marble, but it appears to be new. My room had a new stand-in shower, granite counter tops, a stainless steel sink, a leather fainting couch, a small fridge, and a king size Tempur-Pedic bed. It was clean, comfortable, and quiet.

I likely would not have chosen this place as a drive-by traveler, but I booked it on the internet sight unseen. I'm glad I did, because the price was reasonable and I slept well. Still, I think others should know that this is not a "normal" type of hotel, but one that's kind of quirky and different.

You want to worry about sleeping with bugs in their newly decorated double queens. I checked in after a verly long drive from the St. Louis area. I explained to the clerk that I was going to be staying couple of nights there. I didn't have my wallet, because it was in the car, so I just payed cash for the first night and explained to her that I will take care of the balance before I leave. The clerk was fine with that. I was awaken to some woman banging on my door demanding that I either check out our pay now! This was about noon and I had only had about a 3 hour nap. I explained that I spoken with the clerk and she said that it was fine. The woman left my door and then called me on the phone demanding the same. I figured that if I wanted to get some sleep, just go ahead and pay. I started turning on the lights and opening the shade and noticed multiple bugs on the marble-like floor. They were still living because just about all of them were kicking their legs in the air. I have pictures. Anyway, I walked up to the front desk and payed for the current day, I asked for fresh towels, sheets, dusting, and to have an exterminator to come by and take care of the bugs. I realized that the bugs had been natives there because there's a spider web behind the front door that housed the same bugs. I was informed that house cleaning will sweep up the bugs and the manager wan't there. I didn't even get as much as an appology for having to sleep with the bugs the night before. I was also informed that I couldn't get my refund for the same day I just payed for with my credit card. This place is a modern "Do Drop Inn" The courtesy is non-existant once you've paid your money here. I had drunk people to wake me knocking on my door, as well as smelled illegal drugs in the area. Now I know why the last positive post about this place was almost a year ago!