Pittsburgh (October 2019)



My spouse and I visited Pittsburgh for the weekend in late October 2019 to attend the Pitt-University of Miami football game (Pitt lost 12-16). We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott North Shore, giving us another opportunity to try out a North Shore hotel. On Friday night, we ate a dinner of Hungarian comfort food at Huszar, whereas on Saturday evening after the game, we tried Cioppino for some seafood. On the way to the game, we ate some burgers and milkshakes at Burgatory. And on Sunday on our way out of town, we stopped for an early lunch in Lawrenceville at SMOKE Barbecue Taqueria (which we had originally visited for drinks in early September). It was another great weekend in the ‘burgh!

Hotel:
Restaurants:




Pittsburgh: Residence Inn by Marriott North Shore (October 2019)



My spouse and I stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott North Shore for two nights on a weekend in late October 2019. We booked our stay on the Marriott Bonvoy website using a AAA rate. (We have Platinum Elite status.)

As its name suggests, the Residence Inn opened on Pittsburgh’s North Shore in 2010, providing easy access of the Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park (the Honus Wagner statue and the Peoples Home Plate Gate are right across the street) as well as the Steelers Heinz Field, Stage AE (American Eagle), Rivers Casino, and Carnegie Science Center. The Children’s Museum, National Aviary, and Andy Warhol Museum are within walking distance. Guests can also walk to downtown sights like the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Market Square, Penguins PPG Paints Arena, and the Strip District, although those are a bit farther. A subway station for the “T” is nearby so that guests can travel further afield. Many restaurants are in the adjacent area, including Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, Southern Tier Brewery, Burgatory, The Foundry, Jerome Bettis Grill (see our reviews on all of the previously mentioned restaurants), Burn by Rocky Patel, Bar Louie, Little Red Corvette, the Clark Bar, Local Brewery, SoHo, and others. In addition, the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service within 3 miles of the hotel. (It runs on the half-hour, and guests are requested to make a reservation; we used the shuttle three times, and although it was easy to get a spot, our driver did not inspire confidence, and we eventually preferred to pay to use Uber.) 

The hotel offers accommodations spread over 10 floor; there are 180 suites in studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Each suite offers a full kitchen with full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, two-burner stove (but no oven), microwave, coffee maker, toaster, pots, pans, dishes, glasses, silverware, and serveware. Living areas include a desk, table and chairs, sectional sofa (with sofa bed), and TV. One-bedroom units include a second TV, dresser, bed, and two nightstands. The bathroom contains a room with the combination bathtub/shower and toilet; the sink and vanity are in the hallway or part of the main room. Check-out time is 11:00 am, whereas check-in is 4:00 pm. Internet access is provided free of charge. 

Public areas include two areas of outdoor space (one of which is fenced in and even has a high-top fire pit-type table). A business center with two computers and a printer is available, as is a great room with a two-sided fireplace where guests gather or eat the complimentary breakfast (available from 6:30 am until 10:30 am). An indoor pool and fitness center (three treadmills, two recumbent bikes, and two stair climbers) are available. One surface parking space is allotted per room at a cost of $27 per night, which is added to your hotel folio. 

We enjoyed our stay at the Residence Inn North Shore; we appreciated that the location was within easy walking distance of the football game that we attended at Heinz Field.