TownePlace Suites by Marriott Thunder Bay

The pool area was very dirty, and the halls weren’t clean either. There was poop in the elevators and on the rugs. Our first room had hair in the beds, tub, and sink, plus a dirty toilet. I brought it up at the desk and got moved, but though the beds in the new room were clean, the rest was still very dirty. When I returned to complain, I was told there was nothing they could do because it was their last room. I’ve attached pictures of both rooms. We’d never stayed there before and chose it for March break after visiting many other hotels over the years. We were extremely disappointed. At check-in, they also told us they didn’t accept third-party reservations because we live in Thunder Bay and had booked through expedia. The manager said to cancel and that they would rebook us through the hotel. We had already paid, and he said the money would come back in 7-10 business days. I couldn’t afford to pay another $600, so he then said there was nothing they could do. A family member staying in a different room let us use his credit card so we wouldn’t have two very sad children. It was March break, and no other hotels with open rooms had a pool.

We booked the jacuzzi suite two weeks ahead, but didn’t get to enjoy it. When we arrived at 2:30, they said the room wasn’t ready but was “guaranteed by 4”. At 4, we waited another half hour for a key because of a maintenance issue. Then they told us not to use the jacuzzi tub since a crack had just been repaired and needed to set. After waiting more than four hours to use it, we got a call to shut off the water because it was leaking into the room below. The room wasn’t cheap. I won’t stay there again.

The breakfast was very good, with a nice variety that met all our needs. The staff were wonderful and did everything they could within their control to help us. I blame hotel management and Marriott corporate management for the failures that left a negative impression of both the hotel and Marriott brand. We stayed five nights and had to buy our own hand soap because the bathroom had none. The front desk said it was on backorder and they didn’t know when it would arrive. In 50 years of travelling, I’ve never encountered that at a hotel, not even at the cheapest places. It’s hard to believe a company as large as Marriott couldn’t get soap to this hotel. There were also no hangers, so we had to ask for some, and we had to request a kettle for the kitchen. Connecting my firetv stick to the TV required a call to their tech support vendor. None of these was a major issue on its own, but together they lowered the rating.

We had a fantastic stay in the suites. It was nice and clean, and the staff were amazing. Our room was spacious, with a super comfortable bed and all the amenities we needed. Being able to cook and relax in the room was especially appreciated. I’d definitely come back.