TownePlace Suites by Marriott Windsor

The location was a little out of the way, though I have no complaints about the room, service, or value. What bothered me was getting just one complimentary bottle of water for a two-night stay. When I asked for another, I was told I’d have to buy one for $2.75, despite paying a hundred times that per night. The cost of the bottle itself wasn’t much, but the situation felt inconvenient and disappointing for the price. There were no refill stations on the guest floors, so I had to go down to the ground floor, and there was no way to fill a bottle in the room. It came across as if bottled water was being pushed. Maybe it seems minor, but it affects the stay. I usually have good experiences with Marriott, so this stood out. I’d expect easier access to drinking water from a brand known for thoughtful hospitality.

Breakfast was the bright spot: it was fresh, and the staff were wonderful, especially Henkha. The rest of our stay was awful. We arrived for check-in and asked for a high floor, but got the lowest one. The hotel had no heat, and they knew it but didn’t tell us. After we returned with our luggage past 10 pm, the room was freezing. The front desk said the heat was broken and maintenance had left at 6 pm, so nothing could be done. A supervisor at the Marriott 1-800 number confirmed it had been out for at least a day and wouldn’t be fixed. All they offered was extra blankets, then I managed to get the space heater they’d been using themselves. There was no apology or compensation at first. The second night, after I mentioned the problem, the front desk discounted the night. They said the heat was fixed, but it failed again in the middle of the night, and I went downstairs for the heater. When I returned it, they gave us 10k points. Parking was another problem. The hotel no longer has parking, only street parking that requires an app or a cash-only lot across the street. We drove around for 20 minutes before the front desk finally offered to exchange cash. Our whole family stayed next door at the Hilton property, and we chose this hotel because of good past stays. This one has me rethinking whether I’ll stay at a Marriott anywhere again.

The front desk ladies were helpful when the hotel lot filled up. They exchanged money and explained that street parking is free from 7 pm to 9 am. We opted for the public lot across the street, which was very close, though it only takes cash, no credit cards, and doesn’t allow in-and-out parking. The hotel is within walking distance of many restaurants and Cesar’s Casino Windsor. Inside, everything was spotless, the beds and linens were just right, and it was the quietest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. It checks all the boxes for me, and I’d highly recommend it for a trip to Windsor, whether for work or fun.

The rooms were okay, but there weren’t proper blackout window coverings, so the sun woke us early and made it hard for the kids to nap. When I brought this up with management, they treated me terribly and charged me a deep-cleaning fee that I believe was wrong. They still haven’t explained what needed deep cleaning.