Fairfield by Marriott Indore

On my three-night business trip, the rooms were spacious, clean, and everything worked. They felt a little less luxurious than Mariott, though it wasn’t very noticeable. I’m a Mariott loyalist and like everything associated with Mariott, but don’t know the budget Fairfield Mariott chain very well. Breakfast was good, with a live counter serving nice dosas and omelette. The egg white masala is highly recommended. Room service was great and prompt. My only negative was checking in at 8.30 AM after paying for the room from 3 PM the previous day. The front desk lady gave me a hard time and said the room would only be available from the usual 3 PM check-in time. Very unlike Mariott, so I’m taking off a star. P.S. The picture was taken while checking out, pardon the mess.

The buffet at Kaya on their 2nd Floor was well below average, with the same dishes every day and food that was tasteless and lacking. At breakfast I ordered call coffee at the buffet, and the ice and milk packets were kept in the same ice compartment. Eww. The stay was average, a blot on the name of marriott. Half of the room’s buttons didn’t work, and the shower in the washroom was substandard.

The restaurant staff were well mannered and checked in with everyone at breakfast, but the front desk only nodded politely and said ‘sorry’ about breakfast and other complaints. They didn’t do anything after I reported the smell in the room, and only replaced the towels. We’d booked Fairfield by Marriott because I use Marriott Bonvoy for business and personal trips around the world. This was my worst experience, and I won’t return. Thankfully, we stayed only one night. The bathroom smelled of urine, and housekeeping didn’t respond when we called. The upholstery, bedding, and bath linen were worn out and need replacing right away. The bed linen was rough and the covers had bubbles. The white bath towel was brownish and unclean. There were no hand towels or extra towels for two people, so we had to ask before they brought more. The wash basin clogged every time we washed our hands or brushed. Breakfast was horrible. Indore is famous for its food and hospitality, but the Marriott chef’s Indian cooking skills weren’t good enough. They shouldn’t try replicating continental breakfast, as it isn’t their forte and was a flop. The dishes and cutlery were stained and didn’t look clean.

The restaurant staff gave excellent service and made up for a lot of shortcomings in management and facilities. The towels looked unclean even when fresh, and were usually damp and tinted instead of white. At breakfast, seeing cups and mugs hand-washed and towel-dried at the bar was appalling. Doesn’t Marriott have dishwashers or a proper washing station? We waited a ridiculous hour for our second room because the room had a late checkout. We got it at 4 pm. Why should that be my problem? Also, the handicrafts store in the lobby doesn’t issue invoices for purchases. Why not? This stay seriously dented our confidence in the Marriott brand. There are better-run local hotels.