Fairfield Inn & Suites Abilene

It was clean, the staff were very friendly, and breakfast was very good. The rooms could use an update. I checked in late and was assigned an accessible room. For a hotel of this size in a town like this, the price surprised me: over $200 with tax.

Crystal and Natasha really helped turn my stay around. After some investigating, Crystal figured out that my CashApp card had split the payment, which made it look like I needed to leave early. Natasha had told me I might have to check out two or three days ahead of time, and I was confused because my payment still showed as pending. This happened about halfway through the week, after I'd had trouble using one of my other cards when I arrived and switched to CashApp. Both of them genuinely tried to sort it out, and they were sweet, professional, and cared about my situation. Once it was resolved, the rest of my stay was perfect. I really appreciate their help.

Emily at the front desk was kind, patient, and professional. She was the only good part of my stay, and seemed to have very little support from the system around her. I chose this property specifically for its indoor pool, only to learn on arrival that it was closed indefinitely because the ceiling might cave in. That wasn't mentioned in the listing, and the pool was the whole reason I booked. The elevator also took its time, opening and closing four times before it would go to the floor I selected. The bed squeaked whenever I moved, the air conditioner eventually ran but never cooled the room properly, and the television looked older than flat screens. The outlets built into the lamp didn't work, so I had to unplug the clock from the wall to charge my phone. Both the washcloths and towels had holes. There was no phone in the room, and messages through the app went unanswered. When I eventually found a number and called, I was told nothing could be done until morning. Housekeeping also knocked loudly on doors nearly three hours before checkout. This felt more like a motel than a Marriott-branded hotel. With the pool closed without notice, the elevator trouble, dead outlets, worn linens, missing basics, and no overnight support, the stay fell far below Marriott standards. The property is an embarrassment to the brand, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an actual hotel experience.

The staff were friendly, and the room was comfortable and clean, though outdated. Noise was a problem: other guests were loud, and I could hear traffic from the nearby highway. The Wi-Fi didn't work at all, which made it hard to finish my work that evening.