Courtyard by Marriott Thousand Oaks Agoura Hills

The restaurant was the best part of my stay. Both breakfast and dinner were fresh, flavorful, and well prepared, and the dining staff were attentive. Check-in was easy, and the staff I met were generally friendly and professional. My room was clean and comfortable, with a cozy bed, Wi-Fi, and a TV, though it felt basic. Some parts of the hotel looked dated, and the general atmosphere was just average. The pool and fitness center were usable but nothing special, and there weren’t many extra touches. It’s a decent choice for a short stay if you want a clean room and good food. I might stay again if the location suits me, but I wouldn’t make a special trip back.

The barking from the dog hotel next door started around 5 a.m. and wrecked our sleep from the beginning. Inside the room, the thermostat lights flashed every five minutes, with random red lights and a blinking smoke alarm. The alarm was set for 6 a.m. and kept going off for no reason, waking my toddler and pregnant wife over and over. We also had no help with our bags when we arrived, not even a greeting or a cart. The room was crammed with stuff we didn’t need, leaving hardly any space to move. Housekeeping never replaced the towels, so we reused damp or dirty ones for the whole stay. All of that made the place feel intolerable, with poor service, a cluttered room, malfunctioning safety equipment, and constant noise. I’d strongly suggest booking elsewhere. It didn’t meet basic hospitality or safety standards, and it wasn’t somewhere we could rest.

The layout is lovely, the beds are comfortable, and the courtyard with its pool and lounging area was a nice place for friends to hang out. But the dogs next door at the animal control pound, in outdoor kennels, howled from 5 a.m. every day. They woke us every single night, without exception. It’s not entirely the hotel’s fault, but knowing about it beforehand would have been nice, and it definitely affected our stay.

I’m usually someone who never leaves a bad review, but I won’t be coming back or recommending this hotel to my travel coworkers. I was staying for work and, as a new Gold member, was offered a 2 p.m. late checkout when I arrived. That mattered a lot because I was on standby call, so I happily accepted. The receptionist was kind and professional. Before 2 p.m. today, housekeeping knocked to clean. I said I had the late checkout and would be out shortly. About five minutes later, the front desk called in a rude, smug way. I confirmed I was gathering my things and would leave at 2. Then the TV in my room was shut off. I checked the clock, and it was 1:59. I was out of the room at 2:03 and in my car by 2:09. I know 2 p.m. is the cutoff, but being hassled before it arrived felt ridiculous. No grace and poor hospitality.