Residence Inn by Marriott Albany East Greenbush/Tech Valley

We had a confirmed reservation using a Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Award, traveled as planned, and arrived expecting the room we’d been promised. Instead, the hotel said it was overbooked and had no room for us. They didn’t arrange another hotel, find a comparable partner property, or bring in a manager to help. They handed us a toll-free number and told us to call Marriott from the parking lot. Under Marriott’s Ultimate Reservation Guarantee, the hotel is supposed to arrange alternate lodging and compensation when it walks a guest with a confirmed booking due to overbooking. Neither happened. The parking lot was about one-quarter full when we left, which didn’t look like an oversold emergency. I opened Case #795396192 with Marriott Bonvoy Corporate and sent numerous detailed emails about the confirmed booking and the resolution I was seeking under the guarantee. The response was that the matter was closed, the certificate wouldn’t be extended or converted to points, and there would be no meaningful compensation. They added 5,000 goodwill points, which isn’t equivalent to a Free Night Award and doesn’t address being denied a room. The follow-up has been complete silence, with no escalation, supervisor contact, or executive review. It leaves the impression that a member’s inconvenience doesn’t matter. We booked properly and arrived on schedule, but the hotel didn’t honor the reservation and Marriott left us to deal with the consequences. A confirmed reservation should mean something. This was extremely disappointing from a brand that markets loyalty and reliability, and it showed a breakdown in operational integrity and customer care.

We were very glad we booked here. The other hotels near the Empire State center had terrible reviews, so we picked this Residence Inn in East Greenbush/Albany, a little farther out, for Friday night. It’s only a quick ten-minute trip to the empire center. The room was incredible: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, three TVs, and almost a full kitchen, though it didn’t have an oven. The beds were comfortable, and there were extra blankets in the closet. We thought we’d go out for breakfast, but decided to try the complimentary one first and were blown away. The spread looked flawless and had great choices: wrapped bread and English muffins with PB&J or butter, plus oatmeal with more than ten toppings, including candied pecans, raisins, and graham cracker crumbs. There were eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, and packaged ham and Swiss croissants in three hot dishes. I made a Belgian waffle for my husband, and he said it was restaurant quality. The staff were great. There’s an indoor pool open year-round and a nice outdoor fire pit. If we’re back in Albany, we’ll stay here again. After this visit, we’ll book Residence Inn’s from now on.

I travel for work a lot, and this is one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve had on the road. The building is an older model but has been fully remodeled, and there was very little road noise. My only complaint is that the bed is full size. Otherwise, it’s a great choice.

The location worked well for me, tucked off the main road but still close to shops and the highway. I was here during the renovations about a year ago, and May second vista was great. The rooms and other spaces are nice. At check-in, the front desk person greeted us with good energy, was personable and informative, and treated us respectfully.