Residence Inn by Marriott Albany Airport

My car broke down on the way to the hotel on 11/26, so I immediately told the property in Booking chat that I couldn’t make it. The next day they charged me for the full stay. I called on 11/27 to explain and ask for a refund, and was told to contact Booking.com. Booking said it had asked the hotel to approve the refund. When I called the property on 11/29, they said no notification had arrived. I confirmed the hotel’s email address and forwarded Booking’s message saying it had notified them. The front desk then suggested I call Booking to confirm the request so the hotel could process it. I called Booking again on 11/30, repeated the correct email address, and asked them to try once more. Their agent called the hotel and told me the front desk said only the manager could approve a refund formally requested by Booking. I was told to call back on 12/02 at 11am to speak with the manager. I called the hotel at 11:20am on 12/02. They logged a case number for the refund and transferred me to the front desk, where I had to explain everything again. That person told me to call Booking. I called Booking a third time and explained it all to another agent, who contacted the front desk. Finally, Booking emailed to say the hotel couldn’t fulfill my request because of its policies. After all those exhausting, frustrating calls and emails, I’m extremely disappointed. It felt like the hotel pretended not to have seen my request.

It’s very close to the thruway, and otherwise the stay was decent. I’d asked for a first-floor room near a side entrance because I had pets, but they didn’t mention that no rooms are on the first floor and assigned us one upstairs. It was as far as possible from the elevator. At least the stairs were close to the room, so carrying the pets and their things wasn’t too much of a haul.

The staff were helpful and friendly, and parking and check-in were easy. The rooms were very clean, with a comfortable bed and good amenities. Breakfast had plenty to eat and drink, and there are several nearby places to eat too, though the hotel’s own food was good as well.

I usually go with Marriotts, and this one was great. The room was clean and nice, the bed was comfortable, and the staff were friendly and professional. A+.