Residence Inn by Marriott Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle

I stay here because I work nearby, and the Metro is conveniently close. The hotel itself is dated and a bit dingy, with things often broken. Worse, I've been charged more than once for things I didn't use. One time it was market food I hadn't eaten. They argued when I called, but eventually refunded those charges. Another time, I canceled a reservation well before the deadline, then booked again using points. Later I found a $147 charge on my card. After I called twice, with no promised callback, the hotel said the first booking was a no-show. Neither the hotel nor Marriott seemed to care that I'm a loyalty member with fairly high status. I remember canceling, but I hadn't saved the cancellation email, and Marriott had updated its system so they couldn't check. I'm out $147. If you want to be near the Metro and are okay with the risk of being charged for things you didn't do or buy, this place is convenient.

The room was spacious, with a kitchen, sofa, and a very comfortable bed. Breakfast was included, had good choices, and was a real bonus. I was in town for a meeting at a nearby office, and the Residence Inn was an easy 14-minute walk from the Alexandria Amtrak/Metro station. The cheerful staff made it a good value and a good stay.

The toilet was clogged when we arrived, and there was blood on the bathroom floor. When I called to ask if the crib was ready, it was hard to find a front desk number, and the woman hung up on me. The crib took another 30 minutes to reach our room. Staff were nice, and breakfast was okay but basic. Parking costs $40 a night and that wasn't advertised. The Life Waters in the room are $8 each, which is ridiculous. The whole experience felt like a lower-end motel.

I work for Marriott and was staying here on vacation, so I know the policies. The manager's unprofessional behavior was unacceptable. Housekeeping threw away my friend's travel supplies, my room smelled like fish, their room had dirty napkins all over, and we had no hot water for the entire stay. The manager offered only Bonvoy points, with no refund or other compensation, even though I know refunds or comps were possible. She simply didn't want to provide them. My friends and I were polite, but she had a snarky, irritated attitude. She shouldn't be managing a hospitality property.