Residence Inn Ann Arbor by Marriott

The service was good, and the lobby has been updated. But the bedroom and bathroom were so dated and rusty that I didn’t feel comfortable staying there. Google lists it as a three-star hotel, but I’d put it at two or maybe two and a half. I wish I’d taken a photo, but I forgot.

Everyone at the hotel was wonderful and accommodating, though my room looked out onto a roof covered in rocks and moss. The parking lot had a number of large potholes, and I was disappointed that the whirlpool was closed off, apparently for a while. From the way it was walled off, it seemed you could only get to the restrooms from the pool by going through the fitness room. The room itself was clean.

Avoid this Courtyard. It didn’t feel worthy of the price or like a Marriott at all. The windows weren’t sealed well, and cold winter air blew the curtains noisily all night. There was no Wi-Fi or streaming; the front desk said it sometimes fails in bad weather, though there was no storm. It was around 10 degrees, but this is Michigan in February, so I’d guess it often doesn’t work. The room was dirty when we arrived, with trash on the floor, dust and dirt on the furniture, and dead bugs by the fridge. The front desk man seemed unhappy to get up when we arrived, and the restaurant worker stayed seated behind the register. When we asked for a kids’ menu, she said they didn’t have one printed and had something like chicken. I ordered grilled cheese and tomato soup for $14, and watched her microwave soup in a paper cup and serve burnt toast with a slice of cheese. It was dry as a piece of cement, with no grilling involved. I’ve never had such poor service and lack of cleanliness at a Marriott-brand hotel, and I don’t know how this Courtyard keeps the label.

I chose this place for its location, which is the only reason I’m giving it two stars. I came for Valentine’s Day and found urine all over the toilet seat in my room. They moved me, but the replacement room had the wrong bed size, and I was still charged for the original bed size. The manager emailed a prewritten apology, but offered no compensation.