TownePlace Suites by Marriott Asheville Downtown

We had a great stay. The rooms are on the small side, but they’re well organized, renovated, and clean. Staff were friendly and helpful, and we could walk to plenty of restaurants and things to do.

The rooms are lovely and the staff was very nice, but I wouldn’t stay here if you plan to walk around. The area feels sketchy, with many homeless people who seemed unsafe to me. The nearby gas station had unsavory characters, and the path beneath the highway toward downtown had emotionally volatile people and people actively using drugs. My Uber drivers all went out of their way to tell me not to walk around near the hotel. That wasn’t reassuring. If you have a car, you’d probably be fine, though I’m not sure. And the highway noise is LOUD. I noticed it lying in my room on the first night. Don’t underestimate it, it could be a problem.

The full kitchen was a big plus for us, especially for a longer stay, and there’s a pleasant neighborhood behind the hotel for walks. We also liked the outdoor space with its fireplace, and the clean fitness center didn’t have that usual gym smell. Our king room felt a bit small, though we chose that size. There were some frustrating problems, too. Parking was $15 a night, which seems common downtown, but it still felt ridiculous after paying the room rate. We expected free water, but were told they were out and paid $10.50 for two bottles. Breakfast was the same each day, and some items often ran out. The garbage disposal wasn’t working when we arrived. This is the second TownePlace Suites where we’ve had that issue. It was reported and fixed on the second day, but when we asked for points for the inconvenience, they said no because it had been fixed. In our view, rooms should be checked properly between guests. There were good features, but with the parking charges and maintenance issues, we’ll probably stay somewhere else next time.

The location was a problem for us, too. The hotel sits right beside the highway, so there was noise throughout the night. It looks close to downtown on a map, but walking there was difficult and unpleasant because of the heavy traffic and the number of homeless people in the area. The billing issue was even more frustrating. I used a free night reward, but front desk mistakes led to no-show fees on several credit cards, as well as a charge for the night I actually stayed. I contacted general manager William P., hoping he’d sort it out, but his responses were unhelpful and dismissive. He told me to contact Marriott. I did, then called him repeatedly and left my callback number, but he never got back to me. The whole experience felt unprofessional and well below what I expect from a Marriott property. I can’t recommend staying here.