TownePlace Suites by Marriott Bellingham

Free laundry is a real plus. It works, it’s quiet, and it asks nothing. The gym is minimal, which seems like a philosophical choice; you can get a workout in if you adjust your expectations. The pool room is intensely humid and so over-chlorinated it feels like a chemical sauna. Time in there seems to drag. This isn’t a place for pleasure, it’s for logistics. I stayed, and I’d stay again if I had to.

Be warned, local policy means cats aren’t allowed here, despite what you may be told on the phone, on the website, or in the materials you get when you arrive. If you have a cat, even one registered as an ESA, book somewhere else and spare yourself the headache. Marriott also showed little interest in my feedback. They emailed me with this sign-off: “Thank you for being a valued Marriott Bonvoy Gold member. ... Warm regards, [Your Name or Team Name]”. I gave service one star because they couldn’t even fill in a canned response properly or give travelers accurate information. Look elsewhere.

We had a one-day, one-night wedding anniversary getaway, and it was special from the start. Booking was easy: they took my card details but didn’t charge me, which I appreciated since most places make you pay to reserve. The young woman on the phone was very sweet and gave me no trouble. The location was just what I wanted, by Fred meyers and an eight-minute drive from downtown. The young man who checked us in was professional, explained everything clearly, and was great, though I didn’t catch his name. Our room was clean, comfortable, and well cared for, near the pool, gym, and laundry room. I usually don’t like feeling lonely at places like this, but we didn’t feel that way at all. The lobby was full of people, with kids laughing in the pool, people working out in the very nice gym, and good music playing. We used the pool and hot tub, then went to the bar. Grant, the bartender, was AMAZING. His Bloody Marys and margaritas were delicious, and his service was great. You could tell he loves making drinks and puts care into each one. Breakfast was really yummy, and the hotel clearly takes time to make the food look nice for guests. We loved everything and are planning to make this our little getaway spot.

The noise from traffic at the back of the building is ridiculously loud, and there was no sleeping past 6:30 in the morning. Our room smelled like wet dog or mold or something. The pool chemicals aren’t balanced properly and will make you sick. This place is disgusting.