Residence Inn Bethesda Downtown

Our room was clean and had plenty of space, with two TVs, and we loved it. The bed's top layer was very thin, though. Staff service was uneven, ranging from polite to what felt prejudiced or biased. A valet accused me of leaving my car in a front space for three hours, even though I'd just arrived and was on the elevator taking something upstairs before coming straight back to finish unloading. Then I called for towels and toilet paper. I had to call three times. On the second call they said they'd send them, but hours passed and nothing arrived. After my third call, a different shift got the items up within minutes.

For a long work stay, this hotel made me happy. I had good quality breakfast every morning, and the staff were more than accommodating with any request. They'd bring extra coffee packets to my room whenever I needed them, at any time of day. Restaurants and bars are easy to reach on foot, and if I'm back in Bethesda, I'd look to stay here again. I just hope they can keep both elevators running.

I was here about a month, and the hotel was just okay and dated. For eight days I had cold showers because there was no hot water at peak shower times. Management couldn't do much until a large group checked out. The two elevators were another problem. One had been down for months, leaving hundreds of guests with long waits. My photos sum it up: an elevator out of service and a garage scanner duct-taped to the wall. Marriott needs to do better.

The employees were phenomenal. Front desk, valet, and breakfast staff were all friendly, professional, and incredibly helpful. My three-star rating comes down to problems management and corporate need to address. I was working in my room in the evenings, and the poor Wi-Fi made it frustrating to come back after a full day and lose time trying to get work done. One of the two lobby elevators kept breaking down. During my two-week stay, it was working for maybe three days, and not even all day on those days. With no lobby stairwell available, there was no easy alternative. The laundry setup also makes little sense, with four washers and only three dryers.