Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Canton

We only stayed at a hotel even though home was an hour and 20 minutes away because my daughter wanted to swim. We don't travel much, and we wanted a fun stay. Instead, we got a big letdown. Marriott sent an early check-in message, but at 2 p.m. the hotel said no rooms were ready until after 3. We came back at 3:10 and found a full lobby of people still waiting. Our room finally came at 3:45. My daughter was eager to swim, but the hot tub was closed off with caution tape and chairs. The pool was freezing. I got in, but couldn't handle it and just walked around. Later we were told it was running on one heater. We needed a hot shower after that, but the water only stayed hot briefly before turning cool. The TV remote didn't work, and new batteries made no difference. The desk attendant came up and found the box wasn't working; luckily, she got a replacement from another room. There was no hairdryer, and I hadn't brought mine, so we couldn't go anywhere even though it was early. We had expected to use the pool and hot tub. Breakfast was another disappointment. We were the only ones there, the bacon was burnt beyond eating, and the plates were so small that we had to break our waffle into quarters.

The people at check-in were incredibly kind and friendly. The rest of the hotel was a disaster. It's under construction and filthy, with garbage in the hallways and freezing cold corridors. My first room was disgusting, and the replacement was dirty too. I was tired, so I didn't complain, but construction in the room right above mine started in the morning. It was so loud my room shook, and I didn't get a full night's sleep. That noise was inexcusable. I've traveled a lot, and this was one of my worst stays. The hotel looks nothing like its photos, and there's no working hot tub.

When I arrived at 11 p.m., there wasn't a room for me, though they didn't say that outright. For over an hour, I was told there was “something wrong” with the room. They offered to send me to a hotel 30 minutes away, even though I had to be back for a 6 a.m. meeting. When I asked why they couldn't find something nearby, they said local hotels weren't answering their phones. Eventually they found me a night at another brand. They promised 90,000 points for the major inconvenience, which seemed fair, and I appreciated the effort at the time. I came back the next day for the rest of my stay. It was mostly uneventful, except my keys stopped working every day, so I had to go down from the third floor to get them fixed. The location is good, but the hotel is worn down. The week after checkout I saw only 3,000 points in my account. They said I hadn't been promised more and that 3,000 was all I would get. I explained that wasn't even enough for one night there, and I had lost my Marriott reward night too. I was given the runaround and lied to, and they never admitted to overbooking. The customer service was rude and poor throughout. Marriott corporate eventually stepped in and made it right. I don't recommend this hotel. Find somewhere else nearby, because you may show up and have no room.

We stayed six nights in Akron for a family race. The room was on the small side for a Fairfield, but clean and adequate. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the location was convenient. Still, we'll try another hotel next time. The key stopped working every time we returned, so we had to go to the desk again and again. The wall AC rattled like a truck dragging a muffler. There was nowhere to put toiletries in the shower, so they had to sit on the floor, and the bathroom door wouldn't latch. The pool ceiling was cracked and shedding layers. The hot tub was permanently closed off with the only two lounge chairs. We didn't try breakfast.