Aloft by Marriott Chapel Hill

I booked and paid for my March 14, 2026 Saturday night at Aloft Churchill through Priceline. At check-in, the receptionist confirmed it was paid and said my card would only be held for incidentals. After checkout, though, I found a $13 tax charge on my card, even though I'd already paid that as part of the Priceline booking. I called the hotel with my confirmation details. They said they'd pass it to a manager and call me back, but I still haven't heard anything or received an explanation. I was also told that disputing the charge could affect my ability to stay at Aloft properties in the future, which concerned me. Just a heads-up to anyone booking through a third-party site: check for extra hotel charges. If someone from Aloft management sees this, I'd appreciate a response. I have the Priceline payment and additional charge documentation and can email it if needed.

The staff were very nice, parking was convenient, and the hotel is close to everything. But our rooms were disappointing. The first one had a king bed instead of the two queens I'd booked, though switching was no problem. The next room smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke that we couldn't even go inside, so we asked to move again. The third room was run down, with a sink that wouldn't drain, a slightly funky smell, and ripples in the ceiling that looked like old water damage. My son and I were visiting UNC for an admissions tour. I'm not impressed and will look elsewhere next time I'm in Chapel Hill.

We got in late without having eaten, while we were in town because our young daughter had an early morning procedure at UNC Children’s hospital. Derrick, the bartender, invited us to sit with our daughter and suggested a nearby pizza place. Then he offered to pick up our order and brought it back as soon as we heard it was ready. He was so welcoming and friendly, and even made our daughter a fresh fruit smoothie. When one fell on the floor, he made her another. He went above and beyond, and his customer service was admirable. Thank you for making our stay awesome!

The staff were pleasant, but the service didn't feel very focused on guests. Our room had several outlets that didn't work, and when we reported the broken refrigerator, nothing was done. Our food spoiled as a result. The lobby coffee was consistently cold, and pool towels weren't replenished. Along with other service issues, these things took away from our stay. My husband and I had a very mixed experience.