Courtyard by Marriott Charleston Downtown/Civic Center

Charleston was my second and last stay at a Courtyard Marriott. Check-in took 30 minutes, and they put me in the wrong room. The King room with a Sofa Bed was smaller than an efficiency room. The woman at the desk was pleasant, though it seemed like she was having to work around a bad system. My first stay, in Columbus, had no hot water the whole time. I won’t be back.

The property was clean, and having a Tesla Supercharger right there was handy. Level 2 charging would’ve been better. But the parking fee feels like a cash grab when there’s free parking all around. Those theft and vehicle-damage warnings every ten feet are alarming, too. Skip the lobby water, it’s gross. The pillows are the usual bad hotel kind, so bring your own. And my alarm clock was still set by the previous guest and went off at 4:30 a.m. :(

The staff were friendly, and the room was clean. That’s about where the good parts end. Parking costs extra, the Bistro charges a lot for poor food, and breakfast was overpriced and inedible. The room stayed too warm, while the A/C was painfully loud. The mattress was very hard, though I know some people like that, and the pillows were either lumpy or completely flat. We slept terribly. I wouldn’t come back.

The room was clean and the staff were great, except for whoever made the quesadilla. Cooking just one side doesn’t make it a quesadilla. The bistro food in general wasn’t anything special, and the prices were outrageous. Hot water was hit or miss, the refrigerator was so tiny it barely held more than four water bottles, and the comforter didn’t cover the bed. The so-called King bed felt Queen-sized at best, and the fitted sheets wouldn’t stay put overnight. Parking costs extra. It’s not a huge amount, but what happens if you forget to pay, do they tow you at the hotel you’re staying in? The price seems to go up by $50 every year while you get less. This paying more for less trend is getting old.