Hyatt Place Charlotte/Arrowood

I walked away without unpacking because even though the room looked clean at first, a closer look changed that. The lobby was worn down, the elevator was out, and I had to take the stairs down four floors. The area felt unpleasant, and the furniture had a heavy smoky smell, like it had sat around a bar. Staff laughed when I mentioned it and said they didn’t notice the same thing. I’d never canceled a reservation after arriving before, but this place was the first. It seemed convenient for my business trip because it’s near several corporate offices, but I was completely wrong about that fit. I won’t recommend it to colleagues. They also charged the cancellation fee twice for one person, which says plenty about how this place is managed.

The women at check-in were kind and helpful, and I appreciated the Globalist bag with water and snacks. That was about it for the good parts. The hotel smelled like marijuana throughout, and it didn’t feel clean or have the above-average breakfast I remember from older Hyatt Places. There was a security guard in the lobby all evening who escorted people to their rooms because the place seemed unsafe, with a lot of shady characters around. I’m glad Hyatt had a guard there, though needing one says something about the property and area. The spot is convenient if you’re driving I-77, which worked well for our trip from OH to FL. It’s a shame to see Hyatt Places go downhill like this.

The lobby couches right by the entrance were stained, and one elevator was down. I’ve seen several reviews mention that elevator, so it’s hard to know how long it’s been out. In the room, the phone had no cords connected, the peephole was coming loose, and wall repairs and paint were unfinished. The mattress pad was bunched under the sheets, and that’s when I found it was a twin pad on a king bed. There was sticky flooring, red liquid on the light switch, drips on the wall, and dirt on the bathroom door frame and ironing board cover. The wall unit filter was so dirty I took it out, hoping it would help the strong bleach smell clear. The room’s cleanliness was questionable despite that odor. Check-in on Monday night was rough. The staff member was very rude and acted like our group of four rooms for two nights was an inconvenience. The woman at the desk the next night was much friendlier. Really disappointing for a Hyatt.

By noon the next day, they had run out of towels and washcloths, so we had to reuse them, and then we found the shower was clogged. Maintenance and housekeeping weren’t available for a while. Our first room looked nice until we checked under the sheets and found it filthy. They moved us to another room, but we had to haul all our things, including newborn twins and two toddlers. There’s only one working elevator, since another was broken, which was a bit of a hassle. The hotel is beautiful, but it needs a lot of work. I’m so hurt because I wanted to like it, but this was a horrible experience for a short weekend in Charlotte. Thanks to Jasmine and Andrea for helping.