The Hotel at the University of Maryland

The rooms were clean and new, which was the one redeeming part. The TV didn’t work, the power went out three times across the hotel, and the water was off from 11p-5a. They had scheduled the outage but didn’t tell me before I arrived. The front desk staff spoke so softly I couldn’t hear them and couldn’t answer a single question. I also couldn’t figure out the room lights, since there were no normal switches. At the Grille in the lobby, the host was nice but carried my drinking glass to the table with his fingers inside it, then the server poured water into it for me. No thanks. The host needs some OSHA training.

This was my sixth stay at the hotel, and the pool finally felt comfortable. They’ve started heating the beautiful indoor pool, so my kids and I could splash around for an hour. I could still use another degree or two, but it was nice for them. On past visits it was so chilly it was nearly unusable, and even my kids thought it was too cold. For our quick one-night Winter Break trip to a Terps basketball game, the hotel was a perfect choice, even though we live about half an hour away. The check-in staff member was welcoming and friendly. I forget her name, but I remember she’s El Salvadorean and lives in PG County. She upgraded us to a top-floor room with two beds and a great campus view, let us check in early, and comped the parking, just because. That kind of service will bring me back. There’s definitely street noise in campus-view rooms, since College Park is an urban town. If you want it quieter, I’d suggest an even-numbered room facing the hotel’s outdoor or central courtyard. The campus view is worth the noise if you don’t mind it. Thanks for a great stay. We can’t wait to return.

The staff were friendly, and the restrooms were clean. The location worked well for us, not far from Baltimore, Washington, DC, or Philadelphia. I visited for a political event in 2016 and was in awe of the place. The architecture is magnificent, the decor is exquisite, and the whole hotel is stunning and luxurious. Highly recommend it. I definitely need to come back.

The King Suite had gorgeous rooms and a lovely view, but getting checked in and then charged twice was a mess. I had a late, last-minute arrival after a flight and booked through Booking.com. They confirmed my reservation in the app and by message, but the hotel desk said they couldn’t find it. I called Booking.com, who said they’d call and email the property. I was sitting right by the desk and heard no phone ring, and the concierge said no email had arrived. They suggested I could just book directly with the hotel. I explained I’d prepaid and read aloud what the app said, that the hotel could collect payment at any time. I showed the team several times. A staff member took my phone and showed the message to the manager, who came back with a paper highlighting my Booking.com card on file. I thought they couldn’t find my reservation, but my card numbers were printed with Booking.com at the top. They assured me I wouldn’t be charged twice, so I booked directly with them. I was charged twice. The next morning, their fire alarm jolted me awake. They said it was a precautionary test and seemed very lax about it. I called the desk, and a woman said she’d refund me, but she didn’t. A few days later my bank confirmed no refund came in. The manager told me I wouldn’t be charged twice, then said the second charge happened because of a no-show.