StudioRes by Marriott Columbia Harbison

I’ve stayed with Marriott for more than five years and I’m a Titanium member. I’ve never had an experience like this, and I’ve never had to contact Marriott before. We came to this location because of Shy, who was professional, kind, and clearly suited to hospitality. We’d planned to stay until September, but after what happened, I cancelled our future reservations and won’t return while Kayla is in charge. If the property had a real leader who treated guests well, like Shy, we’d consider coming back. I hope no other paying guests go through this. I don’t usually complain, but this was the worst Marriott experience we’ve had, and I contacted Marriott so the situation with Kayla would get attention. On Tuesday, April 21, we brought down our used linens to exchange them. We keep our room clean, take out our own trash, and don’t expect anyone to clean it. I was on my period and had stained the sheets with blood. I told Kayla that when she asked whether there was a surprise in them. She said she hadn’t given us sheets like that and we shouldn’t return them that way. I was stunned. I’ve worked for Marriott and have seen stained linens, including sheets with urine on them, and know staff use chemicals and precautions to handle them. Kayla also said if it happened again, we’d have to make other arrangements, which I took to mean leaving the property. She handed us clean towels and sheets while wearing the same dirty gloves she’d used to handle the soiled laundry. My wife works in this field and pointed that out. Kayla responded by shutting the door in our faces and walking away. That was rude and showed no hospitality, leadership, or self-control. This is a business where guests should be treated fairly, regardless of who’s managing it. It’s not only about the money. I’d also been there since April 9 and still hadn’t received my points, so I’d planned to ask Kayla about them. After the way she treated us, I contacted Marriott instead and opened a case. I understand businesses need staff, but having someone with that attitude in charge is a serious problem. I hope management takes a closer look at the situation.

I had to buy my wife a hair dryer just for this stay. There was no hair dryer, ice, or iron available. I know it’s a newer property, but I would’ve booked somewhere else if I’d known.

Ms Sabrina was warm, gracious, and had plenty of glam. She made me feel welcome in the state as I was officially relocating.

The staff were consistently kind and friendly, and my complaints aren’t about them. But after an extended stay, I saw a lot of problems that need serious attention. During my two months there, the room was cleaned just three times. We asked for housekeeping for five days in a row and kept being told it would happen “tomorrow,” but no one showed up. The explanation was always that staff were busy or at capacity. That’s hard to accept when you’re a guest expecting a clean room. The hotel itself also wasn’t very clean. The carpets stayed dirty, and the coffee area was usually a mess. The coffee machine might work once, then show an error that required staff help. One time I told housekeeping I didn’t need service. A few minutes later, the manager opened my room door to see if it had been cleaned. It made me wonder what happens when guests aren’t in their rooms. The front desk was also left unattended for about an hour when we needed help. The manager was almost never around. For a whole week, we came by each morning before 10 a.m. and lobby staff said they didn’t know where she was. We never saw her later in the day, either. The ice machine was broken for more than a month, then suddenly repaired ahead of a visit from Marriott executives or representatives. That was also the first time I saw the hotel properly cleaned. They decorated with balloons and flowers, tidied the coffee station, and fixed the machine because important visitors were expected. I understand this is a newer property and improvements take time, but it’s frustrating when basic issues seem to get handled only for visitors. I was also surprised that a hotel with in-room kitchens had no fire blankets or extinguishers. That seems like a basic safety feature they should add soon.