SpringHill Suites by Marriott Dallas Central Expressway

The room was great, the breakfast was complimentary, and the hotel is conveniently close to the city. I had a problem before I arrived and called, and Octavia answered. She was incredibly kind on the phone, and when I saw her at the front desk, she was just as warm. I recognized her right away, even before I knew her name. She was professional and made this my most pleasant hotel check-in yet. Her manager was kind as well when we spoke briefly.

The breakfast was genuinely enjoyable, and the front desk team were warm, attentive, and professional. They clearly care about their work. The property itself needs a lot of attention, though, and that affected our stay. We'd called ahead to reserve a pack and play, but the one provided was broken, and the replacement they'd ordered didn't arrive in time. In the room, the AC had exposed wiring, the shower leaked badly, the soap holder was loose, crooked, and rusty, and the wallpaper was peeling. Plywood on the cabinet hiding the mini fridge was coming apart too. The fitness center was neglected, with broken kettlebells and missing dumbbells and medicine balls. The hotel had also run out of pillows, a basic necessity that shouldn't be unavailable. We hope management takes these problems seriously, because the staff deserve a facility that reflects the care they put into their work.

The layout felt strange: there was hardly any space between the bed and bathroom wall, while the bathroom and walk-in closet seemed oversized. Maybe we got an unusual room, since the online photos showed much more room to walk around. The TV was also partly tucked behind a wall corner, making it hard for anyone on the window side of the bed to watch. Most of all, we barely slept. Our east-facing room was incredibly noisy, with trucks, motorcycles, racing traffic, air brakes, and what sounded like every emergency vehicle in Dallas running sirens down the highway around 2 a.m. for nearly 15 minutes. Soundproof windows on that side would make a big difference. If you stay, definitely ask for a west-facing room away from traffic. I should've read the TripAdvisor reviews before our one-night stay. Now I understand the low price, and we won't be back.

The room was nice and the service was excellent, but I wanted to point out two problems. Breakfast wasn't anything special, and there was only pork sausage for meat, so there was no option if you don't eat pork. In the bathroom, a gap between the bottom of the shower door and the shower base let water collect in a puddle just outside. That was annoying and a safety concern. Room 306.