Courtyard by Marriott Miami Airport West/Doral

I was stuck here overnight after my flight was canceled. At check-in, I was offered the option to schedule a shuttle for my flight the next day, so I asked for one. The front desk said she'd ordered a shuttle but never told me there would be a charge. It arrived 36 minutes late. Then the driver asked me for $63 at the airport. I thought it was a hotel shuttle and hadn't brought money for that; I could've taken an Uber for $24. They also have a Marriott shuttle bus. This felt highly unethical.

On this third or fourth stay, I was surprised by how poor things had become, and it may be my last. The facilities are dated, but poor upkeep and irregular, mediocre cleaning make the experience far from enjoyable. Our room wasn't cleaned daily, and the last time it was, they even forgot the towel we used after showering. I asked the front desk in person for face tissues because calls went unanswered. The woman smiled and said she'd ask someone, but nobody brought any during our nine-day stay. The washing machine was broken when we asked for tokens, and it stayed that way for all nine days. The bathroom exhaust fan also didn't work, and no one checked or repaired it. It felt like nobody cared about the guest experience.

The bartender was the bright spot here. He made strong drinks and helped me find quarters for laundry. Otherwise, I left Miami damp and upset, and wouldn't recommend this for an easy airport overnight. It took a 30-minute Uber, costing $20-40, to reach the airport, and there was no shuttle. Calling it a “Miami Airport” hotel doesn't seem right. My third-floor room smelled like mold and feet, and the mini fridge had been left open and wasn't cold. I paid $3 to wash and $3 to dry, but had to scoop moldy sludge from the washer. The dryer didn't dry my clothes. I ran out of coins, hung everything around the room, and hoped it would be dry before my 3:30 a.m. Uber. It wasn't. There was only one person at the front desk, so I felt bad raising another issue. When I said the Marriott app wouldn't open the laundry room, she said they were running short on physical keys and I had to do laundry quickly and return mine. They should have at least as many keys as rooms or reservations that night. If I'd asked for a key at check-in instead of trying the app, they'd still have been short. The pool looked dirty and unappealing. The room layout was odd too, with the TV left of the bed and hard to watch from there.

I won't return to this Marriott. From beginning to end, the customer service was awful, and management was a major disappointment. Gue, the manager, wasn't helpful and never returned any of my many messages or calls. The lack of professionalism and follow-through was unacceptable. Experiences like this have me seriously thinking about switching to Hilton. Marriott's customer service has clearly gone downhill.