Fairfield Inn by Marriott Charlotte Gastonia

Nicole at the front desk made check-in simple and put me in a beautiful room. As a Titanium member, I usually get treated fairly, but she really went beyond that. A nice stay if you're in the area.

I'm here for three days, and the reviews are right. The woman on the phone said before I paid that upgraded Wi-Fi was available, and Marriott's website also says this location has it, with an option to change your internet package. Once we arrived, though, the upgrade option wasn't available with our package. At the desk, the woman seemed unfamiliar with it and said they only have complimentary Wi-Fi, which won't even connect to our game system. We have three kids staying here, and now I just want to sleep in my car. It's a shame Marriott has its name attached to this hotel. I expect a call from someone at Marriott corporate, not a bottom-of-the-barrel representative. I expect a refund even if I stay. This place isn't worth $50 a night. They're charging more because it's the only place with a heated pool, and even that pool couldn't fit three fat people.

The room itself was fine, and breakfast was about what I expected, just meh. But the shower pressure was so poor that water barely trickled out, making it hard to rinse the soap off. It really spoiled the stay.

I don't see how this place got four stars. The hotel badly needs a renovation. My room smelled, the carpet was grimy, and the lighting was dim. The nightstand lamp outlets didn't work, there was no water in the room, and the bathroom had almost no counter space, boxed into a tight area. I asked for a feather-free room because of my allergy and confirmed it at check-in. Still, only two of the six pillows were feather-free, and neither was comfortable. I arranged a work trip here for a group, so I'm embarrassed. At least it's only one night.