Fairfield Inn & Suites Arundel Mills BWI Airport

We booked online, but when we arrived the guest services agent said they wouldn’t accept our card for payment, even though they’d charged the same card for a one-night deposit a few hours earlier. The agent kept chuckling while we tried to explain. We were told we’d get back money that was already lost, then had to find somewhere else to stay. The next morning, our card was charged again. I called and was told the issue would be escalated. The service was horrible and completely lacking in empathy. I’d never had trouble with Marriott before, but after this I’m not going back, and I’ll tell friends and family to avoid it too. Ridiculous.

We were greeted warmly, but the manager quickly started lying, in my view, about the hotel’s condition. I reported a foul odor in the room that was making me sick because of my allergies. He said nobody had ever complained of that smell. A staff member checked the room but couldn’t identify a problem. Since I reacted physically and was assured it had never been a smoking room, I figured it might be mold. We were told to wait while staff checked for other rooms, but the staffer never came back. The manager then said there were no rooms available. I showed him I could still book one through Google and asked to try it, but he said that wasn’t possible. When I said we’d have to leave, he refused to refund us, despite having said we were getting a discounted rate, which my Google search also showed wasn’t true. After a lot of arguing, he threatened to involve the police instead of trying to resolve it. I’ve filed a complaint with Marriott corporate about the room and the poor management.

The complimentary laundry was a real highlight. The washers and dryers were the nicest I’ve seen in a hotel and worked great. The small gym was well kept, cool, and had cardio equipment, dumbbells, and a water machine. Staff at the front desk and housekeeping were great. Breakfast was standard but nice, the room was good, and the bed was comfortable. It’s a very nice, clean place close to BWI.

The hotel was nice, but there’s a facilities fee they don’t tell you about until long after booking, just before check-in. Remember to factor in that daily charge when comparing it with other hotels.