Courtyard by Marriott Dulles Airport Herndon

The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the Dulles shuttle worked out well. Thursday's rate felt a little high. A few additions would help, like glasses in the bathroom and some bottled water for the coffee and tea maker. Otherwise, everything was very good.

I booked in April for a June stay, then called nearly two months ahead to check that our room would be ready. My wife, child, and I were flying all the way from Washington on a red-eye and expected to reach Washington Dulles International Airport at 12:53 AM. The receptionist sounded annoyed from the start. There was loud background noise, and it felt as if my basic question was an inconvenience. Communication was already hard because of a strong language barrier, and her dismissive tone made it worse. She said bluntly that nothing could be guaranteed, then blamed me for booking through Priceline and told me to take it up with them. She offered no help or suggestions and showed no courtesy. If this is how they treat people before arrival, I can't imagine the stay. That first interaction was terrible and made the place seem unfriendly and uninterested in customer service. Travelers beware.

The staff were fantastic and friendly, and the rooms were amazingly clean. The airport shuttle took a while, but I hadn't realized which curbside pickup to wait at. Now I know. Update: I received a platinum elite voucher for each night, but the desk processed only one and charged me multiple times for marketplace food. I wouldn't have bought it if I'd known the vouchers wouldn't appear on my receipt and I'd be charged. On the last day, my room smelled strongly of a chemical fragrance and triggered severe allergies. I was fine outside, then the symptoms flared again when I returned to the room and eased after I opened the door. The windows don't open, so there's no way to air the room out. I took away some room stars because of the lack of clean air.

We had five rooms and ten people who needed an early morning airport ride. We'd been assured the shuttle ran every 30 minutes, 24/7, but that wasn't true. They tried to arrange Lyfts and managed to get only two vehicles on time. Group international travel is stressful enough. If you need a free shuttle, don't stay here. Book somewhere else and plan on an Uber or Lyft for an early ride.