Residence Inn By Marriott Houston Westchase

The room was spacious and comfortable, and breakfast was great, especially the Andouille sausage and fresh fruit. The kitchen staff were welcoming. But security and upkeep were the biggest problems during my week here. My room was in building 2, where the outside door keypads didn't work and the doors were left unlocked. On the first night, I found someone sleeping in the stairwell and forcibly wedging the fire escape door shut. The desk said they'd tell security, but I saw the same person at the breakfast buffet the next day. The hotel adjoins a Courtyard by Marriott, and both properties have fenced grounds and security gates with keypads, but the gates are propped open so people and cars can come in freely around the clock. It seems like an easy fix, and I don't understand why they have security but choose not to use it. The room phones didn't work, and the internet through the TV didn't work either, so I couldn't stream Netflix or anything else. I used the weight room, but several weights were missing.

The location was excellent, and the staff were kind, caring, and incredibly helpful throughout our stay. The reception team especially deserves thanks. I didn't catch the name of the gentleman with long braided hair and glasses, but he was supportive and professional. The managers were welcoming and attentive too. I don't have enough words to thank everyone for such wonderful service. Big thanks to all of you.

The worst Residence Inn we've stayed at. The staff were very relaxed and didn't seem interested in making things better. The hallways smelled bad, the carpets were torn and looked like they hadn't been vacuumed in ages. The kitchen had only butter knives, with no forks or spoons. Both spatulas had dried, crusted food on them and clearly hadn't been washed. There was a large dog barking all evening in the room across from us. I love dogs, but it's unsettling to think pets may be allowed on the sofas when I doubt the fabric couches are shampooed after each stay. The safety issue was the worst part. We walked across the street for groceries, and when we came back, the door opened without ever locking. The lock was broken, and we wouldn't have known if I hadn't pushed the door before putting my key to the pad. For a Marriott franchise, the condition, cleanliness, and safety were unacceptable. It was a truly horrible stay.

The location and rate were good, and the customer service staff really tried to help. But the property has some limitations: there are no luggage carts in the other buildings or a safe, and there's no DND sign for the door. The kitchen sink floods if I attach a Pur faucet filter, and I'm allergic to chlorine, so I need filters on all faucets and the shower. They also had no crib sheets, and after dark there weren't enough pillows for late arrivals. Thank you to the staff for trying despite all that.