TownePlace Suites Huntsville West/Redstone Gateway

The service was very good, and I had a great stay. A couple of practical things to watch: if you leave trash in the closet, take it out before housekeeping comes, since they may not check there. And if you plan to cook, make sure the dishwasher works.

I expected more because it was a Marriott, but this place felt like a run-down motel. It was filthy and moldy, the furniture was worn out, and the website photos gave a misleading impression. Even basic supplies seemed to be missing. One worker acknowledged they needed supplies, and they apparently couldn't manage things like trash can liners or replacement bulbs. The staff were nice, but the new manager, Rod King, came across as arrogant and disrespectful when we complained. There are cheaper suites nearby that are newly renovated and have kitchens. I wish I’d looked around first. This hotel has no business using the Marriott name. Stay here only if you have no standards.

They let us check in early, which we really appreciated. The room had plenty of space for our family of six to do homeschool work, and breakfast was great. The staff were very kind, too. My only suggestion is to add more strength-training equipment in the gym. I made do, though, and have no real complaints about our first stay.

The rooms have full-size fridges and real stoves, which made this a good fit for an extended stay. I expected something more like a low-quality motel in a bad area, but that wasn’t the case. From the start, the front desk team were genuinely friendly and seemed to care about our stay. Lebron was especially helpful, going above and beyond with a printed list of nearby restaurants and stops, plus a few local tips on good places to eat. Everyone I spoke with seemed happy to help and glad to be working there.