Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Airport

The room smelled like an old rug, and it didn’t even have a fridge. I’d avoid this place. I only stayed one night because it was too late to keep driving, and what happened with the charges was a mess. At the desk, two people were working, one still training. I asked the nightly rate and they said I could save by booking through a third-party site instead of walking in. I trusted them and paid in full through Expedia. When I came back to the desk, the trainee found my reservation and asked me to tap my card for a temporary incidental hold. She asked me to tap again, and I didn’t realize then that the room had also been charged to my card. The next morning my bank app showed two hotel charges. One was about $60, matching the incidental amount she’d mentioned. The other was a little over $100. I went to ask about it and spoke with an older man at the desk, who was rude. Before checking the system, he insisted they’d only charged incidentals. I showed him both card charges and my Expedia payment, but he got defensive, raised his voice a little, and said it wasn’t their concern and I should contact Expedia. He kept saying the hotel hadn’t charged me for the room. I disputed the extra amount with my bank. The bank contacted the hotel, but they claimed I’d used the service. Now I’ve been charged twice and have no way to get my money back.

Courtyard Marriott is usually a favorite of mine, so this stay was a bit disappointing. They moved us right away when the bathroom in our first room didn’t work, which was great. But by morning the Bistro was closed, and the complimentary coffee was cold.

I’ve stayed at plenty of Marriotts over the years as a Platinum Member, and this was one of my least favorite visits. I was only passing through for one night and arrived fairly late. Room 104 was warm, with an AC unit that barely cooled at all, and the TV was broken. I’d heard the desk associates say they had no spare rooms, so I didn’t ask to move and figured I could manage for one night. The hotel itself was very clean and the room looked nice, but the morning response was what made this such a poor stay. Before I’d even said which room I was in, the front desk attendant seemed to know and told me they already knew it had problems, so there was no need to report it again. No apology, just that they knew. Not an enjoyable experience.

I arrived around 9:00 PM alone with my toddler and two emotional support dogs, and this Courtyard stay turned into a very upsetting and unsafe experience. I’m a Marriott Platinum member and have traveled with my support animals for more than 10 years, staying at many Marriott properties without problems. I had a doctor’s letter with me. The front desk associate refused to check me in because I had two dogs. He called his manager and made clear he was following her instructions. I offered to show my doctor’s letter, but he wouldn’t look at it and said I’d have to show it to the manager. No one tried to accommodate us or find a safe option at the property. While I was in the lobby trying to sort things out, one of my dogs barked when another dog came close. It was a protective reaction, not aggression toward people. An employee who didn’t seem to work at the desk, possibly a shuttle or bus driver, told me to take my dogs outside to calm them down. I explained they don’t bark at people and had only reacted to the other dog, but he kept watching and staring at us. It felt uncomfortable and unnecessary. The desk associate then told me to go across the street to the Residence Inn, another Marriott, and assured me his manager was there and would accommodate us. I trusted what he said and left late at night with my toddler and dogs. At the Residence Inn I was told the manager wasn’t there, directly contradicting what I’d been told. After more confusion, the Residence Inn manager was reached by phone. She said she’d accept us only if I paid a $70 pet fee, even though these are emotional support animals, and I’ve never been charged for them at other Marriott properties. After everything was settled and I left the Courtyard disappointed and refused, the second employee followed me into the parking lot and continued watching me. I don’t know why, whether he was making sure I left or had some other reason, but as a woman alone at night with a child, I felt very unsafe. This was distressing and physically unsafe, with poor communication, little empathy or professionalism, and conduct that seemed inconsistent with Marriott’s policies and standards. I won’t recommend this hotel. I strongly urge Marriott management to review what happened and retrain staff on guest safety, disability accommodations, and professional conduct.