Four Points by Sheraton Kalamazoo

For an $80 room, this was about what I expected. The bed was comfortable and clean, and the room was decent. The front desk staff were pleasant, too. We could hear the people next door talking all morning through the fairly thin walls. If you need an inexpensive place to stay, it’ll do.

This was my last visit. On an earlier stay, the staff were nice and the room was okay. The toilet leaked and made noise, but it didn’t bother me enough to make an issue of it. The latest stay was much more concerning. Their card machine was broken, so at check-in they had me fill out a paper authorization form with my credit card information. It felt sketchy, so I notified my accountant, then handed it in after the front desk woman approved it. Later, I lost my key. The new desk clerk couldn’t find my name listed with the room, but gave me another key anyway. I was glad to get in, but that was worrying. I’d also arranged a late checkout and was told it was set, yet at 10 a.m. on checkout day someone knocked and woke me. I had to explain the request again to housekeeping. Weeks later, the manager emailed asking me to fill out that same card form again because they couldn’t collect payment. In other words, they’d lost the document containing all my credit card details. It’s poor management to offer services when the equipment and process aren’t working. Now both my time and my accountant’s time are being used because their system failed and the form went missing. Ridiculous.

The room was filthy, and the staff offered little help. I had to ask several times for a comforter that didn’t smell and have stains on it. In the end, I bought my own sheets and cleaning supplies. I left two days early after being assured I’d get a refund, but the manager was never available when I tried to discuss my concerns. This is probably the worst hotel I’ve stayed in for years. It felt more suited to hourly rentals. Avoid it.

I booked a block of rooms for my August wedding because this Marriott property was closest to the venue. It turned into a nightmare. More than ten guests told me they were given keys to rooms that already had people in them. The bartender got into a fight with guests who weren’t part of my block and was fired on the spot. Maids were rude when guests asked for more than the single towel provided for a two-night stay. Some rooms had no shampoo or conditioner. We’d agreed the bar would stay open late, but it closed without anyone telling us. There was water damage on the ceiling, brown water from the sinks, and the landscaping was a mess. Breakfast wasn’t free. My car was broken into, and room keys repeatedly stopped working and had to be reprogrammed. The list just kept going. Do not stay here.