Residence Inn Kalamazoo East

The staff were friendly and tried to help, and breakfast was adequate. But I’ve never been this disappointed by the Marriott brand, and I’m reconsidering my trust and loyalty. There were faded, peeling walls, no clean dishes, and a toilet that wouldn’t flush properly, then refilled with a loud, long pulsating sound. There was a dishwasher full of dirty dishes when I arrived. When I asked for clean glasses and mugs, staff apologized and said I could take a disposable cup from the breakfast area. There’s no ice machine either. When I asked about ice, they asked if I had ice trays in my freezer, then told me to buy some at the gas station down the street. Late into the evening there were constantly at least 10-12 people smoking in the parking lot, with others milling about. How does this place have the Marriott name?

I had to change rooms twice because of maintenance problems, one room had water actively dripping from a light fixture onto the kitchen counter. I ended up in a room that meant walking through construction repairs, though that room itself was fine. The buildings and grounds look aged and aren’t especially well kept, and the furnishings are dated and worn. AT&T reception was really poor too, and I often had no signal in my room. The staff were friendly and accommodating. I liked the convenient spot near the interstate, the full kitchen, pretty good breakfast, comfortable bed and large, clean room. The basketball and tennis court and pool seemed in good shape, and the pool area looked like a nice place to spend time. It was a tolerable stay that met my needs and low expectations. I wouldn’t go out of my way to avoid it, but there are probably better choices unless the full kitchen matters a lot to you.

The location was great for the Air Zoo, I-94, nearby restaurants, the winery we visited and Gilmore Car Museum. Even so, we’d rather stay somewhere less convenient and have a better experience than return here. At Friday evening check-in, the lobby smelled overwhelmingly of Marijuana. Our assigned room’s door was standing open, there was damage throughout, and the bedding in the second bedroom was soiled. The phone cord was missing, so we locked our luggage in the room and went back to the desk. The clerk apologized and moved us to an upper floor in another building, with no elevator. After hauling our bags up, we found the room cleaner and in better shape, but its air conditioner was frozen and leaking into the closet. We reported the leak the next morning along with a broken fan in the second bathroom. Maintenance fixed the leak and replaced the closet carpet and ceiling tiles the following day, but couldn’t repair or replace the fan because they had no parts. The free breakfast also fell short of Marriott’s usual standards, so we ate out instead. This was not our usual pleasant stay at a Marriott.

Getting downtown was easy from here, but the room itself felt old and worn, and service was disappointing. I called the desk for towels and was told I’d need to come downstairs to pick them up. I guess the low price explains some of it, but next time I’ll pay more for somewhere nicer.