Residence Inn By Marriott Kansas City Country Club

We keep coming back to this Residence Inn for family staycations. My teen girls enjoy the Plaza, while the younger kids like Crown Center, which isn’t too far thanks to the new KC Streetcar. The staff are reliably helpful, whether we need an extra blanket late at night or towels during the day. Breakfast is good, though not great. I appreciate that the sausage isn’t the same grey patties every day, but some items are put out early and seem to run out later, so get there early. The suites feel small, and the rooms are beginning to look worn. In our current room the carpet by the bathroom threshold is shredded, possibly from a dog. I prefer the indoor rooms, which feel like a better experience. It’s good value, and a great value when you bring the kids.

We come here every Thanksgiving, and my kids love the fireplace, so I was excited to stay. I checked in Tuesday, but the fireplace didn’t work when I tried it. Management said someone would fix it. It was working when we returned an hour later, but then we couldn’t get the heat above 75 degrees. We told the front desk, and about 20 minutes later a man in an apron came up saying he was maintenance. He gave us every excuse for why he couldn’t fix it and why it wouldn’t go past 75. He said corporate had to change the room temperature and he couldn’t do it. You can’t tell guests who paid for a room how to interpret 75 degrees as warm enough. We knew someone could adjust it because maintenance had changed it last year, so we thought he was lying or didn’t know what he was doing. Later we went back downstairs about the thermostat, and they gave us blankets and said nobody who could adjust it was available because it was too late and they were gone. By then the fireplace had stopped working again, and it was about 30-35 degrees outside, so the room was cold. We couldn’t sleep in the bedrooms and tried the sofa bed, but the couch cushion was badly worn and lopsided, making the bed impossible to lie on. We ended up sleeping in the cold rooms. On Wednesday morning, the man who had changed the thermostat last year came in, raised the limit above 75, and worked on the fireplace, which came back on. But Wednesday night into Thursday morning, both the heat and fireplace went out again. The thermostat was back to a 75 degree maximum, and the fireplace wouldn’t come on. We were defeated and ready to leave. We told the front desk again, and they sent the apron man back. This time he set the thermostat to 82 degrees and said that was the highest setting, despite having said earlier that he didn’t know how to adjust it. When we left Friday morning, the emailed bill charged two days of parking even though we only parked one day, Thursday. There was no adjustment for the daily problems either. We’re Marriott Bonvoy members, and I used my Marriott Bonvoy Amex for the stay. The service was extremely poor. Please listen and don’t waste your time here, there are plenty of other hotels with better service.

The staff were friendly and the location was fine, but the room was disgusting. It smelled strongly of Lysol and stale cigarette smoke. Once the Lysol scent faded, the smoke became unbearable, which was especially infuriating since I had my young child with me. The lighting was so dim that it was hard to see anything at night, and the floor was filthy. We had a small spill in the kitchenette and wiped it with a white bathroom washcloth. After cleaning only about two feet of tile, the cloth had turned completely black. I’ll absolutely never stay here again.

The staff were courteous and friendly, but there were a lot of problems with the property. The internet was awful. I could get on the regular network, but not the upgraded one, even after contacting tech support. Some rooms also don't have elevator access, and nowhere was that mentioned. Parking was tight too. The porte-cochère barely fits one car, and the limited rear parking is down a narrow alley. The tub was the worst part: it was covered in old rust, and I could feel pieces coming off under me. That should have been noticed and fixed years ago. Maybe the health department needs to take a look.