BWI Airport Marriott

The honey Cajun wings and Impossible Burger were amazing, and once the food was ordered it came quickly. Getting to that point was slow, though. The restaurant knew a conference was happening but wasn’t ready for a crowd. People waited 30-40 minutes to order because bar customers were served first, so many had to order at the bar even when they weren’t getting alcohol. At checkout, nobody was at the desk. I used the key drop box because catching the airport shuttle mattered more than waiting. Also, the hotel puts a $100 incidental hold on debit and credit cards, though the sign only mentions debit cards. The hotel overall was amazing.

The location works well for BWI, and Spothero usually has good airport parking rates. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes. I’ve parked here a few times without problems, but this stay was different. We stayed overnight because of an early flight and found plenty of issues. I booked for lounge access, hoping to get a light snack and a glass of wine. It closes at 10 p.m. and was open when we arrived, but there was barely anything there: a couple of bags of chips and soda. There was tea but no hot water and no coffee, so it was really just a place to sit away from the crowd. Status members get breakfast in the lounge, but we left too early to try it. The hotel needs renovation. It felt like a worn-out “classic Marriott” stay: old, smelly carpets, a shower that didn’t drain and had terrible pressure, and furniture showing its age. In the middle of the night, the shampoo bottle came unglued from the wall and woke us up. For $250 a night, that wasn’t what I expected. It’s fine for one night before an early flight if you don’t expect much, but it seems like the owner has been milking the property for a while.

The location was convenient, but my room door wouldn’t close because the deadbolt kept sticking out. When I told a staff member, he asked if I wanted him to hold my bags. I wasn’t mistaking him for a bellman, I was just trying to help by telling him about the door. The pool seems to host a swim school and badly needs a deep clean.

We stayed to celebrate my granddaughter’s birthday. They said cake wasn’t allowed near the pool, so I asked about the patio with picnic tables. Getting there with a baby in a stroller was a hassle: the elevator was broken, and we were told to use the side door, walk around the hotel, and go through a gate. On the way back, every door was locked, so we had to go all the way around again with our bags. This isn’t a kid-friendly place. The rooms were okay, nothing special for the price, and there was no free breakfast of any kind. The staff couldn’t communicate in English at all.