Residence Inn by Marriott Lubbock-University Area

Check-in was easy and quick, and the staff were both friendly and professional. The room and hotel felt clean, comfortable, and well cared for. I felt relaxed and safe throughout my stay, and would happily come back.

This was bad enough to earn one star, which I rarely give. I've written hundreds of positive reviews and have stayed at Residence Inns in several states, but this location was filthy and badly run. Walking into our room, we were hit by a disgusting smell. The furniture was dusty, the bathroom floor was dirty and scuffed, there was no toilet paper on the holder, debris ran along the carpet, the shower baseboard was coming off, and the TV screen was filthy. There was red splatter on the wall that looked like blood. The elevator was unreliable, and several other guests as well as us were worried it wasn't safe. Breakfast was depleted by 9 a.m., with no coffee or hot food, and it took a long time for things to be refilled. The bacon and quiche were inedible. In my experience, Residence Inn keeps hot coffee available all the time, but at 5 p.m. Saturday this coffee was literally cold. Front desk staff often saw us coming or going and acted as though they didn't. We spent several hundred dollars for two nights and got no hospitality, though guests should be able to expect a clean, orderly room that smells fresh. We were disappointed and won't return. We didn't call management during the stay because the widespread problems made it seem management was failing too. It's now been over a month since I wrote this, and I've heard nothing from them about the filthy room or the very poor food and coffee service. That tells you how poorly this place is managed and operated. Expect to be underwhelmed and overcharged. Find a hotel that values you as a customer.

The location is handy for campus, and the rooms are comfortable and clean. I like Residence Inns for the dining table, but the chairs in my room were the wrong height: tall table, low chairs. The large-screen TV only offered Netflix for streaming. In the bathroom there was no walk-in shower, and my tub had stains and wasn't very nice. Hot water was good, though the water pressure could be better.

I've usually had friendly service here when staying for Tech games, so this was my first bad experience. Zach checked us in, but we realized the room wasn't the one we'd booked. He apologized and told us to come back down for help. Chloe, the manager, said they'd overbooked king rooms and rudely explained she'd moved us because we'd paid with loyalty points. I've never been moved for using points before, but apparently that's how they do it here. Chloe also said she'd add points to my account for the trouble. No surprise, that never happened. I hope this doesn't become a pattern.