Hotel Marceline

The shower had good pressure and warmed up fast, and the area outside was clean and fairly quiet. We could walk to the gas station and convenience store across the street, and DG Market was walkable too. The Disney farm and dreaming tree were close by, which was a big reason I came to Marceline. I picked Hotel Marceline for its Disney feel in the website photos and its in-town location, since there aren't many hotel options here. I’d put the stay around 2.75 stars, and left a bit disappointed. The room felt damp and smelled like wet dog as soon as I walked in. I knew dogs were allowed for a fee, but hadn't expected that smell. I nearly changed hotels, though I couldn't get a refund by then. The hotel was full, so another room wasn't available. A staff member brought a dehumidifier quickly, and that helped along with turning up the air conditioning. Check-in also felt unfriendly. I wasn't expecting Disney-level service, but the greeting was basically, “please fill out and sign this form.” The shower handle came off while I was adjusting the water. It still worked, but seemed carelessly put together or repaired. The bed was just okay, neither awful nor great, and the linens seemed fine. For the price, the place felt mediocre, maybe not even good. I don't know how many staff were on, but I wish there'd been more attention to room presentation and repairs. It felt a little like the Disney pictures were supposed to make up for what was lacking. Maybe other rooms were great, I don't know.

Angie was terrific. I left a work binder in the room, and she arranged to send it to me after I got home. We had four guys on a hunting trip and stayed in the Managers Suite for the weekend. It suited our group perfectly, and the room was clean, with beds that made for a good night's sleep. I don't usually write reviews, but if I'm in the area again, I'll stay at Hotel Marceline. They've made a lifelong customer out of me.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I stayed at Hotel Marceline and came away disappointed. We had booked room #1, the Cozy Cone Twin Room, about three months ahead, but at check-in we got keys to room #3, the All Star Twin Room. I explained that we wanted the Cozy Cone decor. The front desk worker kept saying the rooms were the same, meaning they had the same beds, though I tried to explain that the decor was different and was a major selling point of the Disney-themed hotel. When I asked why we couldn't have the room we'd booked, he said it was occupied and that those guests had been there a week. I showed him my April 1 confirmation, and he said someone must have changed our reservation. It certainly wasn't my wife or me. We reluctantly accepted room #3, since it was the only available room with two beds apart from the suites. The suites were offered later, but only if we paid the difference. There was virtually nobody else staying at the hotel that night, so it was frustrating that someone else had been put in our booked room. Our options were to pay for an upgrade or take a refund, in a town with no other hotels. Since the hotel had made the mistake, we felt they should have made some effort to fix it, but they didn't. A place that says it wants to emulate Disney fell well short for us. If we come back to Marceline, we'll look for an Airbnb or stay in a nearby town.

The room was clean, and the air conditioning gets VERY COLD if that's what you want. You can park right outside your door. Can't ask for much more.