TownePlace Suites by Marriott Boston Medford

The room was comfortable and clean, and breakfast had lots of choices. It was my first time visiting the Boston area, and the train was conveniently close. The one annoyance was the repeated banging and sliding door noise, which I assume came from kitchen staff getting breakfast ready. I'd ask for a room farther down the hall, away from an access door. I still gave five stars because staff could fix that pretty easily.

That lovely breakfast room doesn't make up for how poor the breakfast is. I've stayed here several times over the last 4 years and liked it at first, but my stay a week ago was the worst. The king bed had only a mattress pad, no fitted sheet, and queen size pillows. I called around 10:30 pm for a sheet; 20 minutes later they brought a queen one that didn't fit. After another call and 30 minutes, at midnight, someone delivered three fitted sheets so I could hopefully find one that worked. At least I got to make my own bed at a hotel. Two stays ago, I was promised Marriott points because of an unsatisfactory stay, but they never arrived. I usually only write positive reviews, so this is an exception. Think carefully before booking.

The kitchen in the suite was fully equipped, with a full size refrigerator and freezer, stovetop, oven, and microwave. Nicole and Gabby made me feel welcome as soon as I arrived, and there's plenty of parking for a low fee. The subway is about a 10 minute walk away. Breakfast was the one letdown. It was horrible, and they didn't even have the waffles or pancakes they advertised.

By morning, my car and five others parked along the hotel perimeter had been broken into and towed. Staff showed little concern when I raised it. They called the towing company and told us to take a Lyft and cover the fees ourselves. The tow company would only take cash or U.S. debit cards, neither of which I had, so I spent hours dealing with the mess. I don't know what I would have done without my credit card. At check-in, nobody clearly explained parking restrictions or warned us about towing, and I saw no warning signs. They gave me a generic parking information sheet and said to put it on the dashboard, without mentioning towing. It seemed clear they knew this happened and had chosen not to tell guests beforehand. This turned what should have been a simple, stress free stay into a frustrating and disappointing experience. I've contacted Marriott and hope it gets resolved soon. I'm posting this in case it helps someone else avoid the same trouble.