Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Memphis East/Galleria

I usually never leave reviews, but this week in Memphis for work was bad enough that I had to say something. I’ve spent the week trying to get my room receipt emailed and haven’t managed to get it. The one call they answered left me on hold for over 15 minutes before I hung up. The bathroom towels are thin and worn, and the in-room TVs have apparently been out since around January 1st. The hallway and stairwell carpets were reportedly removed then too, and still haven’t been replaced. At first I thought the apparent renovations meant the property was improving, but after looking around, it seems the work has been going on for quite a while without much visible progress. The place may have potential, but the stalled updates, poor room amenities, and unresponsive management leave the guest service and quality below an acceptable standard.

We’d driven all the way from Ohio, and I was so tired that I stayed, but otherwise I wouldn’t have. The hallway on the second floor reeked of weed, the fridge in our room didn’t work, and the coffee pot was gross. The elevator was disgusting, and the first floor was under construction without anyone telling us. At check-in, the guy talked over me and brushed off my concerns. Breakfast was nasty, there was no coffee or juice, and the yogurt given to my granddaughter was a week past its expiration date. While we were loading the car at 10:30, our key cards stopped working even though we still had things in the room. The hotel smelled horrible when we walked in, and the glass area where drinks were sold was dirty. The shower was nice and there were plenty of towels, but I also felt the staff were shady. This place should be condemned. DONT STAY HERE.

The staff were friendly and really tried to help, even moving us to other rooms, and they kindly offered to dry our clothes in their dryer. The new rooms still smelled, though not as strongly. We were told the damp, moldy smell was from the pool, but we’ve stayed at plenty of hotels in both the South and the North and never had this problem. We had two rooms for three nights, and both smelled strongly of mildew. We didn’t see mold, but the odor was concerning. The washer worked but leaked and left the laundry room floor flooded; the dryer didn’t work. My family didn’t enjoy breakfast either. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, but the shampoo and conditioner bottles weren’t filled. I appreciate how lovely and helpful the staff were, but I wouldn’t stay or recommend the hotel because of the smell and not knowing what’s causing it.

The cleaning staff and breakfast employees were excellent, and I think poor management puts them at a disadvantage. My TV stopped working again after a maintenance man came to fix it, and it stayed out for the rest of my trip. The key card also failed every day, so I had to get it reprogrammed each night when I returned. I was moved into this room and told the floor had just reopened after renovations, but the TV and WiFi were still terrible, and the toilet seat was broken. I know the property was being renovated, but the pool smelled like a high school football team’s laundry area, so I couldn’t use it. I couldn’t use the phone either. I feel ripped off and should be reimbursed in full.