Quality Express Inn & Suites

I’ve seen a huge change from two years ago. The new maintenance guy knows more than the old one and is gradually improving things, and the cleaning staff are pleasant and do a good job. The owner or manager is kind but doesn’t put up with trouble on the lot or property. I sleep well knowing my vehicle is on camera, and he’s either watching it or walking the lot himself at night. There’s no continental breakfast, but the coffee is always fresh. If it isn’t, you can ask and they’ll make more without being rude. The rooms are basic and need updates and new wallpaper, but my sheets and towels were clean, and I didn’t see a single bug during my three weeks there. It’s not the cheapest place, since there are cheaper hotels in Marietta, but they’re much worse. I’d give it four stars and hope to see more improvements, even if they come slowly. Better than most others. The strip joint across the street is quiet, and I’ve never seen anything happening there.

The staff were genuinely friendly, and the room was mostly clean. Their kindness is why I’m giving two stars, even though I wish I could rate it higher. The pool was a big reason we booked, since the website showed a really nice one, but it was closed and being used for storage. The site didn’t mention that. At check-in, the clerk apologized and said the kitchen staff had been let go because the Health Dept. requires food handlers’ cards and none of them had them, so there was no free continental breakfast. The hotel was very strict about smoking: there was a no smoking sign on the lobby door and two more at the registration desk, one warning of a $150 cleaning fee if a guest smoked in a room. The clerk told me verbally, I signed an agreement, and the owner also said smokers had to go outside. Neither my sister nor I smoke. But as soon as we entered the guest room wing, we were hit with thick cigarette smoke, burnt popcorn, and old cooking oil smells. The room still smelled strongly of cigarettes and burnt popcorn, though the oil smell faded. We used most of a small can of Lysol, then bought Febreze the next day and used about three quarters of the bottle. That helped a lot, and the room stopped reeking. The door was another problem. The clerk said it stuck and needed force, but even with a green light from the key card, the handle wouldn’t open it. My sister tried too. We couldn’t get in on our own the whole stay, so the owner or clerk had to let us in every time we came back. There was no phone in the room, so when I worried about being blamed for the smoke smell under the agreement I’d signed, I couldn’t call the desk to report it right after check-in. The room was mostly clean, but there was a noticeable amount of beard stubble at the back of the sink. No tissues, the hair dryer didn’t work, and there was no coffee maker. The guest ice machine was out of order too, though we could get ice from the desk. For a cheap stay with a clean room, if you don’t care about amenities or smells, this might work. We missed coffee, a phone, a pool, breakfast, and fresh air. For those things, pay extra for somewhere nicer.

The smells alone were stifling, and I tried putting dryer sheets all over to deal with them. There were three roaches in my room, the door wouldn’t lock, and the hallways smelled like cat urine. Apparently each room has only one set of sheets. You have to strip the bed yourself and ask for clean ones, then wait while your old sheets are laundered before they’re brought back. This was a very low end place and not a good stay. I won’t return.

For a budget hotel, it was a great deal for the price. There’s no breakfast or pool, and from conversations it sounds like neither has been available since the pandemic started. The staff were great and very friendly. They were airing out our room when we arrived, so it was still a bit musty and quite hot, but I appreciated them trying. The microwave and fridge worked well, the shower had good pressure and hot water, and the air conditioning worked fabulously. The bedding was old with some holes, the towels were a little stained, and the carpet had seen better days. Thankfully, unlike what other reviews mentioned, we didn’t find bed bugs, though there were some dead bugs.