Courtyard by Marriott Wall at Monmouth Shores Corporate Park

Most of the first-floor guests complained about cold rooms and no hot water, and one couple said their room was filthy. Mine was clean when I arrived, but there was no housekeeping during the stay, so the garbage overflowed and we ran out of towels. The sign said to hang towels up to reuse them, but I didn’t, and nobody came anyway. The lighting was so poor I couldn’t see into the closet, and there was no hot water. When I complained, they told me to let it run. I did for 35 minutes. The wedding block my daughter booked was more expensive than booking outside it, and arranging it took too much effort because communication was terrible. About 50 rooms came for the wedding, and I’d hoped for more help. As the host, I felt the complaints made me look bad. The desk staff were nice except for one man who spent a lot of time texting and scrolling. I asked him for a garbage bag and he said they had none, but after I muttered under my breath, he found one. There were no garbage cans in the lobby or soap in its bathroom. One good thing was that the couple’s afterparty went past the allotted time, which was nice, though someone may get in trouble for it. I told the venue that recommended the hotel it might want to remove it from its list because it made the venue look bad. They were amazing.

The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve had anywhere, and check-in was quick and easy. Barbara checked us in herself, and she was warm and happy to help rather than passing us off to someone else. I later learned she was the manager. Before arrival, Angellica was patient, courteous, and answered all my questions when I called. The only reason I couldn’t give five stars was the cold shower before a wrestling tournament. I let the water run for 20 minutes and it still didn’t warm up. The whole building apparently had water problems, and I was late that morning because of it. I wish they’d told us about the issue so we could decide whether to stay. It definitely ruined my day.

The woman at the front desk was nice, but the room smelled and wasn’t very clean or well kept. In the morning there was no water for my shower. At the desk they said they’d turned off the hot water, but gave no reason and offered nothing for the inconvenience. An explanation might have made it understandable. I also couldn’t use the gym, even though we still had two hours before checkout. I’ll look elsewhere next time I’m in the area.

The room was average and a little run down, probably due for a makeover. I stayed one night for a nearby business meeting, and there was plenty of workspace in the lobby. No free morning coffee, though. You have to buy it for $6 at their “Starbucks.” The food there was pretty tasty, and the place also works as a small bar in the evening.