Courtyard by Marriott New York Queens/Fresh Meadows

I arrived after a trip and was told the room I had paid for wasn’t booked, even though I showed the confirmation number and proof. The desk clerk could see the confirmation, but said they had canceled it because the hotel was full. I’d booked and paid on 02/13 for a 3pm check-in on 02/14, and had called the day before to double-check. The man on the phone wasn’t very professional, but confirmed the reservation was in their system. This left me stressed and unsure where to go. I won’t use this hotel again or recommend it. I’d avoid booking online unless you do it in person, since they seem to cancel confirmed reservations.

The rooms were clean, but they had peeling wallpaper and holes in the walls, and the area wasn’t great. My two coworkers and I were booked for three nights, but canceled the last two before we’d even stayed one night. I’m writing this close to 1am on Sunday, trying to sleep through the noise. Cars keep pulling up out front with music blasting for 30 minutes or more. The road is loud, with honking, people shouting from car windows, and race cars speeding down the highway. I’m usually not bothered by noise, but this is a lot.

We paid $391 a night for a room and arrived to find that Hani, the manager, said there was no reservation and nothing he could do because the hotel was full. I had several emails from the property showing the booking and charge, but he was dismissive and seemed ready to send me away. When I asked how they’d fix it, he shrugged and tossed over that day’s booking papers for me to check myself. That seemed highly illegal. My friend tried to help, but Hani said he could only speak to one of us at a time, then disappeared. Maybe because we’re women? Another front desk worker, while helping other guests, figured out we’d been moved to the Fairfield next door without our knowledge and apologized. I never saw a room at this property, and was charged the same rate for a different hotel. No one at Marriott could explain why. It feels like a sneaky way to overwhelm guests and take their money.

When we got back around 11pm on Saturday, after leaving the room at about 10am, the used towels were still on the bathroom floor, the trash hadn’t been taken out, the beds weren’t made, and the room didn’t smell clean. I was shocked no one had cleaned it. At the desk I asked if housekeeping cost extra, and was told no, but then learned we were supposed to request service the night before. Nobody had told us that. The clerk apologized and got the manager, who also said sorry but couldn’t send a housekeeper so late. He offered sheets for us to change the bed, but we’d been out all day and were exhausted. He asked who checked us in; I said it was someone in a costume, and he pointed to the only staff member who’d worn one the night before. That guy just apologized for forgetting to mention the request. I asked for towels and got three beverages too, which the manager said he’d charge to our room. I was disappointed he didn’t offer a credit. We won’t stay here again.