Norfolk Waterside Marriott

The restaurant and parking setup are real advantages: food is nearby, and there's a garage instead of valet, with a skywalk to the hotel. But the elevators are awful, either out of order or very slow, and four for 20 floors is ridiculous. Check-in takes forever because the card readers are so slow. The front desk staff know it's a problem and explain it, but it needs fixing. I ordered from capo capo and waited over an hour; I had to call the desk several times before the food was brought up. The hallways are cold, yet the weak AC never keeps the rooms cool. The place feels outdated, and service is slow whenever guests need something. Maybe it works for a day or two, but forget a weeklong work trip. I'm sure it was amazing 15 years ago, but there's a lot to be desired now. They need to improve the guest experience.

We were told at check-in that we could use the M Club, which we’d been able to access before. Later, our key no longer worked and we were turned away. The front desk agent was unprofessional and said lifetime members aren’t allowed in. When we asked for a manager, we were told the hotel is changing owners. I wouldn’t stay here again or consider it for a future trip.

The breakfast buffet has just about everything, and it was well worth paying extra for. The staff at reception and in the restaurant were so nice and accommodating, and our stay itself was comfortable. A lot of things weren’t working, though: some escalators were out, the parking garage elevators had problems, and the skywalk I was told would be open during the day wasn’t. We ended up walking a lot in the cold, lol. The lobby was freezing too.

Our dinner at Capo Capo was very good, though it arrived a little late and the waitress seemed distracted. We paid and left, then I checked my bank statement the next day and spotted another charge, twice the amount of the correct bill. After several calls, three days had passed with no accountability from Marriott, so we had to file a claim with our bank.