Residence Inn Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate

I expected better as a Platinum Elite member, especially since Marriott is usually my first choice for work trips. The system was down, so guests couldn’t buy water. I was asked to return the two bottles, then ended up driving to a gas station at midnight for water even though the hotel had plenty there. On top of that, both my room and the hallways smelled strongly of smoke, and the shower water kept jumping between scalding and ice cold without a way to get a steady temperature. This was incredibly frustrating and far below the standard I expect from Marriott.

There was a marijuana smell in the hallway near our room, and breakfast was a mess. My daughter and I went down in the morning, but the food and service were terrible. The kitchen worker was on his phone or stepping out to smoke instead of restocking things. At 9 AM, when breakfast ended at 10, the waffle maker was on but he told my daughter there was no batter. He kept staring at me from the corner in a way that felt malicious, and when I asked what he was doing, he laughed at being called out for his rudeness. Earlier, I reported that the bedroom TV and both phones, in the living room and bedroom, weren’t working. I also asked for a 12:30 PM checkout instead of the regular 12 noon. The front desk woman was unpleasant and rushed me, saying she had a customer in front of her, as if we weren’t guests too. She said she’d send maintenance, but no one came. We were leaving shortly anyway. We checked into Room 314 yesterday, and my daughter and I left disappointed. Don’t stay here.

Room 226 had such a strong pet urine smell that I had to move, but the staff handled the change kindly. The replacement room was quiet and nice, with a comfortable bed, and breakfast was great. I stay at Marriott properties a lot, and everyone at this location was five-star.

This was stay number 611 for me as a Marriott Bonvoy member since 2012, and tonight no one stepped up when something went wrong. At 11:12 PM I called the desk because the room to my right had loud music and I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t know its number. Before I could finish asking for help, I was told no and asked to call again in 30 minutes because five customers were waiting. I called back and explained the noise. The staff member told me to leave my room and find the number myself. When I asked if she could check the floor plan, she said no. I asked if she was really sending a guest hunting through the hall at 11 PM, and she said, “If you’re complaining, yes.” The call ended abruptly, and no one answered when I tried again. Noise happens. It’s the lack of help that’s the problem. Loyalty is built on someone saying, “I’ve got this.” Tonight, nobody did.