Moxy Oakland Uptown

The bathroom was decent, and the lobby smelled nice. The check-in girl was pleasant, though I couldn’t believe she was also the bartender and cook, apparently the only person running the whole hotel. I checked out immediately and paid to stay somewhere else. The place tries for an edgy, trendy minimalist feel, but it comes off cheap and cut-corner. The hallways were dark and eerie, almost like a brothel. There was no room service, and you had to get towels from a locker-like utility closet in the hallway. Rooms were tiny, with paper printouts on the walls as decoration and only hooks instead of a closet or wardrobe. The gym was small, the view was horrible, and everything else was bad.

For a business trip, the best part was the staff. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, and Liz was awesome. The rest was a rough experience. More than 100 people were here for the same trip, but only one elevator worked, causing painful delays and traffic jams. The neighborhood felt rough, and I’m from St. Louis, so I know rough. I had to run from my Uber to the hotel to avoid a street person chasing me. The TV didn’t work, Wi-Fi was wildly unreliable, some rooms had no AC, and the units in rooms that did have it were insanely loud. Common areas were rundown. The staff did what they could with what they had, but Marriott needs to do better.

The reception was strange. Staff stayed on their phones and didn’t acknowledge guests, and they sit so far from the door they can’t really see people arriving. The Asian woman with glasses was uncomfortably rude and unprofessional. They also advertise free breakfast, but a bagel cost $10, which felt completely misleading. The area felt less safe than any other hotel I’ve stayed at. Parking was $50 a night, about what other hotels charge, but here you have to walk and wait for someone to open the gate instead of getting valet. It’s inconvenient. There was no hot water, so I had to take a cold shower. Marriott may run this place, but my stay at the nearby AC Hotel was a thousand times better. Moxy Oakland Uptown was a complete disappointment, and I’ll never stay here again.

We arrived to find the receptionist rude and hostile, even after I showed proof that we’d already paid in full through booking.com. We were told we had to pay for the room again. The AC made a screeching noise all night, so we couldn’t use it and slept in 85 degree heat. After checkout, they charged $145 for 17 hours of parking, even though the website says parking is $41 per 24 hours. That makes no sense. I called to dispute it and was met with more rudeness. I still haven’t gotten a refund. Terrible place, and I wouldn’t recommend it.