Courtyard by Marriott Peoria

We had 14 rooms for a family event and hoped to sit together in the lobby with some beers. The manager told us we couldn’t, saying it was company policy. The bar was closed, and Marriott corporate said the rule must be specific to that location. It’s disappointing, since gathering together is the whole point of having family stay at a hotel.

I’ve had good experiences with Marriott for a long time, so this was a first. The hotel felt worn out, had mold in the bathroom, and was in the least safe area and hotel I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t stay even an hour, but the front desk woman charged me for the stay anyway. Staff were irresponsible, and despite contacting them multiple times about a refund, I still haven’t heard back. She knew I was checking out so quickly, but nothing has been done to resolve it.

I left within 30 minutes after someone tried to get into my room in the early morning. The security latch stopped the door, but as a woman traveling alone, I found it terrifying. I messaged the hotel soon afterward and got a reply that they’d look into it, with no immediate offer of points or compensation. Other reviews make it sound like this has happened to others too. There were other problems as well: the bathroom door wouldn’t close fully, the hair dryer blew a fuse, and the breakfast bistro was badly understaffed. A shout-out to the one bistro worker, who tried their best. I’ll ask my company to remove this hotel from its business travel options, and I won’t stay again.

Update: I ended up having to settle for points. The Marriott representative told me, “that's what the latch is for,” as if the desk staff don’t have to control who gets access to rooms. I won’t spend my own money with Marriott again. The stay began okay, though I was given two queen beds after paying for a King. The serious problem came while I was asleep: someone opened my door, and the latch was on. It turned out the hotel had never actually checked me in and put me in someone else’s room without telling me. A stranger could access the room where I was sleeping, with all my belongings, and did open the door. The only offer was 5,000 points, supposedly enough for half a night at certain places. That didn’t seem reasonable. I thought we’d confirm whether I accepted the points at checkout, but customer service said they’d treated it as my official acceptance, so nothing more could be done. Manager Curt had given me the options. To me, this says guest safety was valued at half a free night at certain locations.