The Industrialist Hotel, Pittsburgh, Autograph Collection

The front entrance looks beautiful, but it was cold and a bit dank, and the hotel could feel more inviting. I’ve had more helpful, appreciative staff at other Marriott stays. As a Marriott Gold member, I wasn’t asked about late checkout or a possible upgrade, though I didn’t necessarily expect one. The building also doesn’t block much sound, so you can hear other guests. My room was small and updated, but felt a little cheap. The temperature wouldn’t go above 68 even though it was 20 degrees outside, and there was a serious draft in the shower from a roughly two-inch gap between the door and wall. A door seal could help. For an Autograph hotel, I think it deserves more scrutiny than this. It was pretty good overall, but weaker than other Autograph stays I’ve had, and not deserving of the five stars I’ve given those.

The staff were amazing, helpful, and easy to talk to, and check-in and checkout went smoothly. The location is great for walking around before about 10 PM, when the area starts to feel a bit sketchy. I appreciated the blackout curtains, especially with the city lights on all night. Valet was a little slow, and it took some figuring out to get my receipt since it’s billed separately from the hotel, but I sorted it out. My coworkers had encouraged me to try this Autograph Collection hotel, but the experience felt pretty basic for a place that promotes its atmosphere. The room looked nice at first, though once I was spending time in it I noticed it was a bit run down. The bed and pillows were uncomfortable, and sound came through the walls and doors, including hallway noise and doors opening and closing. Breakfast doesn’t start until 7 AM, which isn’t useful for business travel when you need to leave by then. I’d probably stay again for work because of the rate and location for customer events. I wouldn’t choose it for a personal vacation.

The Industrialist Hotel is gorgeous, with a lovely old style and thoughtful decor. The rooms are tiny, but we were only there to sleep. Everyone working there was kind and ready to help with whatever we needed. The location is perfect, and I’d recommend the hotel to anyone.

The entire room reservation ended up charged to the personal card I’d given for a temporary hold, even though I had already paid for the booking with another card. When I called to switch the charge, the first person sounded friendly and sent me a form. He said accounting would start the next day and the change would take 8-10 days. I believed him. After eight days I called again and was told reversals can take a while, so I waited two more days. On the next call, I learned nobody had even started the reversal. The third person promised accounting would handle it that day and that I’d get an email by afternoon. Two days passed with no email, so I called again. The fourth person took my phone number and said they’d follow up. That night, I called back to check, and the fifth person confirmed the charge still hadn’t been reversed. I’ve spent weeks chasing the hotel staff over a charge that should never have gone on my card. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. If something goes wrong, expect to spend your own time trying to get anyone to help or fix it.