Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Midtown

I rested well because my room was quiet and had great sound insulation. The gym was clean and well equipped, and the lobby, bar, and restaurant area had a really nice atmosphere. I really enjoyed my stay, especially the friendly Marriott team and their genuine Southern hospitality.

We cut our Thanksgiving visit short because the rooms felt unsanitary, and the whole stay was disgusting and stressful. My husband and I were visiting family with our one-year-old. We found a roach in the first room, and a kind young man at the front desk moved us. There was another roach as soon as we entered the second room. We moved a third time, then found a third roach on the headboard the next morning, right after our child woke up. We checked out early and asked for a manager. We understood that none was available because of the holiday, but three days have passed without a call or follow-up. When we tried calling ourselves, we were hung up on three times before someone finally agreed to take our information down for the second time. We're still waiting to hear back. I wouldn't recommend staying here, especially with children.

I spent my whole two-night stay without a working keycard, which was a huge inconvenience. I arrived around 11:20 p.m. Thursday, and was told the key machine was down. Staff had to open my door, and they said to come back in the morning for a key. I went to the front desk Friday at 10:30 a.m., 3 p.m., and midnight, but it still wasn't working. At 10 a.m. Saturday, checkout day, there was still no card. They had one by 2:45 p.m., during my late checkout, but neither the physical key nor mobile key worked. Staff had to come open the door every time, and I couldn't use the side entrances. The lobby was clean and smelled nice, but check-in wasn't friendly, just straight to the point. My room was clean but oddly arranged, with a small, old TV and a very rusty-looking sprinkler. The room could use an update to match the lobby. The free popcorn was a nice touch.

The location was really good, and the staff member who helped me was very good too. Still, we couldn't stay. The place didn't feel safe, and the inside needed a thorough cleaning. It gave us off-road-motel vibes, which was shocking given the positive ratings online. The photos must be old. It didn't look like Marriott quality at all: the outside paint was fading, it wasn't smoke-free, and it wasn't clean to my standards or what I'm used to from Marriott. It needs updating. There are other good hotels nearby.