San Diego Marriott Del Mar

Very nice staff. We recently picked up a client at Marriott Del Mar for a drop-off at SAN airport. The bell guy was professional and opened the black car door for our guest, then loaded the luggage. Very cool. Monarch Executive Transportation

The Courtyard lounge was closed when we checked in at 4 PM, even though we expected to relax after a long drive. The front desk service was poor overall. The male receptionist with glasses didn't greet us or smile, and made check-in uncomfortable; he seemed like he didn't want to be there. We were supposed to have a microwave in the room, but there wasn't one, and there was no kettle either, which was especially inconvenient for families. I'd paid for breakfast for four, but the desk only gave us breakfast for two. I had also paid for parking in advance, but the receptionist said he couldn't see it in the system. He only provided it after I started looking for the confirmation email, and acted as if he were doing me a favor by making it free, even though it was already paid for. This stay was well below Marriott's usual standards, with promised amenities missing, poor service, and no transparency. I hope management takes this seriously and makes improvements for future guests.

I tightened the bathroom door screws by hand because they were all loose and the door wouldn't work properly. After that, it worked fine. The blackout curtains were another little problem: the coating was missing in several spots, so they didn't do their job. The staff were amazing, every person made me feel they cared about what I needed, and I love the hotel. But those small maintenance issues matter. The maintenance team should go through the rooms now and then and make sure things work.

The property needs work, and it doesn't feel worthy of the Marriott Bonvoy brand. The elevators were old, slow, and often busy. There were almost no amenities beyond a bar of soap and lotion. I travel a lot for work and am staying at the Marriott Irvine property now; the cost-cutting at Del Mar is noticeable and cheapens the experience. I booked through the American Express travel portal and my reservation was canceled without notice, so I had to rebook at the counter through American Express. David at the front desk then mistakenly charged my platinum card for an extra night, even though I'd only provided it for incidentals. I didn't find out until I checked my statement and had to contact them to fix it. While I was at the desk for about 20 minutes, four different parties complained about their stays. Each was offered either valet or parking waivers, or 15 to 20,000 Marriott points.