Fairfield Inn Portland Maine Mall

The bathroom was especially bad: live bugs in the shower, dead bugs and residue smeared on the walls and curtain, a stained toilet seat with burn marks, and hair stuck to the walls. The body wash, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers were all empty. Even after we told housekeeping, they weren’t refilled, so we had to go down to the front desk ourselves to ask for replacements. The attendant seemed inconvenienced by the request. The rooms weren’t clean, customer service was poor, and the place didn’t feel safe or welcoming. As a Marriott Gold member who’s stayed at several Fairfield properties around the country, this was the worst hotel experience I’ve had, especially for a property with the Marriott name. It fell far below the standards I expect from Marriott, and Marriott should seriously reconsider letting this property use its brand. If you’re going to Portland, I’d strongly recommend finding somewhere else to stay.

The location was convenient, though the highway is right behind the hotel. If you need quiet, ask for a room at the front. My room had two double beds, and they could use new mattresses. The bathroom was small but usable. It wasn’t too bad.

The room was clean, and the staff I encountered were generally friendly and helpful. But I woke up with welts that I assumed were bedbug bites, and I’m allergic to them. I showed some bites and photos to Front Desk Mgr, Katie. She didn’t think it warranted interrupting the GM, who was nearby in a meeting, and said only that the pest contractor would check the room. A week later, she left a phone message saying they found no bed bugs. That’s possible, but even one can be very hard to find. I know from a previous experience at a non-Marriott property, when I helped the manager and head of housekeeping search a room in 2015. They stripped the bed, stood it on its end, examined it with a magnifying glass, and found a tiny bit of black dust under the box spring’s muslin cover in the upper left corner. The housekeeper crushed it with her fingernail, and blood came out. One bug caused me many more bites than I got at FFI PWM this time. I’d like to know what steps they took in this room to decide there were “no bedbugs found.” The stay also felt below Marriott’s standards, or Fairfield Inns’ for that matter. The regular King room is tiny, as are all the bathrooms. I was told this had always been a FFI, though I still got the impression it used to belong to another chain. It feels like they cut corners: there was no paper or pen in the room, no bowls for cereal at breakfast, and no hot oatmeal, just boiling water so you could make it in a cardboard cup.

The staff were helpful and accommodating, and breakfast had lots of good options. The rooms are small, but they’re fine for what you need, a good night’s sleep. The shower pressure wasn’t amazing, though it worked. To the people leaving negative reviews, your standards are pretty high for a 2 star hotel! I’d definitely come back if I needed a place in this area.