Courtyard by Marriott Kansas City Shawnee

I felt safe here. The hotel was clean and newer, with nice rooms, comfortable beds that weren't too hard or soft, and a clean bathroom with a standing shower and sliding door. Breakfast foods cost extra, and there's a Starbucks inside with great service. It's mostly by itself at the exit, so there aren't many food options unless you drive to another exit. I recommend it.

The carpeting looks fairly new, and the Bistro staff were friendly and accommodating. That's about all I liked. The Courtyard name made me expect more, but this is nowhere near Marriott quality. We were greeted by some of the rudest front desk staff we've encountered at any hotel. The bed was lumpy and gave me hip and shoulder pain. There's no closet; the cupboard is too short for hanging clothes without them dragging, and most of its space is taken up by the iron and ironing board. There's only one drawer in a side box. The window and door let in drafts and outside noise, and the walls are thin enough that sound travels easily. We left a day early to get better rest, and we'll never return. I should have read the other reviews.

I left around 10:30 Sunday night after just one night because I couldn't take it anymore. I paid $550 and the service was worse than at hotels that cost far less. The advertising pictures are deceptive, and there's not even free breakfast. At check-in, they said they'd charge me $20 for each night. That needs to be refunded. When I returned Sunday evening, the wet towels were still on the floor. I expected supplies like towels and toilet paper to be restocked when there was no do-not-disturb sign, but had to take my dirty towels downstairs and get my own. Then the toilet nearly overflowed, and there was no plunger, so I had to go downstairs again to fetch one. I complained, and the desk guy gave me a card with Kevin Bundy's name as general manager. Calling the number on it just got me the same desk guy, who forwarded me to a voicemail belonging to some woman, not Kevin. Nobody called me back. That's three strikes. I packed and drove three and a half hours home. I took a video of the room as I left, but won't play it because I was speaking in it and wasn't very nice.

The location right off 635 is really convenient. The small restaurant and bar is only open for dinner a few nights a week, but Lori is amazing as server, bartender, and cook. Everything is made fresh to order and tastes quite good. The place itself is tiny.