SpringHill Suites by Marriott Topeka Southwest

We often stay at Marriotts and were surprised to be charged for both rooms right after booking. The reservation was for May 25-26, made on May 20, with cancellation available until May 23 at 6:00 p.m. When the team we planned to watch in the state tournament didn’t advance, we canceled on May 22. The charges had already cleared, and after I called the hotel twice, they finally told us today that they’d initiated a refund. That was five days after cancellation, even though the rooms shouldn’t have been charged in the first place. They said their system had been doing this and it wasn’t something that usually happened. Be aware, you may be charged when you book, and refunds can take a long time.

I really liked how spacious the room was and how well it was laid out. I think it may have been a higher-caliber room than the hotel’s usual ones, but I can’t be sure. Someone who was a rewards member booked it. Very, very nice. See my other details about the Fitness Center.

The staff were friendly but distracted, and they didn’t tell us the whole building had no hot water. We found out the hard way when we tried to shower, then went back to the front desk. The hotel is newer, with simple modern rooms, but there were noticeable mildew stains in the bathroom and wear that could bring its ratings down soon if left unattended. The pool area was clean, though the chemical smell was exceptionally strong. Breakfast had a small selection, including grab-and-go and gluten-free options, but we had to ask for several things because nobody was specifically watching the area. The lobby had several kinds of seating, and there was a bar open in the evenings, though we didn’t use it.

The exterior looked beautiful, and the lobby was clean and modern. That’s where the good impressions stopped. In the room, there were crumbs on the floor in several places, loose bathroom tiles, mold along the shower grout, and a toilet paper holder nearly pulled out of the wall. The beds were okay, but the pillows weren’t comfortable. We’d stayed at the Springhill Suites in Lenexa recently and booked the Topeka one for the next weekend. I wouldn’t stay at this location again.