Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Valparaiso

The only snag was finding the place: the address didn't take me right to the hotel, so I had to keep driving for about a block. The stay itself was great. I was greeted warmly when I walked in, found a personalized note and snacks in the room, and the cleaning staff wished us well as we left.

As a Platinum member who has spent a lot at Marriott Bonvoy properties, I was frustrated by how my late checkout request was handled. I was told it wasn't available, but also that I could extend my reservation, which felt contradictory and wasn't explained clearly. During my conversation with Lucy Owens, the General Manager, I felt repeatedly interrupted and talked over. Her tone came across as dismissive and condescending rather than professional or focused on helping. The interaction showed little customer care. I've stayed at many Bonvoy properties across different states, and this was one of my poorest customer service experiences. Management should address guest concerns patiently, respectfully, and clearly, especially for loyal members.

We could hear a lot of road noise even though our room didn't face the road, and it was never made up. We left by 10 am and came back four hours later. The front desk also seemed unstaffed whenever I walked past. The staff we did meet were pleasant. The leaf-print shades really dragged down my opinion of the room, and after two nights of clunking we worked out that a shade was blowing into the bottom of the window trim.

The king suite we got had clearly been renovated and felt fresh and new. Staff at the front desk were welcoming and reminded me that the pool was closed for renovations. The only smell I noticed was new carpet in the second-floor hallway. Breakfast had several choices and was hot. There was a crumpled cocktail napkin on the elevator floor when we arrived, and it was still there when we left the next day. We heard no noise and slept well before the holiday, so I'd stay again. I was in town to see family for Thanksgiving and used points for a free king room on Nov 26th. Recent reviews had made me consider other options, but the hotel emailed a few days ahead about the renovation and what wasn't available. Since work ran 8 am to 6 pm, it didn't affect us, as we arrived after 6 and planned to leave by 9 am.