Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center

The bed coverings were disgusting. Inside the so-called duvet, which was just a sheet loosely wrapped around a blanket, there were obvious red blotches when I held it up to the light. The room itself was nice, but the furniture felt cheap and the place seemed dirty. That wasn’t my biggest concern, though. I went downstairs at 10 p.m. to ask for help. The staff understood and tried to help, but all they could bring up was whatever blankets they could find for us to use until tomorrow. This feels like penny-pinching by management. Clean bed sheets are the most important thing a hotel provides, and having them this old and disgusting is unacceptable. I’m writing this on the first night and may update as I try the other amenities, but right now this deserves zero stars, not one.

The nightclub downstairs shook the bed, walls, and windows with bass until 11 p.m., even though my room was on the top floor. I’d paid extra for a high floor near the elevator, but got a room at the far end of what felt like the longest hallway imaginable. After 25 years and more than 1,300 nights at Marriott properties, I’ve never felt so unwelcome. Arriving was bizarre. The front of the hotel was completely dark, so I thought it was closed. The circular drive was covered in signs saying passenger loading only, no parking, while the actual lot was fenced and locked. To check in, I had to drive around to a side door about 300 feet away, down a one-way driveway. After registering, I had to use the neighboring bank lot, wait at a red light, loop around, and come back to get into the “secure” guest parking. At the desk, the man didn’t look up or say hello. His first words were that leaving my car out front would cost $10. In the morning, breakfast was all self service. I got my own coffee, set my own table, and had to find silverware. Someone eventually brought a coffee carafe without saying a word. That was the warmest interaction of the stay. This place feels like it doesn’t want guests. I’ll never return, and as a lifelong Marriott loyalist, that says a lot. Avoid it.

The rooms were clean and had no bugs, though they were dark and could use more lighting. The location was good, near Main Street restaurants. Breakfast at the buffet cost $25, which felt pricey, and on my last morning a server turned me away and told me to go to Starbucks.

The staff were all very nice, and breakfast was good, with eggs cooked to order at the stations. It was a pleasant stay in a spacious room, but there wasn’t much soundproofing. I could hear every detail of my neighbors’ conversations, so there was no privacy. The EV chargers were a nice extra.