Aloft by Marriott Broomfield Denver

The room was a real plus. Our king suite had a very comfortable bed and plenty of soft pillows, a tiled shower, granite counter with a vessel sink, and a useful closet for clothes and suitcases. The hotel was clean, modern, and much more attractive than some of the other places around. We slept well, so we might come back, but we’d eat somewhere else. Dinner didn’t work out as we expected. The front desk had said the restaurant opened at 5, but when we asked where it was, we were directed to order at the bar. The menu was bar food, not dinner. We ordered drinks, and when I tried to explain my food allergy, the bartender didn’t understand me well enough. Another customer kindly translated and asked her to keep the ingredients I’m allergic to out of my meal. The sweet potato tots were excellent, my husband’s beef tacos were okay but underwhelming, and my hamburger tasted packaged, overcooked, or perhaps microwaved too long. There was also a billing mistake: I was charged for a Double Jim Beam instead of the Single Disaronno Amaretto I ordered. At check-in, the concierge was friendly and told us breakfast started at 6 and the pool stayed open until 11. We’d picked Aloft Broomfield Denver because of the good reviews and modern suite amenities, and we felt good about that choice on arrival. I hope the service and billing issues get looked into for future guests.

I wouldn’t stay at this location again because of the staff. I dealt with three people at the front desk. One younger man seemed high and couldn’t handle basic processes or answer my questions. A tall woman with an accent was very pleasant and eager to help, though I found her difficult to understand. The third person, a shorter young woman, answered things right away and was helpful, but there was a line and I didn’t want to take up her time. Bar service was mediocre at best. The room itself was clean, if a little small, with a comfortable bed. Housekeeping did a very good job with fresh towels and turndown service. The shower had reliable hot water, and the shampoo and conditioner were good. The new, large TV worked well with the streaming apps. There’s a good market, coffee is complimentary during the day, and there’s a Starbucks around the block. They’d promised water in the room, but there wasn’t any. I arrived on a late flight and didn’t want to go downstairs for it. Nothing about the hotel stood out enough to make up for the service.

At least the staff were nice and accommodating. Most of the rest of the place felt sad. The lobby looks stuck in the early 2000s, with worn pool tables, popcorn machines, and tired seating. It tries to feel cool, but the mood is more flat than upbeat. The rooms are small, the beds worn, and the barn doors in the bathrooms aren’t great. There’s almost no soundproofing between floors, so I hope you don’t have someone above you. One of the two elevators was out of order, which meant long waits. Food at the bar, really just a long counter with one employee who seemed more interested in their phone than the guests, was mediocre at best.

We paid for a king room for three nights, but at check-in they offered us two queens instead. When I pointed out the reservation, they suddenly had a king available. Room 501 then had a broken shower seal that leaked all over the bathroom. The maintenance man who came to look at it was verbally aggressive toward my wife. He didn’t know I was there too, but that doesn’t make his behavior acceptable. They moved us to room 503, where the AC didn’t work. The same maintenance man came back, even though they’d told my crying wife someone else would be sent. He supposedly fixed it, but it never blew cold air. Then we were moved again, to room 514. That room was another double queen instead of a king, and the fridge didn’t work. Three rooms, three problems, and a staff member who treated my wife aggressively. The hotel didn’t honor the room we booked, keep the rooms in working order, or treat us with respect. I’d give zero stars if I could. We were refunded for the first day, which didn’t feel like enough given what happened. The man who moved us to the third room was kind, though, and checked it over before putting us in there. That was reassuring. We booked at a Marriott property and would tell people to spend their money at a different one.