Residence Inn by Marriott Walnut Creek

The room and the rest of the stay were okay, and the location is good. But the billing mess really upset me. I clearly told reception at check-in to put all expenses on the Marriott card already on file, and the lady still charged everything incorrectly. Valet is mandatory and costs $35 a day, which seems ridiculous when this isn't even in the SF city. It's especially expensive for a long stay. The staff weren't very good overall. The only nice person was the woman at the breakfast buffet.

The front desk responded quickly when I asked about the noise, and things improved after an hour. The staff on hand were good during my visit, and the location was good too. Still, why didn't a newly built hotel make its walls and floors more soundproof? It felt like an old college dorm. I could hear people talking next door and people and kids running around upstairs like rats. I just don't get it, Marriott. Quiet rooms matter.

At breakfast, I couldn't find a server in the lounge. There were no forks even though breakfast still had an hour to go, and napkins had run out. The juice bar was a joke: I selected apple juice, but got what was basically water. We were a family of four in a room with one bed and one sofa bed. When we checked in, the sofa bed was already laid flat, with no bedding, so my husband went downstairs, brought bedding up, and made it himself. In the bathroom there was a full bag of garbage left for us. The room's water glass had lots of lip marks, which was disgusting, and ants were all over the kitchen counter. Cleanliness and having basic supplies available are things every guest should be able to expect. We weren't even talking about comfort yet, and this Residence Inn by Marriott failed at the basics. I'm deeply disappointed. It's the worst Marriott brand hotel I've stayed at.

Watch where your room is. Some rooms are close enough to the BART train that you can hear it late at night and early in the morning. I've stayed here several times, but this was my first time next to the tracks. That won't happen again.