Front desk lady was amazing. The hotel and whoever is running it. Is not. Marriott should remove there name from this place. It's dirty and not well maintained. I don't know what's worse. The burn pits in Iraq or staying the one night in this dump. On top of this Marriott customer service wouldn't move my reservation to another hotel. So instead of moving to another Marriott property I'm now going to stay in an IHG property. Marriott is going down hill.
It's a shame
FJ
F J.
Inexperienced manual driver burnt up my transmission
It was taking a while for my car to arrive and the Valet manager at the Element by Westin a Marriott property, approached me to ask would I be willing to get it myself if he drove me to it because the valet was having trouble getting it uphill.(manual transmission) Guess where this is going...Suddenly there my car appears emitting a horrible stench. I wasn't going to drive it as I was on a road trip and suspected the clutch and transmission were burnt up. Long story short, The manager sent the valet home for the day and let me leave my car in the valet lane for it to be towed to a repair shop the following day. I had 4 witnesses to this. Repair shop confirmed transmission was severely damaged due to driving on the emergency brake uphill and lack of knowledge driving a manual auto. $4000. repair and PMC i Nashville refuses to cover. This is who Marriott entrusts your vehicles with, YELP 1 star rating with 58 reviews as of today.
SK
siddhesh K.
Review of Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield – Serious Guest Safety Concerns
I have been a loyal Marriott Platinum+ member for 7 years, but my recent experience at Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield was extremely concerning and unsafe.
Back in February 2024, I reported a serious safety hazard at this hotel — dangerously wide railing gaps on multiple floors that pose the risk of a child or adult falling several stories. After nearly a year of follow-ups, Marriott’s OCA team assured me that the issue had been fixed and even shared photos claiming compliance.
However, during my August 2025 stay, I was shocked to see that the hazard was still unresolved. Only one floor had been partially corrected; the rest of the property remained unsafe, with railing gaps of nearly 24 inches. It was so dangerous that I could not allow my child to walk to the lobby or restaurant without supervision.
This raises very serious questions: why was I given false assurances that the issue was fixed? Why is the hotel still operating when it clearly fails Marriott’s own safety standards? And why has this not been corrected after almost two years?
Until Marriott addresses these issues, I cannot recommend this property. Guests — especially families with children — are being knowingly put at risk.
WA
Warren
The end of customer service at Marriott International
I’m not sure what has happened to Marriott, but the brand has become almost unrecognizable. From what I can tell, the decline began after J.W. Marriott, Jr. retired and his successor, Arne Sorenson — who, while not a Marriott by name, truly embodied the company’s values — passed away far too soon. Since then, it feels as though Marriott has thrown the baby out with the bathwater.
Gone are the core values that once defined the Marriott brand: service, quality, efficiency, professionalism, and esprit de corps.
This review isn’t about one bad experience at a single property. My concern is broader — it spans the entire Marriott portfolio and even extends to their reservations and call centers.
Today was a particularly disheartening day. From the New York Times to Microsoft to Marriott, I encountered one abysmal customer service experience after another. It felt like I was dealing with the customer service standards of a discount chain — not iconic American institutions. (To be fair, the Wall Street Journal stood out as the lone exception, delivering truly excellent service.)
My experience with Marriott’s phone system was especially frustrating. Reaching a human being was a battle. The voice response system was relentless in pushing me toward a text message option I didn’t want — despite my repeated refusals. Marriott may categorize its W and J.W. brands as luxury-tier, but, Marriott Central Reservations delivers a Fairfield Inn-level experience at best. As a frequent luxury guest, that disconnect is glaring.
I never thought I’d consider moving our business away from Marriott — but here we are. The experience of being a Marriott customer has become exhausting and, frankly, untenable. It’s astonishing to think that a company once synonymous with hospitality may now need to send its executives to the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center or even the Disney Institute just to relearn what service means.
It’s a strange day when I find myself hoping Mickey or Minnie Mouse (at the Disney Institute) can remind Marriott how to treat their guests.
RO
Rodrigo
Zero Flexibility, Zero Empathy — Avoid Fairfield Inn & Suites Washington DC Downtown
I booked Fairfield Inn & Suites Washington DC Downtown through Airbnb and—thanks to an honest slip—selected the wrong date. Within minutes I messaged Jason, the listed co-host, explaining the mistake and asking for a simple date change or at least a partial refund.
What happened next?
1. Policy Shield: Jason immediately hid behind rigid “policy,” refusing any adjustment.
2. Airbnb Ping-Pong: He told me to contact Airbnb; Airbnb did reach out, but Jason flat-out denied authorization.
3. Stranded & Charged: I ended up nearly US $200 poorer—jet-lagged, stressed, and paying for a room I never set foot in.
After ten years of business travel, I’ve never encountered such tone-deaf, bureaucratic stonewalling. No empathy, no flexibility, not even a courtesy discount on a new booking—just a brick wall dressed up as “policy.”
If you value basic decency or customer-centric service, steer clear of Fairfield Inn & Suites Washington DC Downtown (and of Jason’s “support”). Plenty of other DC hotels actually respect their guests; unfortunately, this one clearly does not.
AB
AB B.
Ignored by both the hotel and Marriott customer service
I stayed at Marriott Lyon cité internationale where the hotel incorrectly charged a city tax for my 7 years old child, who should have been exempt according to French law (children under 18 are not subject to the tax).
I contacted the hotel twice, by phone and by email, and received no reply at all. After being completely ignored by the hotel, I reached out to Marriott customer service, expecting some real support. Unfortunately, Marriott simply forwarded my request back to the hotel, which, unsurprisingly, continued to ignore me.
This is absolutely unacceptable from a brand like Marriott, and even more so considering I am an elite customer. There is no accountability, no real customer support, and no resolution provided. Completely disappointed by how such a simple billing (<3€) issue has been mishandled.
SL
Sam L.
Stolen Chanel Bag
I stayed at the Sheraton Charlotte in April 2025 and my personal belongings including a Chanel bag and other valuables were taken from my room. I don’t know exactly when they went missing, but the hotel claims nothing was found. Two staff members entered, cleaned and inspected the room after checkout, yet somehow nothing was reported!
Hotels has the obligation and duty to report and secure guests personal belongings, not take them. I filed a police report and gave Marriott every chance to do the right thing. As a Bonvoy member, I’m shocked at how poorly this was handled.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time. Years ago, my husband had his work backpack including a laptop were stolen from his room at another Sheraton. Luckily, his laptop had an alarm enabled, and the police were able to track down the people who took it. In that case, the hotel staff were eventually caught and held accountable!! these patterns raise serious questions. What kind of business is Marriott really running? I hope corporate does the right thing and properly address this matter !!
SA
Salman
Disappointing - Marriott Downtown, Abu Dhabi
I stayed at the Marriott Downtown in Abu Dhabi for a business trip (4 day conference).
Despite the rating, it is not that bad. The decor is straight out of the 80s and needs redoing, but the rooms are very spacious and comfortable.
They have all of the usual comforts such as sauna, gym and the usual bars if that is what you want. There is nothing special to write home about.
The reason for my review is that i pre paid breakfast and managed to miss it on my first day. That is on me, however, the hotel is refusing a refund, and have not offered anything else to compensate in order to make me feel comfortable or at home. They didn't even have the decency to apologise... it was just a 'matter of fact' for them, so i felt as though i was making an issue for them... how inconvenient! The response i received and the manner in which i received it is definitely not 5 star!
As a traveler, I feel that the hotel cares about it's profit margin more than anything and that visitors are here to be taken advantage of. It is very disappointing.
Whether they mention no refunds for small things like this or not in the small print, it is unethical to charge for services not provided.
So although the hotel is 'ok' (definitely not 5 star in my opinion), DO NOT PRE PAY ANYTHING as there is no flexibility. You will not be staying here at your convenience, you will be here at their convenience.
I leave here disappointed. I will be informing my colleagues to consider carefully if they wish to stay here.
Shame this hotel is just another faceless corporation that doesn't care when things go wrong.
Good luck.