William K.
Google
I stayed at the Richmond Marriott Downtown for four days and three nights. Overall, the experience was mixed, mainly due to a very poor first impression at check in.
We arrived around 1:30 am after driving nine hours from New York. We had booked a room with two beds, but the front desk associate told us it was not available and suggested that we move to a Courtyard Marriott instead. I explained that this was not acceptable, especially at that hour, and asked why we would need to change hotels.
He then said he needed to check with his manager. We waited about five minutes, but instead of coming back to update us, he helped another guest without saying a word to us. We were standing there exhausted and confused, wondering what kind of service this was. I have stayed at many Marriott properties and have never experienced anything like this.
Eventually, I asked another associate for help. Only then did the original associate wave a small envelope and say the room was ready. What made this more frustrating was that he never explained anything to us and simply left us waiting without communication.
The room itself was acceptable but felt dated, especially the bathroom.
The highlight of the stay was the M Club. Anna and her team did an excellent job. The area was very clean, well organized, and the food service was great. They were attentive and hardworking, and it really stood out in a positive way. One issue was that the lounge became overcrowded because the door was not locked and access was not being checked, allowing guests without access to enter.
On the day of checkout, late checkout had been confirmed twice, once at check in for 2 pm and later extended to 4 pm. Unfortunately, our key cards stopped working at 12 pm. I had to go back down to the front desk, where I was told I needed to confirm again and have the key cards reprogrammed.
Overall, the stay was decent, but the front desk experience, especially at arrival, was unacceptable and set a negative tone for the trip. With better communication and guest handling, this could have been a much better experience.