Courtyards are run down and dark. If renovated they're just too dark toned. Cold air blows on me while I'm working at the desk during the summer and hot air blows on me during the winter. Rooms cool off quickly during the winter because the rooms leak so badly. Floors can be very cold in really extreme weather. Hallways are cold and the air rushes in under the hallway door. Sometimes I forget to lay a towel in front to buffer. When rooms cool down quickly HVAC keeps cycling. Can't sleep with the thing running, can't hear TV with it running either.

I DO NOT like the new courtyard front desk layout of small islands. I think it looks stupid. Jury's still out on the food bistro. Food is fine but I prefer buffet breakfast that I can eat quickly and be on my way. Now I just avoid it all together.

I have been shunning Courtyards and staying at full service Marriotts mostly for the last year but...

Flat screen TVs are on the small side. Hilton properties I've stayed at have much larger TVs. Marriott TVs are also dark. I carry a universal remote and can usually increase the brightness but they're still too small.

Channel surfing is waaaay to slow. Many channels are out or not working. At a recent stay at the Orlando Marriott neither of the TVs switched to HDMI properly when used with my iPad. One didn't switch at all, the other switched but didn't work. Maintenance said they've been trying to fix the problem for months. I learned a few tricks I'm not supposed to know. It involves unplugging stuff and/or pressing reset buttons. ;-)

Internet works on Sunday and quickly goes downhill to the point of being useless. I have to use my Verizon 4G MiFi hotspot.

iBahn internet authentication is EXTREMELY frustrating. Every day I have to authenticate, sometimes more than once. I have multiple devices (PC laptop, iPad, iPhone) which just multiplies the problem. Takes way too long to get re-directed to authentication page and often repeat attempts. If I'm using Microsoft Outlook, iTunes, or something non-browser based I can easily spend 5 or more minutes trying to figure out why it stopped working before realizing it's an authentication issue then I struggle getting IE or Firefox to get an authentication prompt. Was no better when I carried a Mac laptop.

Properties are often located adjacent to a single (or worse) at the intersection of two freeways. Easy to find, noisy as heck. Around 5am trucks start barreling down the highway and wake me up. It's not unusual for me to change rooms at check-in time because the room with the pretty view I was assigned faces a freeway. I'd rather face the back parking lot because it's quieter. I have also changed rooms - several times - at check-in time. I go up to the room and listen. If not acceptable I get another room and repeat several times. This is really frustrating. I have also changed rooms the second or third day because it seemed quiet when I checked in or I was too tired to notice.

Old full service Marriott properties are noisy because of the ice makers located on the floor and/or the roof units creating negative vacuum for the bathrooms. I can't get a good night's rest. You can just walk up and down the hallways and hear the equipment noise. Maybe I need to carry a sound decibel meter. I use ear plugs BTW...

Connecting rooms are a joke. It's bad enough drunks stand in the hallway at 1:30am am located on either side of my room (Orlando Marriott) making plans for tomorrow but when a (usually not drunk) couple checks into a connecting room at 1:30am I hear them talking as if they're in my room. They're not necessarily speaking loudly, it's just because there's a connecting door between the rooms which provides no noise insulation.

Who at corporate picked some of the desk and table furniture? The surfaces are so slippery the slightest push and my laptop goes flying. Could the phones be any cheaper? No wonder they're frequently broken - there's no weight to keep them on the nightstands/desks.

Speaking of phones, assuming they work (usually not well if at all for the second, cordless one in the room) if there are any buttons like housekeeping, front desk, etc. most don't work anyway.

Sometimes the florescent bulbs buzz loudly.

I'm at the Costa Mesa Marriott as I type this. I'm watching CSI - audio is out of sync with actor's dialog (TNT-HD). Many of the channels are out/unwatchable due to pixellation (HBO-HD, TRAVEL, USA-HDa). Maintenance came up yesterday because I couldn't get HDMI to work with either of the TVs. The small one has an input button I have to press on the side because it doesn't detect automatically. The "large" one (I use that term loosely) switched for the maintenance guy but wouldn't switch for me. I have a nice view of the pool area and am awakened by the cars from the freeway that my room looks out to.

Why is it necessary that both bars of soap get replaced EVERY day? How about leaving replacements behind and if I need them I'll use them. Throwing away two bars of soap that have been used once is a waste. I've also noticed mouthwash availability is hit and miss. Often I have to ask the front desk.

If I hang a towel up then it doesn't need to be replaced - just like the signs in the room request!

I have stayed at properties where it can take 10 minutes for hot water because (according to the hotel) I was at the room furthest from the hot water heater. Perhaps the hotel should have fewer rooms or more hot water heaters?

It's not uncommon to find a letter from the manager in the room informing me of maintenance most often having to do with water it seems. Forgot not to flush once and oops - water is off for remainder of evening. Seems like properties have not received proper maintenance for a long time and now Marriott is trying to play catch up across the entire hotel chain. Since I travel extensively I tend to encounter a lot of these properties.

PPV TV. *I* should get paid to rent a movie. Prices are outrageous, they're not HD and in fact look terrible because they're stretched for the flat screen TVs.

As far as staff is concerned -- no complaints. Staff is generally great everywhere I stay.

Is anyone else feeling this?

It sounds like you should try out a different chain and see if it does better at meeting your needs.

I used to enjoy Courtyards more than I do now, for some of the reasons you mentioned, but I have found other Marriott properties that generally work for me.

No. Not at all

Sounds like you need to stay at home for a while...

I find their quality to be very consistent - only been a couple of properties that I was disappointed with, and those were conversions from other chains.

You need to try another chain - Marriott properties aren't that bad.

I can agree on one thing... the TV's are indeed set at their lowest brightness setting, probably "eco mode". Universal remote is handy indeed for this but cmon... When I'm paying top dollar for a full scale Marriott I at least want the TV brightness to be adjustable.

I stay at all hotel brands and can easily find faults with them all. If you stay a lot you will just find more faults. My biggest complaint about Marriott is that a lot of their full service properties are old and in need of major renovation. Changing the curtains and TV's to "freshen them up" isn't enough. The bathrooms are small and feel old. I think they need to invest more money and build more properties from scratch.

Long rambling rants wiht many minor issues at disparate properties are not going ot get much of a response here or at corporate. Pick one issue or two at one specific property that is really a problem for you and focus on that. Write a letter to the property and to corporate.

No offense to the OP, but you sound like you have just been on the road too long and need a break.

Interesting post. I've been a Marriott Platinum for many years now, and I can't really disagree with what you've written, but here are some more thoughts...

- I'm a Starwood Platinum. Have you stayed at many Four Points by Sheratons (roughly equiv to CY)? They are not much better, and many are worse.

- I stayed at the LAX Hilton last week. My first room as GROSS. Non-renovated floor, etc. I complained and got put into a new room. That was on a renovated floor.

- Internet access - two weeks ago i was banging my head against the wall that the LAX Westin's internet connection was abysmal. Then last week the W Seattle's internet was lightning. I've been to some Fairfield Inns with pretty fast internet, and i've had some of the slowest at full service Marriotts.

- As for the TVs having out-of-sync audio, most hotel chains use one of a few companies to provide TV service, and this spans across chains. Haven't you noticed that the remote at the Marriott might like awfully similar to the one at the Hilton?

I guess what I'm saying is that your complaints are totally valid. However, they're not unique to Marriott. You'll find things you dislike at other chains. I'm very happy as both a Marriott / Starwood Platinum. SPG definitely has higher end properties and better upgrades, but I'm not getting any free breakfast over there. Also, I find the low-end SPG properties to be worse than low-end Marriott spots.

Anyhow, interesting post, but don't assume the grass is greener on the other side. And if you think it is, why not give it a shot?

Agreed. I just started staying at Marriott properties for the Megamiles promotion and I've been pleasantly surprised.

It's like a new boyfriend. At first you think- wow my old bf didn't open doors for me and buy me flowers this is great.

Six months later you are thinking- I can't belive this guy leaves dirty dishes in the sink and picks his toenails while we watch tv.

No chain is problem free. If you go to the same cities over and over, you should be able to find a hotel or two that meet your standards. using your home as an example...I do not usually care for Hilton, but really like the one at ORD.

If you go to different cities, try reading reviews before you go....although I am not certain I have ever read one that discussed "slippery furniture", they usually do mention slow i'net or poor TV's.

Same with location...google maps will tell you if a hotel is located at a noisy intersection, if that bothers you, don't book there.

Since you only list Marriott status, get a status match and try some other chains. You will either like them better..or not. Either way, it appears you need to do some research and take action - not just blame it all on the hotels.

And for some things..(replacing soap bars)...let it go, dude.

Wow, a true road warrior indeed, carrying a personal universal remote.