Mr. Vker

Couldn't find a specific thread on this hotel so started this one.

Not impressed with property or front desk. Here for three nights for a trade show. Problems start at check in. (I am not looking to never have problems. What is important is just being treated nice and resolution of those issues as available. Service!) The front desk clerk began check in. She said, your room with two doubles is on the 20th floor. I said, I have a reservation for a King. (Normally, I wouldn't even care. But my wife is on this trip.) No...you have two doubles. Pulled the res. on my phone and asked her to look. "I don't need to see your phone, I can see the two doubles right here." I immediately asked for a manager and started to call MR. I was stunned at her response. Suddenly, a 6th floor king appeared. Great.

Rooms are being renovated-but right now-small TV no safe...just old and tired, but that will change.

Lounge is nice-great service and good food.

Today I was at the show all day. My wife left the room at 9am to spend the day with nearby family. She got back at 345. I was back at 400. No housekeeping yet. I called and asked the hours for housekeeping. They said until 5. I find that unacceptable, but say OK-I need my room cleaned. We are going to the lounge. OK-they are sending someone immediately. Back to room at 510. No housekeeping. I go to the front desk. Clerk takes the info. I ask if I can stay to see if someone will be cleaning the room as its after 5. She said No, They wont give her that info but she's sure it will be clean. Seriously, you cannot tell me what you learn when you request the service? No. I ask for a manager. Housekeeping mgr comes down and is extremely apologetic and helpful. We are back in the lounge waiting for cleaning.

This is not a cheap hotel. $183/night full service hotel-with corp discount. They def need an attitude adjustment at the front desk. That's the frontline of interaction. Two poor experiences in as many days with different clerks.

DJ_Iceman

I had several fine stays at this property years ago, and am sorry to hear of your difficulties. It does sound like you went a little DYKWIA with the bed thing, immediately demanding a manager and calling corporate. Then again, my wife tells me I'm too passive sometimes and wait too long to escalate issues, so since it worked out I guess your approach was okay.

There is no excuse for the very late housekeeping, lack of service when you specifically requested it, and inability to provide a time for when your room would be cleaned. Then again, unless you trashed the room or each used three towels or something, it's not like you can't survive one day without housekeeping. You're either going to let it (and every other little thing from now on) pile up to make for a miserable stay, or you can brush it off, make the best of it, and just realize it's not your best hotel stay ever. I do agree with posting your experience here, and thank you for naming the hotel without the usual coyness we so often see. I also wouldn't blame you a bit for never staying there again, and posting an honest review on Insiders or Yelp or whatever. But the only people you're going to make miserable by focusing on the negatives of your current stay are you and your wife. Try, as hard as it may be, to make the best of it!

Mr. Vker

The lounge experiences are very pleasant. All is well now, but didn't like the check in experience. I did get upset when I tried to show my reservation and she wouldn't look and dismissed it. I'm not taking it any further. Things have settled down.

Mr. Vker

The fun continues. Day two of the trade show. Came back to the room at 2pm on a break room not clean...ok that's mid afternoon. But, I did comment to front desk because they were cleaning next door when I left in the morning. They said they were cleaning checkouts and stayovers were next. Fine. Back at 530, not cleaned. UGH. Back to front desk...we are short staffed and still cleaning. Someone will be right there. Head out to dinner. Back at 840. Never cleaned. As I approach front desk, two other people are having same problem. The bed isnt an issue. But the bathroom and trash need servicing. Plus they just need their act together. I asked the FD what's going on. "We just had a lot of check in and check outs." I said "That's what a hotel is..." I left and emailed Marriott. Enough is enough.

DJ_Iceman

Wow, serious housekeeping fail. That, combined with the indifferent attitude you're getting from the front desk tells me this hotel has a leadership problem (probably starting with the GM). Sorry...

nacho

Wow, that's incredible! I have had very indifferent front desk and refused to look at the reservation on my phone (as if they think mine is a fake). Thanks for letting us know and it's a great idea to let Marriott knows about this - hotels are made for checking in and outs! Also daily housekeeping is part of the room rate, so I think it's reasonable to demand it if you don't want to participate in the green programme.

I'd also be upset if I have a 2 beds room when I'm travelling with Mr. - that's the main reason why we pick Marriott over other hotels in Germany/some other European countries that double rooms are 2 single boxes beds moved together (which gives a 2 inches gap in between).

hockeyinsider

Why? The bed type is guaranteed.

hockeyinsider

I was in Norfolk twice last year. The only Marriott property that looked somewhat nice and had good reviews was one in the suburbs that was subsequently reflagged to Delta. The downtown Norfolk properties -- one a Marriott, one a Renaissance, if I recall correctly -- both looked tired.

My guess is when they changed you from a double room to a king room they didn't mark it down in the system that the room was occupied. That's perhaps the explanation why housekeeping didn't clean your room. But that's only my guess.

As for contacting Marriott, I think that's probably a good idea since, obviously, this property is so poorly managed that after two significant issues it wasn't escalated to the duty manager or general manager. Unfortunately, I suspect all Marriott will do is pressure the property to give you 10,000 or 15,000 points. Sadly, too many properties just give points to make you go away instead of fixing the issue.

hockeyinsider

A quick search on Google indicates that the hotel was acquired by new owners in late 2017, who finally put up the money to renovate the property. Apparently, the hotel wasn't making enough money under the old owners to pay the mortgage.

And as I suspected, this property is not managed by Marriott International. I don't know who the previous managers were, but the new owners are managing it through their own company, Commonwealth Lodging Management. They manage other ho-hum properties with the majority being limited-service brands.

http://www.commonwealthlodging.com/property-portfolio/

And according to the management company's website, they are hiring front desk agents, managers, a housekeeping manager, and housekeepers for the Norfolk property in question:

Mr. Vker

That's the thing. I am really not looking for a chunk of points here. Corp needs to know this place needs service improvement. I wonder if they ever follow up to see if problems are isolated or chronic. I do like the Renaissance in Portsmouth. It is older-but in an area with many local bars and restaurants. The property has a great water view and of some cool navy ships under repair. It's also affordable and easy to get in my company's budget. The Marriott is almost always higher. As it was where the show was, I could justify it this time.

hockeyinsider

I think that's an interesting question. In my experience, Marriott just forwards whatever you say to the executive office of a property. With one particularly bad hotel I emailed a vice president at Marriott. All he did was escalate it someone off-property in the third-party management company's corporate office.

So, I really think Marriott doesn't care or can't do anything, absent physical issues or owners not complying with brand standards. I'm only aware of one flagship Marriott property being kicked out of the Marriott portfolio: the old Marriott on Guam, when the owners couldn't afford to make renovations.

Mr. Vker

25K MR points and a very sincerely worded apology email. Both very much appreciated.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update.