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Courtyard by Marriott Complaint - A Nightmare of a Stay

Complaint
Review by the_distinguished_traveler on 2009-10-13
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- I stayed at this hotel this past weekend and will never go back. I booked a room with two double beds but when I arrived only a king room was available. Okay, that's no big deal, it happens, I thought. Well that was just the beginning of the adventure. We got up to the room, unpacked and I sat on the bed to relax for a few minutes. Within five minutes, both my friend and I started to break out in hives (mine worse than his). We called down to the front desk and told them what was happening and they changed our room. We were still broken out in hives but we figured it was probably left over from the previous room, so we decided to go to sleep. The next morning when I woke up, my eyes, my lips, my throat, my hands, and my feet were all swollen. Obviously it was the bed. On our way out to get breakfast we stopped by the front desk to tell them of our predicament. They advised us that some guests do have allergic reactions to the industrial soap they use so they could wash our bedding and towels in Tide (this was the first time I ever had an allergic reaction to any hotel bedding). We went out to breakfast and came back to the room to pick something up before we went sight-seeing in DC and the maid was in the midst of cleaning our room. Our bed had already been made and I asked the maid if the front desk had told her to wash the sheets in Tide, she stated yes they had, and we left. We stayed out most of the day and arrived back into the room around midnight. Again, five minutes after sitting on the bed I broke out in hives. The sheets had never been washed in Tide and still smelled of the industrial soap. We called the front desk and they stated that they would wash new sheets and then bring them up to us. About an hour later the security guard showed up with new sheets, handed them to us and left. We started to make the bed and discovered, the fitted sheet was for a double bed and not a king bed. My friend, went downstairs with the sheet to tell the front desk of the mix up and was told "what do you want me to do about it, there's nobody here". He said well there was someone here to wash these sheets, have that person wash a king sheet. The only two people running the hotel at this point were the front desk person and the security guard. They told my friend that he would have to go to the maids' closet to pick out a sheet if he wanted that done. My friend went, picked out a sheet and handed it to the front desk clerk. An hour later, the fitted sheet showed up washed in Tide (they had never given us a blanket, only sheets). We went to sleep and had no issues. The next morning we went out and returned in the evening to find that the maid had replaced our sheets with those washed in the industrial soap (we never put the card on the bed that was provided if you wanted your sheets changed). We again called to notify the front desk of the issue, but now they just didn't believe us stating they had made sure to tell housekeeping what kind of sheets we needed. I literally had to go downstairs to show them the hives that started to break out after laying on the bed for five minutes. Again they said they would have sheets washed in Tide. A few minutes later, a maitenance person showed up with sheets in packages. He didn't speak much English so he was hard to understand but we think they were brand new sheets that had never been used. He ended up leaving the sheets there and showing up an hour later with the Tide-washed sheets. He made the bed for us but it took a half hour. We had no issues after (we checked out the next morning)

There are some other things to watch out for at this hotel. The parking lot is not big enough and you often have to be issued a pass to park in the lot next door. Also, the parking spots face the wrong way. The building is also in the middle of a contruction zone (although that's not their fault).

There are some good points to this hotel, however. It's a fairly good bargain if you're looking for an alternative to high-priced DC hotels. The Metro Station is just down the block. The on-site hotel parking is free (if you could get a spot). Everything is extremely clean and they provide free internet and office services.
Comments:
Posted by karleebarlee on 2009-10-13:
"(we never put the card on the bed that was provided if you wanted your sheets changed)"
Perhaps you should have taken this precaution.
Posted by Mrs. V on 2009-10-13:
karlee, Marriott uses the type of card that you place on the bed if you want the sheets changed.

The OP did not put the card on the bed so that housekeeping would 'not' change the sheets. ^_^
Posted by Nohandle on 2009-10-13:
I honestly have never heard of a place that requested one put a card on the bed if the occupant wanted the sheets changed. One place I stayed, several years ago, clearly stated if bathtowels/cloths were on the floor they would be replaced. If left hanging on the towel bar they would be left as is. I learned something new today. Thanks.
Posted by JR in Orlando on 2009-10-13:
This was a miserable time for sure. I switched detergents once, and wash most of my clothing. After I had put it all away and slept overnight, I woke up with big rashes. Had to go back and rewash "everything" I owned because was not sure what was washed in the irritating detergents.
Posted by JR in Orlando on 2009-10-13:
At the Orange County Jail we have to leave a card on our bunk asking for clean sheets if we want them changed. Even that only gets us 300 thread count sheets, not the smoother 600 count sheets so at times our skin gets a little irritated. The guards fluffing up our pillow and putting chocolate on the pillow occurs without request, but the jail is trying to save water on washing. That's also why they have eliminated the ice sculptures in the jail dining room, and required us to notify them ahead of time how much Perrier water we will be drinking with our meals.
Posted by Nohandle on 2009-10-13:
Bad Boy, JR. LOL. Save that response, it might come in handy later.
Posted by Mrs. V on 2009-10-13:
Hey Nohandle, I stay at a Courtyard Marriot when we go to visit my inlaws once a month (it's a 6 hour drive round trip). They've redone quite a few things, lately.

The one we stay at has if you put the card on the bed, they change your sheets. If you put towels on the floor, they give you new towels.

^_^
Posted by Nohandle on 2009-10-13:
I don't recall ever staying at a Marriott, it was another place with the handwritten notice in the bathroom in reference to the towels and bathcloths. I've never seen it since anywhere. At least I'll know if I ever stay at a Marriott.

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