SpringHill Suites by Marriott Athens Downtown/University Area — Hotel in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

Tldr; good amenities, phenomenal service from staff.

The service at the Springhill Suites downtown Athens location is beyond any expectation I would have of any hotel, even a 4+ star hotel. I am honestly surprised it is listed as a 2 star hotel because the amenities are very nice. Huge outdoor fire pit, good coffee with premium syrups to add in, nice gym and good parking situation.

But I want to talk about the people.

I had an emergency and had to come up late at night from Atlanta to take my cat to UGA veterinary teaching school for surgery. One of my friends was kind enough to book this hotel for me using his points. He put it under my name but had the last name wrong.

I called before arriving and spoke with Doug Beeman and explained the situation and the name mixup, he quickly, kindly, and efficiently resolved the issue and let me know I am free to arrive at any time that night he will be there to welcome me and get me checked in.

Upon arrival he was extraordinarily kind. I told him a bit about my cats situation and he shared his personal experiences with UGA and how wonderful and competent they are which was very comforting.

He made the check in process not just simple, but memorable. His kindness and compassion will stay with me for a life time. He deserves any kind of credit, raise, or commendation that can be given.

In the morning I went down to check out the complimentary breakfast. Every amenity is good or better at this hotel. Again, great coffee.

I spoke with Hunter in the morning to ask when Doug would be back on and told him how nice he was, Hunter was like yup that sounds like Doug, he's a great guy.

I then not only locked myself out of my room, but also outside the backdoor of the hotel (good security!) when I went out for a smoke and coffee. Hunter noticed me at the door from the front desk and came to let me in promptly. I joked about how I left both my room keys in the room. He started preparing a new one for me and went ahead and gave me 2 (without me asking) to help my odds of not locking myself out again.

Even my brief interaction with one of the cleaning ladies was extremely pleasant, I failed to get her name unfortunately.

All in all, great hotel that should be at least 3 stars. BUT, the staff make this a 5 star experience. I've been all over the world and this is the best and most memorable customer service I have ever received.

Doug Beeman is a wonderful human being and deserves nothing but happiness, and maybe a couple raises.

Hunter is also a very nice gentleman with great customer service,...

I would love to say this is a great hotel… and it is. But to charge guest to park at this property is totally insane. Parking should be included in a nights stay and not a surprise after you arrive. When most people are researching hotels for the best booking rate it is to get just that, the best booking rate for a hotel in their search area. At twelve dollars a night it added $36 to our stay.||That said, this is a comfortable property and maintained very well. Our room was very clean and nicely furnished. Biggest problem with these rooms is the glass sliding “barn” style door that closes off the bathroom. This affords limited privacy and if your room mate gets up during the night the light brightens up the room. Very bad idea on the designer’s part. ||We were here for a wedding with friends staying at this same property. We all basically had the same concerns and complaints. Breakfast is basic and typical… coffee, juices, dry cereals, variety of muffins, bananas, oranges, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, yogurt and a few other toaster items. Interaction with the staff was very good.||I always try to be fair and honest with my reviews. This property is located in downtown Athens and at first appearance seems to be in a questionable location but we felt quite safe at this location. Happy and...

Expensive and the breakfast could use another 30 minutes on weekdays with a non-turkey meat option. Those are the negatives. I get it though. It has the location pretty much right on the UGA campus and during UGA events, like orientation, football games, pretty much everything, it can command a premium price and maybe others like to eat healthier than I do. The rooms are huge and very nice. This could be the nicest Marriott room I've stayed in and I'm comparing that to some of the higher-end ones. The bar is actually outstanding. I don't really do hotel bars that often, but went to meet other parents & had amazing drinks & the best service. That is a 10/10. And for the 1st time ever in the history of my many Marriott stays, my mobile key came online without me having to stop at the front desk first. It would've been helpful had I received some direction to use it to enter the parking deck, but I took a guess & it worked. Hooray! I have another stay coming up and called the front desk staff for help modifying my reservation when the Marriott website was sending me in circles. I wish I got the name of the person who helped because she was absolutely so kind and had my issue solved instantly. Given I have a kid attending college there, I am sure to be a frequent guest. I'm glad to have...