Residence Inn by Marriott San Diego Carlsbad — Hotel in Carlsbad

We have booked suites at Residence Inns many times over the past 20 years and have always enjoyed our stays in these hotels. This Christmas we gave a family vacation as a gift to our children. We naturally wanted it to be special so booked a room at a Residence Inn. Unfortunately, our stay in Carlsbad was tainted by a very unpleasant and disappointing night at the Residence Inn there. To start, the 2-room suite we reserved was overbooked so we were given 2 separate rooms instead. The person who greeted us at the front desk did not handle explaining this to us very well. She instead told us that we had booked 2 rooms. After we insisted that we had only booked 1, she told us the hotel was overbooked and that we had not been notified because our email was not on file. We had gotten confirmation of our reservation via email so this did not make sense. When we asked where our rooms were and how to get there, she told us that she would tell us everything we needed to know when she was done checking us in. When she was done she waved in the general direction of the rooms without showing us a map like we are accustomed to. As a result, we had difficulty finding our room and the right area to park our car.

The fact that we were given 2 separate rooms was not altogether bad as the adjusted rate was exceptionally good. However, it seemed that to compensate for the good deal, they decided to skimp on cleaning and maintaining the rooms. 1 of the rooms wreaked of food that had been prepared there. A call to the front desk got us a can of air freshener that did NOT remove the smell. In the other room, the kitchen sink smelled like rotting meat. We ran the disposal with a bar of soap to reduce the smell. After that we discovered grime and sticky surfaces in both rooms, dirty dishes, hair on the floors, lights that didn’t work, a shower drain that backed up the tub with 6 inches of water, and tiny white insects crawling on a bedside table. Quite frankly, we were shocked at the condition of the rooms! This is something we might expect in a cheap hotel and is the reason we chose a hotel chain we count on for cleanliness and good service. Fortunately, there was a friendly, helpful person at the front desk the day we checked out who apologized and gave us a free night’s stay on one of the rooms. This was a wonderful gesture but does not necessarily give me the assurance and confidence that I can expect better service and cleaner rooms at a Residence Inn...

I stayed here for two weeks for work and I can honestly say I probably enjoyed two of them. I very clearly indicated upon check-in that I would be working and was given a room whose headboard is also the wall for the basketball court outside.

Housekeeping I didn't need every single day but when I did an indicated so by removing the do not disturb sign, they basically came in and reorganized dishes on the counter. They didn't even run the dishwasher or vacuum until I made a comment to the front desk about it. Multiple times I wasn't left with any toiletries to include toilet paper, that's not normal. And I left specific spots on the hard section of the flooring to see if they would clean them and after several days, I ended up cleaning the floor myself. It's a little tough to clean the place when you're not exactly in a position to go buy supplies to clean a hotel room.

And then the coup de gras, they opened my mail! I had mail addressed to me with my name on it, tracking number and everything. They refused to call me the majority of the time mail was delivered and this specific instance, they first lost it. They said they searched everywhere and couldn't find anything but tracking clearly showed who it was delivered to, who signed for it, and that they had it. So they lost my mail then called me a few days later to tell me they did eventually end up finding it, after my company had to pay for the items a second time and overnight ship them to me, but not only did they find him three days later, they actually opened my mail! It was addressed in my name very clearly, I have pictures. And I have the voicemail from the manager who basically left me an apologetic voicemail and left it at that. I only got compensated by way of a few rewards points. Seriously?! My company had a rebuy parts and then overnight ship them, from a corporate location in Colorado so I can't even get a hold of the receipts. But this location knows that they did that, knows that they opened it, and refuses to do anything else by way of apology. I would never, ever recommend anyone stay here. They completely disregard all manner of...

I had a great stay here and would definitely pick them again for future travels in the area.||First of all Hannah at the front desk was great during check in. I thought employees like her didn't exist and are only portrayed as such on TV, but nope, perfect employees do exist and one of them works here.||As for the hotel itself, its clean inside and out. Location and surrounding areas look clean and safe in a perspective of travelers not from around here. There is a Tesla Supercharger station literally across the street, as well as a 7-Eleven and some other small eateries at "The Island" plaza I believe it's called. Legoland is very close by.||The rooms were spacious and reminds you of a Embassy Suite or Extended Stay. This has a FULL kitchen, complete with sink, dishwasher, full size fridge, and an electric cooktop. Plates, utensils, etc are also included. So you can definitely cook here. The Living Area is roomy with a sofa bed. I will add though if you have people sleeping on the sofabed, the bathroom is only accessible by going through the main bedroom. WIFI/internet is included and plenty fast for everyday tasks. It was also reliable with no drops or reconnecting issues.||The rooms seem a bit more dated than the main lobby and grounds area, but it's not a big deal or deal breaker. Breakfast is included and it's just OK. Hard to beat Embassy Suite's made to order omelettes at this similar price range. There are a variety of choices which usually are eggs, 2 protein choices (sausages/ham), potatoes, oatmeal, make your ow waffles, variety of breads, fruits, yogurt, juices, etc.||The outdoor space is very nice with a pool, hot tub, half court basketball sport court, fire pit, grills if someone wants to grill. There is also a gym with weights, cardio machines. Parking was free also.||The price isn't the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. For a family, this is a good option or for those who want something more roomy since...