Charleston Marriott — Hotel in Charleston

This hotel has BEDBUGS!!!. Room 1120 and room 1129. DO NOT STAY HERE!!! I was there for vacation last week. On the first day I got biten by bedbugs on my face and stomach. At first, I thought it was probably an allergic reaction to seafood I had that evening so I just ignored the bites even though the itchiness was unbearable.

The second night both of my feet and toes were so itchy in the middle of the night, I rubbed some hand sanitizer to calm the itchiness and went back to sleep.

On the third night both of my hands and wrists were so itchy it woke me up at 2:38 A.M. I went to the bathroom and decided to turn on the lights and inspect the pillows. To my surprise, I saw the BEDBUGS crawling all over my pillows on ALL OF THE PILLOWS IN BOTH BEDS. I FELT GROSSED OUT and disappointed because I always stay at MARRIOTT HOTELS when traveling for work and for vacations and this situation regarding the hotel cleanliness is unacceptable. The hotel and rooms look clean on the outside but they are obviously NOT! I went to the Publix pharmacy across the street from the hotel and the pharmacist confirm those were bites not an allergic reaction. I had to buy two creams to help with the itchiness.

I am traumatized and don't want to travel anymore because of this experience. When I called the front desk at around 2:45 AM the night I saw the bugs (my third night) to report what I saw on my bed and pillows, Karen (front desk lady and another man that was also there) said they are booked and they doesn't know what to do to help at that time of the night. I got dressed and went downstairs to the front desk and showed Karen one of the dead bedbugs I killed with a napkin because I knew they wouldn't believe me. I got biten 25 times all over my body. Including face, arms, wrists, hands, stomach, legs, feet and toes. I have pictures to prove what I’m saying.

I also mentioned to Karen (front desk lady) that earlier that day, the housekeeping lady told me that this hotel had bedbugs in the past when I showed her my bites (I was in the room as the cleaning lady was putting new bedsheets that day) and I was in shock when I heard that but didn't do anything about it until I actually saw them with my own eyes. The housekeeping boss (I think because she wasn’t wearing a uniform-Colombian woman based on her Spanish accent) came to my room with a service man also that day to do some maintenance to the AC and the door lock, she told me to buy the spray "OFF" and put it on me so no bugs bite me in the future since according to her, my skin is so "sensitive" because "I'm white" after I told her about my bites.

Jenny another women at the front desk told me (on my third day there) I might be allergic to the detergent they use to wash their bedsheets when I showed her my bites. She suggested it might be an allergic reaction when obviously those are bedbugs bites. I have a feeling they all know this hotel is infested with bedbugs and they are trying very hard to hide it from their guests. Since not everyone that gets biten has the same reaction on their skin.

Karen was upset at the fact one of the hotel employees had told me this hotel has a history of bedbugs.

Thankfully, Karen was able to move me to a different hotel in the area at around 4 AM and told me not to say ANYTHING as to why I was moving or the other hotel personnel wouldn't allow me to stay there because they might think I may be bringing the bedbugs with me to the new hotel.

This experience has been so bad and traumatizing I keep feeling itchiness all over my body. I find myself checking my own pillows and I don't know if I will ever trust another bed/pillows when staying at Marriott hotels. I travel a lot for work and I don't know how to deal with this traumatizing event. I also want to mention that I am a lifetime Platinum Elite Member with Marriott. I expect better treatment and a clean room.

The only good thing from this hotel is the courtesy and friendliness of the concierge attendant, Priscila.

Mr. Patrick Rogers if you read this, please contact me. I need to...

Disappointing Experience at Charleston Marriott Lockwood

Dear Public,

As an avid traveler and someone dedicated to public service, I’ve experienced a wide range of hotel stays. While I understand that certain issues are inherent to the hospitality industry, poor service should never be one of them. Unfortunately, my stay at the Charleston Marriott Lockwood left much to be desired.

From check-in to check-out, the staff exuded an air of indifference and, at times, outright rudeness. Every interaction felt like I was inconveniencing them. The Front Office Manager, Julie, was particularly dismissive, talking over me and showing little interest in resolving concerns. It was clear that assertive, educated guests who advocate for themselves are not appreciated here.

The condition of my room was equally disappointing. From the moment I walked in, there was a strong odor of mold and mildew. The air felt damp, the mattresses were worn, and the bathroom had hair left behind from previous guests. By morning, condensation had pooled in the window seals and even seeped onto the carpet. In a coastal, humid climate, adequate dehumidification systems are essential, yet they seemed nonexistent here. There were holes in the walls, possibly from where artwork once hung. Concerned by their appearance, I plugged the largest one with a paper napkin.

On a positive note, breakfast in the café was enjoyable. The scrambled eggs were well-seasoned, the sausage was flavorful, and the fresh blueberries were a nice touch. Additionally, the only way up to guest rooms is to scan your room key on the elevator panel. That added layer of security was comforting.

Parking, however, was another challenge. While the rear parking garage felt somewhat secure, the walk through the convention center to reach the front lobby with luggage was unnecessarily long. Closer parking was reserved for valet services at $22 per night.

The hotel’s location is convenient for accessing downtown Charleston and nearby attractions. However, the front desk staff’s lack of regional knowledge was frustrating. When I asked for dinner recommendations after the hotel restaurant closed at 10 PM, the staff had no helpful suggestions and seemed unprepared to address basic guest inquiries.This suggests a lack of partnership with local businesses and insufficient staff training.

In conclusion, while the Charleston Marriott Lockwood benefits from a prime location and a decent breakfast, it falls short in critical areas such as customer service, room hygiene, and overall hospitality standards. I would recommend exploring other options in Charleston unless...

Edit: I still like the hotel itself but the service from the AYS and front office managers is beyond disappointing. After going back and forth about the billing dispute mentioned below, I was finally sent a copy of my bill where I noticed that I was erroneously charged for two nights of self parking, despite not having a car and relying on Uber to get around during my stay. Sent an email about it which has been ignored, and have not received any response to my customer support case. I guess they're just annoyed about me contacting them so many times but this could've been avoided in the first place.

The Charleston Marriott Riverview exceeded some of my expectations and failed to meet others.

The lobby is probably one of the best designed and well maintained I've visited in recent memory. The great room/seating area being separated from the front desk and entrance enhances comfort and quiet. The bar, pool, and other facilities are very nice and enjoyable. The rooms, despite being a bit dated, are still extremely comfortable even if on the smaller side.

I forgot his name, but the male PM front desk agent with glasses and a beard was incredibly kind and welcoming. His amazing customer service almost makes up for the weird tone I got from the front office manager Julie. After check-out, my card was declining due to fraud detection. I haven't updated my phone number on my Bonvoy account so when unable to reach me by phone she just drained 19,000 pts from my account without sending an email first. If she sent an email first it would've taken 2 minutes to resolve the situation, but I guess she operates with the assumption that anyone staying on an Explore rate is intending to cheat the hotel out of money. I wasn't really saving those points for anything specific, but it isn't really cool to just see a years worth of points disappear for what was probably a $100 balance.

The food from the restaurant was pretty good, but I would recommend not ordering room service. There were often issues with orders when ordered through the app instead of in person. The Greek yogurt parfait was missing honey, and was also a little heavy on the blueberries while only having two strawberries. The avocado toast is really good though , and the cocktails at the bar were great.

Overall it was a comfortable stay, and I wouldn't be opposed to staying here again. I'll be staying at several different hotels in Charleston over the next few months so I'm interested to see where this one stands...