Aloft Lawrenceville Sugarloaf — Hotel in Duluth

Apparently, this location opened the day before I arrived, and I was the very first customer to book a room here through Marriott Bonvoy app. The area is rough around the edges, but still secure and certainly quiet - the Sugarloaf Mills mall was eerie and not very walkable at night, construction is ongoing across the street, and, should it be troublesome to some, a small quantity of homeless individuals wander the roadway outside the mall property. An extra security vehicle was on standby that night. None of this was even close to being a problem for my needs/expectations. I suppose these conditions will change over time as the surrounding spaces develop.

Staff were bright, attentive, and kind both at 11pm and 7am when I was downstairs. Breakfast isn't included with the rate, but the prices there, and even at the bar, are reasonable. The Chorizo burrito had a good kick to it.

Aloft differentiates itself from other brands both inside and outside the Marriott portfolio with its kitschy interior design and casual, "fun," communal atmospheres - this location isn't any different. The lobby makes those of the likes of DoubleTree and Hampton feel aged or borderline decrepit. Even the 6' pool table is one of the most substantial I've ever tried, though some of that is owed to a brand new surface unmolested by both actual children and fully-grown ones who will inevitably use it as a big coaster for their Old Fashioneds at some point.

The rooms don't surprise for a new building. There will be oddities for first-time Aloft visitors, such as the lack of room partition between shower and main areas in most rooms, but everything critical is as advertised, and nothing was broken or missing. You might not find or use all the Easter-egg-like amenities, like the 3-way cuboid wall outlet that springs in and out of the panel or the Marshall Bluetooth speaker (which requires an unrelated app just to connect to, which also only played artifacts through the device, which rendered it useless), but even just having a high ceiling is a real breath of fresh air when it comes to lodging options. The only thing that truly threw me was the lighting master switch, which, during an 11pm check-in, is impossible to see due to the switch not being lit itself, and to understand the sign that explains this situation is right there... You have to be able to see and read that first, which you can't. Just smash all the buttons up on the handle-side of the door until things turn on, and the rest is straightforward.

I have to send a shout-out to the staff, who, while still a bit discombobulated in learning the new equipment and software, seemed all-hands-on-deck, scattered around the lobby area on laptops and focused on making sure that second night ran smoothly. Sometimes, I couldn't tell if I was sharing the space with them or other guests, which, in my opinion, is more of a positive attribute for lazy days and short-term getaways like this one.

I definitely prefer this type of experience over what I expect from typical 3-star hotels, especially those offered by the...

First and foremost, I’d like to state this review is due to the horrible customer service I received from the “Marriott Titanium Customer Service Line,” on the evening of 9/22.

I REALLY really enjoyed my time at this hotel, and it was a comfortable landing spot during a relocation to the area. Marina, who manages group rates, was superb at every point. The hotel was clean and comfortable. The housekeeping, desk staff, and management were great. Top notch across the board.

I made arrangements for a longterm stay from 6/10-9/12. I even extended a week down 9/12-9/19. At the time of making these arrangements, I mentioned that I would have regular and overlapping business travel. As such, during some weeks, the hotel would be more of a landing space for my belongings, but I wouldn’t always be there. As a longterm Marriott Bonvoy member (I’ve stayed over 1,000 nights in the past 7 years), I kept my brand loyalty to Marriott, during any overlapping travel in other towns.

After I checked out of the hotel on 9/12, my Bonvoy points were never added to my account. I called the Titanium Customer Service team on 9/22, after 8P EST. I politely explained my issue.

The first representative was a bit condescending, and after several minutes, told me I wasn’t going to receive points due to overlapping travel/having dual reservations in more than one city, sporadically, on the same night. I explained to her that I was never informed of that and the Aloft knew I’d be traveling and staying in other Marriott properties occasionally, so I imagined it was an oversight or an instance of getting caught in the gray area of a company policy-things happen, I get it.

After multiple passive aggressive comments, the representative opened a ticket for my case, but mentioned any points awarded from other properties during this time, would be removed. I told her I wouldn’t have given those thousands of dollars and brand loyalty to Marriott, had anyone explained that to me prior…I simply would have booked with Hilton Honors for any overlapping stays.

I asked to speak to a supervisor to explain the situation further. When he got on the phone, he was immediately condescending and unprofessional. Some of his remakes even came off as having racist undertones towards me. He kept interrupting me and eventually hung up on me as I politely tried to restate the issue.

Spending over $17,000 with Marriott over a 4-month period has turned into the worst customer service experience of my entire life. Brand loyalty should be appreciated,...

Let's start at the front with this review. The managers Michelle, and Rose and Taylor are truly the best at what they do. The bartender Seye is a great mixologist . Shakira and Amarion and Sianna are the definition of customer service. Kalib is another great bartender. Peter and Brenda are awesome customer service attendants and Jesus is always spot on with his willingness to fix every issue.. One word describes this place and one phrase defines what awaits your stay. Prepare to be wowed. Smiling faces delightful attitudes and a willingness to make your stay a pleasure. The place was spotless. When you enter the lobby you will be greeted by a very pleasing smell of warm fresh flowers. Every table was spotless. The floors were clean and the carpets were freshly vacuumed. The windows were spotless. The bar was spotless. The refreshment center was spotless. The hallways were spotless. The interior and exterior of the elevator yes they were also spotless. The lobby is a blend of chairs tables and soft furniture. There are areas of the lobby that are really like individual rooms for two. Let's talk about the genuine smiles that greet you constantly. Let's talk about the way that makes you feel as if you have never left home. I stood in awe as they interacted with a guest named Robyn. They all greeted her as if they had known her for a lifetime. Once I settled in I had a drink at the bar. Kalib the mixologist was quite the conversationalist. Well groomed and so informative. His mixing skills are second to none. I could taste every part of my drink, which was a Black Russian. Peter wow, what a way to continue this spectacular day. Peter is the night auditor and wow. He picked up where the morning crew left off. The pool area was immaculate. The workout room was immaculate. The outside featured two electric power stations. The parking lot was debris free and had an adequate amount of parking. The breakfast hours started early and ended at ten thirty am. The room was spacious and featured a unique layout. I could say that I enjoyed my stay here,but. It would be an understatement. So I'm going to say that I loved my stay. And...