Residence Inn by Marriott Atlanta NE/Duluth Sugarloaf — Hotel in Duluth

We have been loyal guests at this Marriott for 2–3 years and have always enjoyed our stays. We’ve recommended it to others in the past because of the amenities and breakfast options. Unfortunately, our most recent stay this past Friday, which should have been one of the happiest nights of our lives as we got engaged, was extremely disappointing and will be our last visit.

When we returned from dinner, we discovered that the hotel now charges for parking. We’ve never had to pay for parking before at this location, and while it may have been listed on the website, it was a frustrating surprise and one of the worst decisions this hotel could have made. Immediately after, our room keys would not work at the side entrance, forcing us to walk to the front. The front desk associate saw us struggling outside but made no effort to help or even gesture to the key scanner.

When we finally got upstairs, our room key lit green but the door would not open. The desk clerk came up, but she could not get it open either. She said she would have to call maintenance and left us waiting about 15 to 30 minutes. She then returned and told us to twist the knob upward instead of downward, which finally opened the door. However, shortly after, when my fiancé went to the car to grab something and came back, the lock stopped working altogether. This time, the door flashed red no matter what he did. By then it was around 1 a.m., and while the desk clerk again offered us another room, she admitted she needed to call her manager because her system would not allow her to switch it on her end. At that point, we were exhausted and decided we would not risk leaving the room again until morning.

Breakfast, another reason we have continued to stay here, was also a letdown. The sugar waffles we looked forward to every trip were gone. Instead, there was only a waffle maker with unappealing batter, clumpy oatmeal, runny eggs, boiled eggs, and pork sausage with no alternative. It was a major downgrade from what we have always expected here.

Adding insult to injury, we received a call to our room saying we needed to return the luggage cart or we would be fined. We had kept the cart in our room because the night before we had packed all of our belongings onto it when we thought we were moving to another room. At 1 a.m., after everything we had already been through, we were not about to unpack everything just to return the cart. The irony is that when we first arrived in the pouring rain, no carts were available, and the front desk did not try to call rooms to have one returned. We were simply out of luck. Yet when it was us who had the cart, we were threatened with a fine.

Overall, what should have been a memorable and joyful stay turned into one of the most stressful and disappointing experiences we have had at a hotel. Between the new parking fees, unhelpful staff, broken room locks, downgraded breakfast, and poor handling of simple guest needs, we no longer feel valued here. After years of coming back, this was the final straw, and we will not be staying at this...

The hotel suites were nice but the room details said it was a shower only (the glass shower) but it was a bathtub. The toilet clogged up after 2 uses and we contacted guest services. They stated that maintenance wouldn’t be here until the next day and told us she could move us to another room. The only available room was a studio and we booked a 1 bedroom suite. We asked if she could just send someone up here with a plunger and they did. We plunged it ourselves to avoid moving to a studio. Two hours after we checked out I noticed they charged me twice $180 and $250. My total was $155 with taxes and fees. Neither of these amounts were correct. I called the hotel and they said charged me $250 for a smoking fee. I told the lady I didn’t smoke in the room and I don’t even smoke cigarettes. I smoke cigars and black and milds. She charged me for having tobacco products in the trash can and the housekeeper showed her the “evidence” (tobacco). She even said she didn’t charge me because of the smell and even said there was no smell. There couldn’t have been because I don’t smoke cigarettes. So basically I got charged $250 for smoking out side and discarding tobacco products in the trash can of my hotel. Hotels charge you $250 to take the smell of smoke out not because you discarded a tobacco product, which is completely CRAZY. If I didn’t smoke in the room and the lady even said there was no smell just the “evidence” then how can you charge me??? Warning: don’t bring a packet of cigarettes or cigar or whatever to your room and/or discard it there YOU WILL BE CHARGED. Apparently they’re banned altogether but they have smoking areas outside. Ridiculous, I’m never booking this hotel again. I would’ve rated 4 stars if they hadn’t of charged me for tossing tobacco products in the trash can. I spoke with the manager this morning and he had the nerve to ask why I discarded my tobacco products in my room if I smoked outside? Because I can. Why does it matter? They’re going to be in my possession either way no matter where I throw it out. My boyfriend and I stay at different hotels monthly and have never had an issue with throwing my tobacco in the trash and being charged a smoking fee. They have refunded me for the smoking fee but the housekeeper told the manager that there were ashes found in the room which is a complete and utter lie. I smoked outside in my car. It seems like they like to lie to gain money from fees. Still won’t be booking this hotel again, but I am grateful for the return of that...

I'm a Platinum Elite Lifetime member of Marriott and I stay frequently at all types of Marriotts in Florida and the southeast US...this is the first time that I've ever stayed at a Residence Inn That I've rated it 5-star!...this is the first time that I've ever stayed here and since we go to NC mountains a couple of times a year, we'll be staying here again... Where do I start?...what makes this hotel superior to any other Residence Inn is the cutting-edge design of the hotel room and of the hotel itself... The hotel is located just off of the interstate and it's only 3-years old...the hotel room we had was a one-bedroom suite with a full-size kitchen...first and foremost, there were plenty of electrical sockets everywhere - kitchen, living area, desk, bedroom and there were 4 sockets in the bathroom (where there are normally just 2 unless you're in a 5-star or brand new hotel)...there were two large flat screen televisions (living area and bedroom)... The bedroom had built-in lamps on the wall on each side of the bed which kept both side tables clear for cell phones and my CPAP machine...there was a small vestibule with a large mirror above built-in drawers with a low height top easy for make-up, etc...the bathroom was large and there were two glass shelves for toiletries which still provides plenty of room on the bathroom countertop...there also were two chrome "hooks" for towels, bathrobe, etc. next to the shower...the shower head was at an appropriate height even for a 6 footer...so the design features were OUTSTANDING!... The hotel itself was set-up very well...we brought our small dog, and the dog walk area was out back of the main hallway, easy to access and a very short walk over to the dog area...a rich, green, thick carpet of grass was in this area and there was a station there with doggie bags, and interestingly, everyone seemed to use the bags as there were no droppings that I could see...in the back parking area were four parking spots for electric/hybrid vehicles, including one that was compatible for my BMW - and it was free!... The design of the lobby/eating/work area by the front desk was intuitive and well-done...outside the food area, there was a large raised table top with periodic built-in electrical/UBS connectors, so I could eat breakfast, charge my cell phone/tablet and watch a large flat screen television easily!...wow, what a nice experience... The breakfast was the most diverse I've seen in any hotel other...