Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Gainesville I-75 — Hotel in Gainesville

The following excerpt was copied and pasted from the review I just left Marriott on their official site, after they sent me an email asking me to rate my stay. Here goes:

I chose this hotel because it had a 4.8 out of 5 star google rating. I realize it is a "comfort level" hotel of Marriot. I will definitely be trying one of the upper tier hotels because this place was just blah.

The staff who I interacted with (the 3 lovely women at the front desk), were great. I didn't really see any of the other staff.

The room: I got the two queen suite, because the king was not available. The hotel really did fill up that night!

Okay-- LOVE the funky tree view shade on the windows. Loved the bed/pillows. Nice and just right. Really loved the feel of the upholstery on the pull-out sofa, which we didn't use. Loved the thick bath towels! Loved the spacious bathroom.

Disappointments: the old fashioned bathtub and fixtures. You guys couldn't do better than that? The shower curtain and liner didn't even fit that big ugly tub. The soap caddies were so old fashioned too.

The Alice brand shampoo/conditioner/body wash. OMG, what a BIG disappointment!! That stuff did NOT lather up. It hardly had any aroma! I was SO disappointed with it! The body wash---ugh! Are you kidding me?!! I paid about $130 for this room and the shampoo is awful? Don't even get me started on that horrible little bar of soap you offer sink-side in the bathroom. What the heck was that? A hard squared piece of horrible soap that also had hardly any NICE aroma and did not lather at all! HORRIBLE!! I've had better soaps at a Best Western!

Another disappointment: WHY is the fridge NEVER cold?!!!!!!!! WHY?!

And HOW is the coffee you offer in the room for that RIDICULOUS coffee machine SO bad?!!! HOW is it that horrible?! You couldn't even drink it. The coffee downstairs was much nicer and tasted SOOO much like coffee, unlike that awful brew you offer for the rooms!

One more thing I truly hated about this suite: there was NO way to provide a partition between the two beds for the room that had its own tv and the other area, where the pull-out sofa was, that had its own tv. There was NO WAY to close off that area. What the heck is the point? You can't have a guest sleep there and watch tv to the volume the like because it is so loud, or vice versa! That pull out sofa/area is completely USELESS!!

Things I DID like:

The breakfast offered downstairs. Really nice. The tile used throughout the lobby--very pretty. The pool liked really nice, though it was too cold to try it out....

The bar looked nice, didn't try. Also wished you offered COCA-COLA in the downstairs vending area. Other than that, that is all of my criticisms (sorry), and accolades. A very special thank you to the lovely young woman at the front desk, who helped me when my husband needed a corkscrew. She was very friendly, and professional, and made sure I had everything needed, as I am visually impaired, (legally blind). I hate to leave criticism, but you asked for it. LOL We signed on the the Bonvoy app, so hopefully we can accrue some points when we stay at an upper level tier Marriott hotel...

Let me start by saying that back in August 2024, I stayed at this hotel in a pinch while driving from Atlanta as hurricane Debbie was beginning to make landfall and my flight to Sarasota was cancelled. I decided to chance it and get in the car and see how far I could get before having to stop. My husband was on the phone with them making the reservations and preparations with the staff while I was concentrating on driving. They were aware that I would be getting in at 1am or later and assured my husband that they would make sure I was safe. They were ready and waiting when I arrived. And let me tell you, I was a complete stress mess when I got there, lol. This was my first experience and they went above and beyond!

Fast forward to this week. My company travel agency mistakenly booked my stay for a date 2 weeks earlier than I was going to be in town for business. I only noticed the charge early because i was going through expenses for a report. The corporate travel agency charges for every single live interaction with them, so I called the hotel first to see if they could reverse the charge from my company credit card knowing I would be staying with them very soon. I spoke with Brandon, one of the managers. He was kind, understanding and extremely helpful. The hotel agreed to refund the charge for the night that was mistakenly booked (of course as long as I made my reservation for the night I actually needed while we were on the phone - but this was fine with me.) Anyone who travels for business and has a company card that must reconcile expenses can appreciate what a huge lifesaver this was! Thank you Brandon for the excellent customer service.

This will be my home in Gainesville for all of my business and personal needs! Not only is the staff incredible, but the hotel is insanely clean, modern and comfortable. Some have commented that the rooms are "utilitarian". I for one, love the minimalist style and feel and LOVE that there is very little in the way of fabric, including CARPET! Much healthier!

Exceptional hotel for...

First I would like to say that all of the positive reviews are spot on. This isn't just any hotel. The people that work there treat you like family. You can tell they feel that way about each other as well. You are always greeted with a smile. Everyone is so extremely friendly and genuinely kind. Exceptional human beings. My girlfriend and I travel 5-7 hours monthly from Cape Coral, FL to see her doctors at Shands Hospital. We had previously stayed at other hotels and were dissatisfied. Then I chose this particular Fairfield for it's location. I'll never stay anywhere else. I want to thank Erik, Justin, Sabrina, Alaysha, Kate, and Cielo for the warm welcome I get when I enter the hotel Always a smile on their face and an offer to help. Erik stocked the freezer by the front desk with ice cream sandwiches for me. I was in the mood just for those, so he went in the kitchen and came back with an arm full. Lol Justin works the night shift. I love talking to Justin. I was commenting on how excellent the coffee is there. I wanted to know what kind it was. He got on the computer and looked it up for me. My girlfriend had just had another surgery, she was cold, and he brought her two blankets to warm her up. Thank you to Marisol, Cleo and Monsi that run the kitchen and make the fabulous breakfast that we eat every morning. The menu is exhausting. These girls are "five star" in the kitchen. If it's not on the menu they'll do their best to make it for you. Hugs and kisses to Marisol for making my girlfriend scrambled eggs and bringing them to our room when she was on a limited diet after surgery. You are a doll 😘 . She was so miserable, and that made her feel so much better. Thank you so so much Marisol.

A special thanks to Valeria Alvarez, Director of Sales. The gift you sent to our room for my girlfriend after her surgery absolutely lifted her spirits. Thank you also for all the beautiful people you employ at your...