Courtyard by Marriott Houston I-10 West/Energy Corridor — Hotel in Houston

Before I dive into any of the issues we had, and there were several, I want to say the staff at this hotel is the best I have encountered in all my travels. It’s not an exaggeration. And I have stayed at some top notch hotels and resorts, as well as some that are much less aspirational than the Courtyard by Marriott. I and my four coworkers interacted with front desk, maintenance, housekeeping, and the cafe employees and every single person was accommodating and kind. We especially loved the woman who took our order at breakfast (I wish I had noted her name). She was prompt, positive, and genuine. We all looked forward to seeing her in the morning.||Location: Right off the freeway, so easy access, which was nice. But if you’re looking for a place to stay where you can easily walk to restaurants or points of interest, this isn’t it. There’s an Exxon across the street if you need gas or a snack, but that’s about it.||Other pros: the hotel is very clean, the breakfast was good||The issues I alluded to earlier were these: First, when we checked in, two of us detected a smell like gas when we got to our rooms. They gave us new rooms, and one of the two still smelled like gas. So they switched that occupant (me) to another room again. Maintenance came up and inspected the rooms and said he didn’t smell anything, but that our rooms were right above the laundry room, so it’s possible he’s used to that smell and we were not. But he didn’t make us feel like we were crazy or causing an inconvenience, and we eventually all ended up in rooms that were odor-free. Then, on the second day, one of my colleagues realized that when her door closed, it didn’t lock. She could lock it from the inside, but not from the outside. So maintenance came up and fixed it. However, then she discovered her AC wasn’t working. She had it set at 67 but the temperature wouldn’t go below 75. So she was moved to a different room with a working AC unit.||At the end of the stay, we can say all inconveniences were rectified, but they were still a hassle in the moment. The staff could have addressed these problems in a way that would result in a horrible stay, but they did not. They were the saving grace of a very dated hotel experience. ||My note to Marriott: Do better. Your hotel staff at this location are seriously gems. Invest in this property so that they can focus on making the customer experience even better, rather than having to troubleshoot and correct issues and hope that their guests will be...

This was one of the poorest experiences I've had at any property owned by Marriott. First, the hotel isnt easy to get to, requiring a U-turn when you come from all but 1 direction, INCLUDING when you're coming from downtown Houston, the Airport, and even its own exit off of the Katy Freeway. Second, when I showed up the lady at the desk did not seem interested in me at all, didn't speak English fluently, and just complained about my rate and how I hadn't paid for it. I had to open up my bank statement on my phone to prove her different. After about 15 minutes of getting checked in, she finally gave me the keys to the room. I was also not greeted with the typical cookies or water that I've come accustom to when I check into a Marriott as a rewards member. Next, the entrance to the side of the building was being worked on with 3 of the workers just standing in the doorway. There was mud everywhere and made me wonder about the working conditions of the contractors. This was eventually cleaned up later though. After that, the elevator was so scary they should make a horror movie about it. It didn't feel safe at all and was in a awkward place in the hotel, and you guessed it, literally as far away from the room as possible. When we got to the room finally it had a smell in it. I showed up about 2 hours later than checkin time, so they had time to clean the room I thought. Otherwise, the beds were nice and spacious. The room didn't look old, and was well maintained. The property looked kinda run down at some points, but overall, I give it a B- grade. It is in a generally safe part of Houston though, near some food and easy to get onto the highway. Additionally the lobby, where the employees work, is in GREAT shape. One of the nicest lobbies I've seen in a long time. But this is really the end of the highlights. The next morning I find out the breakfast is nearly $10 a meal a person and when I asked about it they said "I think we can make you something if you really want." It was a very off putting and weird way. Then after I left to get breakfast at a nearby Starbucks, I was notified on my phone that they were trying to charge my credit card a additional $10. I kept the card locked, so the charge didn't go through. This continued until several days later and eventually the attempts stopped. All in all, the hotel gets a D- grade from me. I'd only recommend someone to stay here if they literally cant find somewhere else...

The hotel was clean. The custodial staff was kind and humble. The room was nice and the internet went worked well after the rare snowstorm in Houston. Some things that didn't sit well with me: I was at the counter speaking with a staff member. She didn't excuse herself. Mid conversation she just answered the phone as if I wasn't there. Before booking, I wasn't told that the restaurant which was on their website was closed. Many varying staff who would answer the phone in rude tones saying, "Courtyard Marriott book online" and they'd disconnect. When I asked about the cost being different once there was NO water in the hotel, I was told, "The city is responsible for this. They shut the water down. Why should we be responsible for that?" When I asked about the smell of drugs on my floor- I had a child with me- I was told, "Oh, yeah. That's on the second floor right? We can't really tell what room it's coming from. Sorry." Traveling across the country, I've never experienced so many staff in one hotel who didn't appear to care about the consumer experience. They showed no empathy and were extremely rude and lacked professionalism. This location should be called 'Customer service free'. Undeniably, it was a rough time for everyone. There was a custodian who noted his concern for his wife who was dealing with storm related issues without him because he was at work. He was kind, thoughtful and the most professional person whose empathy I felt. Lastly, when we had no water for showers, we weren't offered any resources and the snack shop ran out of food (90%). There was no way to flush.... I read articles and watched a news report and called 311 to find that the city had not shut water down. (Sorry for this being out of order_shared as it...