Newport News Marriott at City Center — Hotel in Poquoson

My recent stay at this Marriott property was deeply disappointing, starting from the moment I arrived. Finding the main entrance was challenging, as there was no clear signage, and I had to drive around the entire building before locating it. Once inside, the receptionist directed me to the parking lot without explaining how to get back to the hotel, leaving me struggling again. After finally checking in, I was told to return to my car to place a parking tag on my rearview mirror—a frustrating extra step.

The parking lot elevator was in terrible condition, and even the hotel elevator showed signs of neglect with visible dust buildup. Despite the hotel being nearly empty, the receptionists seemed indifferent and rarely smiled. When I inquired about a possible discount for an event I was attending—something the organizer suggested I ask about—the receptionist flatly told me no and gave no indication of wanting to help. There was no effort to check with a manager or offer an apology, leaving me shocked by the lack of basic customer service.

The view from our room was pleasant, and my son and I enjoyed the evening, but the positives stopped there. Early the next morning, I was interrupted by music coming through the vent system, making it difficult to concentrate on work. Additionally, the water in the bathtub was clogged and drained so slowly that it caused delays as we had to wait between showers. This was an unnecessary inconvenience, especially given the price we paid.

Later, at breakfast, I discovered that what I believed to be an included meal (as confirmed by the event organizer) was not. The breakfast staff were kind enough to let us eat while I tried to resolve the issue with reception, but again, I was met with cold and unhelpful responses. The receptionist explained that because I booked through Booking.com, breakfast wasn’t included, and they refused to escalate the issue or offer any assistance. When I mentioned that I hadn’t received the booking link they referenced, they simply repeated that there was nothing they could do. Ultimately, I overpaid $110 for a full price for my one-night stay and an additional for breakfast that I should not have been charged for.

Overall, this stay was a frustrating and disappointing experience. From poor communication and unhelpful staff to subpar cleanliness, unresolved issues, and a clogged bathtub, it fell far below the standards I expect from Marriott. I hope the management takes these points seriously to prevent future guests from having a similarly...

I booked a room at the Newport News Marriott at City Center to stay over night after my wedding and before my wife and I left for our honeymoon the next morning. We normally stay at Hampton Inn's, but I figured that we'd "splurge" a bit for such a special night. The room itself was great - clean, spacious, etc. However, the service was extremely poor, and I would not stay with them again after the experience I had.

To start with, I called multiple times the week of the wedding, including the night before, to ensure all of the appropriate arrangements were in order. I had placed a family friend's name on the room to ensure that he'd be able to check in for us prior to the wedding so that we didn't have to worry about it upon arriving that evening. I also asked for early check-in, if it was possible, and was told that if it wasn't the bags could be left with the bellmen and they would be taken up prior to our arrival. In addition, I was told that the champagne and strawberries I ordered would be delivered to the room just prior to our arrival. I felt good about all of this and thought that everything would be taken care of.

In short, none of this happened. When our family friend went to check us in, he was told that he could not check us in, and that he was not on the room. He told me that after 20+ minutes of discussion, he finally asked them to check the names on the room one final time, and sure enough, he was. Unfortunately, the room was not yet ready, so he left the bags with the bellmen, and tipped them in advance to ensure the bags would be placed in the room - as promised. Upon our arrival, we found that the bags were still at the bellmen's station, and it took two calls to have the champagne and strawberries delivered (not exactly the best start to a honeymoon). In the morning, we found that due to all of this trouble, they had discounted the room rate for us. However, after returning from the honeymoon, I discovered that they had charged the card for the room twice. I've now called three times and left messages but I've yet to have my call returned or have someone from the accounting office answer their phone.

As I've said before, the room itself was great, but I was really just looking for a place for us to stay for 11 hours before hopping on a plane the next morning. However, with such poor service, I think I'll stay elsewhere next time I book a hotel and...

Cleanliness = 8 out of 10 Service = 3 out of 10 Ambiance = 3 out of 10 Security = 2 out of 10

While I enjoyed my previous visit to this hotel as a solo traveler, my experience with my wife this time around was quite disappointing.

Upon checking in on Friday, March 10th, my wife asked the clerk for our room number, which the clerk replied by stating that it was written on the back of our card. When my wife asked again, the clerk repeated her response in a flippant and disrespectful manner. I believe that asking for our room number is a reasonable request, and such a response was unwarranted.

On Saturday, March 11th, my wife and I returned to the hotel to find a large group of approximately 30-40 teenagers loitering in the lobby. They were obstructing the entrance from the parking lot and blocking the elevators, making it difficult for guests to access the hotel.

Furthermore, upon entering our room, we noticed that housekeeping had not cleaned it. Earlier in the day, a housekeeper had come to our room, but we informed her that we would be leaving soon and asked if she could return later. She replied in Spanish and left. When we returned several hours later, we found that our room had not been cleaned. Upon notifying the front desk of this issue, the clerk showed little concern and simply stated that they would "get to it tomorrow."

Later, I went to the bar to order a drink, but after waiting for 15 minutes, two women who had just exited an event sat next to me and were immediately served by the bartender. Despite mentioning that I had been there before them, the bartender continued to serve them without acknowledging me. It's worth noting that the same bartender had served me the night before.

I recommended that we book our stay at this particular hotel because I believed it was a nice hotel with above-average service. However, based on the aforementioned incidents, I cannot recommend or stay at this hotel again. As a frequent traveler and Marriott member, I expect more from the Marriott brand. Unfortunately, it appears that my positive experience during my first visit was an exception rather...