Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach — Hotel in Wilmington

We arrived late after driving 8 hours to watch family members and friends compete in the Wrightsville Beach Ironman. We stayed two nights in room 163. Positive observations - many and they outweigh what I hope were outlier aberrations, which put a damper on our stay.

The accommodations were very nice; both comfortable and clean. The attending reception, bar, and cleaning staff were very nice and helpful. The facility was clean and the furnishing were modern and appeared to be in good working order. The location is conveniently located to many services a traveler might need.

Notable concerns :

(1) Two nearby rooms; one immediately adjacent and one across the hall utilized the security device that limits door opening as a means to keep their doors open. As such, beginning at around 0600 on Saturday morning and 0500 on Sunday morning, we were awoken by the frequent and repeated sound of a door closing back onto the security device. This went on for an extended period of time and precluded either my wife and I from getting a restful nights sleep. I realize this practice tends to be a norm but given my wife and each puts in a 90+ schedule every week, we were really looking forward to and were disappointed in failing to get what could have a restful night's sleep.

(2) Our room, #163 is adjacent to a car dealership. Typically I wouldn't think to be a concern but, during our stay. an employee decided to locate cars by using the automobile fob to sound the car's horns. Again, probably an aberration but I was taking an online exam and it certainly made me wish I wasn't staying there at the time.

(3) Free vs purchased internet: I conducted a speedtest on the internet signal and achieved a down / up Mbps rating of 2.5 and 2.2. Noting high speed ethernet ports are a thing of the past, if you're planning to conduct business or research during their stay, you may want to opt for the paid internet service.

(4) Food served at the cafe was very good but note to all early risers who love their first cup of Joe, it isn't free and it isn't available until 0700 so if you're an early riser or don't prefer Starbucks, make plans to find it elsewhere. The "in-room coffee" was just that so pre-plan to avoid being disappointed.

Notwithstanding the improvement opportunities mentioned above, our stay and the staff were very pleasant and we would stay there again, albeit on the other side of the hotel that backs up to an open field vice the car lot. ...

The front desk person, that checked me in, pointed behind her as the direction I would want to park. Also, I had to ask her which direction to park - there was not any available parking by the front door. I parked the way she indicated that evening, and had to hike to my room. She did offer to enroll me in the rewards program and offered to bring the info to my room. I checked out 2 days later and never received anything. On the upside, she was very friendly and smiled. The next morning, I investigated and realized I was the opposite direction. That afternoon, I asked for a bottle of lotion, since there was none in my room. The front desk person looked in a basket behind the desk, but there was not any. She wrote down my room number and said she'd check housekeeping and if she found some, she would bring it. I never saw any lotion arrive. As an out of town traveler, flying into town (for a job interview), I bring as little as I can, expecting the hotel to provide soap, shampoo & conditioner, a hair dryer, ice, and lotion. When I don't have access to one of these things, I have to add a stop at a store. I can't remember staying at a decent hotel that didn't provide body lotion. There was no soda machine on my floor, nor could I find a hotel map in my room so I didn't know how to get to the ice machine, the pool, or the fitness room. There was ice water offered daily in the lobby, however it was not cold in the afternoon. Maybe a water/ice machine in the lobby would be better. There were good things - the place was very clean - my room (except for the desk chair, which is easily overlooked, but had food or something on the back) as well as the hotel. Since I parked on the wrong side, I made it through quite a bit of the hotel so I took notice. There is a seating area, above the lobby, that seems like a waste of space, but it was pretty. Maybe for families that want to get out of each other's hair on a gloomy day? I did not eat at the hotel, but the dining area looked...

Quite a disappointment. I have always jumped at the opportunity to stay at a Marriott Courtyard, knowing it will be clean and offer quality service. Especially since I worked for them, “back in the day”.

This experience has tarnished my view of the Marriott brand. We had to switch rooms because the first room had ants everywhere. The location is perfect and layout could be very nice , However, it seems worn and not kept. The bushes are even overgrown, you can barely get to the pool. Then there is the “service” or lack thereof. We needed towels because we had been to the beach all day and had to get showered for dinner. I went to the front desk, where she told me, “housekeeping hasn’t stocked me with any, if you find a house keeper somewhere in the building, you can ask for some.” She did say she would “make a note” for the next shift but it would be a long while. SO, I went on the hunt for a housekeeper, once I found one, I asked for 3 towels. He looked at me like I had just asked him for a priceless artifact. He reluctantly gave them too me. I felt like I needed to plead my case for the need of towels. After which, he told me we guests ask for towels and leave 20 stacked in a corner. I walked away with the towels but feeling like a scolded child and then Realized I was paying for this experience. Oh, then there’s the remote control…It didn’t work. This is a small detail but added to our negative experience.

Not sure if Marriott reads these, or cares. I would love for them to offer an apology and some good quality costumer service to repair my view of the brand.

However, if they don’t at least you are reading this and can make the choice how to spend your future hotel dollars. I...