Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Winona — Hotel in Winona

Inexperienced Front Desk Staff and Very Unprofessional Management

In my 56 years, I was never treated with such disrespect, with such unprofessionalism, at any hotel or hospitality establishment. For a second day in a row, I had to go down to the front desk to have new keycards made. I was frustrated to have to go through it again. The male clerk from the previous day tried unsuccessfully to provide new keycards. The female clerk stepped in. She wasn’t able to fix the problem and made some calls, I believe to the manager. I was told the same information about the Marriott rewards points as the previous day, that should have already been resolved. After quite a bit of time, I asked them to let me in my room so I could get ready for the evening while they took care of the problem. That didn’t happen. After more time, the flustered woman clerk handed me a piece of paper with a phone number to call to correct the problem myself. Very frustrated and angry, I walked around the corner to the elevators to go to my sister and mother’s room to make the phone call and take care of the problem. The male clerk came out from behind the desk and followed me as I headed to the elevators. He yelled at me to say how “unprofessional” I was and that I handled the situation terribly. Being in an agitated state already, his aggressive actions and “unprofessional” comments set me off and I verbally let him have a piece of my mind. I walked away and headed up to my sister’s room. Since the Marriott rewards points used for the two rooms were in my sister’s name, she went down to the desk to work out the problem. The female general manager, who was not at the desk during the incident, was unprofessional, unreasonable and not willing to discuss the situation in a mature manner. She referred to a video and decided to kick me out of the hotel. There were many inexcusable actions from that point on with the female general manager: -She was rude, smug and the most unprofessional I have ever seen. -She never tried to be diplomatic, remedy the situation nor listen to my side of the events. -She refused to give me her name and told me to get her business card from the front desk. -She refused to show us the video she referred to earlier. -She discussed private issues about another guest with my sister; the manager incorrectly thought was relevant to my situation. -Per social distancing and their sign in the elevator, when leaving, I asked that the unmasked manager not get in the elevator with my sister and me. She refused and threatened to call the police. The sign stated, “Limit use to no more than two people or one household” and “Keep 6 feet apart”. -She harassed my sister in her room while trying to discuss the matter with Marriott via the phone. -She threatened to kick my sister and 84-year-old, disabled mother out of the hotel. -At checkout, my sister saw that the manager put the cost of the room, which I wasn’t in since nine the previous morning, to the credit card on file. I have never felt the need to provide such a bad review, and hope I never have to in the future. However, people need to...

The title pretty much sums this up. The hotel was clean. The mattress was okay. A little too firm for my tastes, but that’s pretty subjective. Breakfast was fine and well stocked. I didn’t use the pool or fitness facility. Parking was adequate. No bed bugs. The location is close to a major department store and a popular gas station chain. Hospital across the street, but I never heard sirens pertaining to that. The shower in the room was really nice. ||There were two things I didn’t like:|1. I had a room facing a very major roundabout. This became an issue around 5AM when loud vehicles started maneuvering their way through the roundabout. Outside soundproofing is not great, although it’s common to hear noises when staying on busy roads. This was not a dealbreaker for me. Choosing a room on the back side would probably remedy this. |2. The walls are very thin. I knew I was in trouble when I heard someone next door plugging something into an outlet. I heard normal levels of talking and tvs. The worst thing, though, was the snoring I heard all night long, even though I was using ear plugs and playing white noise. Based on what I saw in the parking lot and at breakfast, I would say the hotel was only half full, so I am not sure why they filled rooms on both sides of me. ||Overall, the hotel is okay, but if you are a light sleeper, you may want to do...

I've had to travel to Winona, MN several times over the past few years. I generally stay in the area where the Fairfield hotel is located, as I've also stayed at the Holiday Inn, which is only a short distance away.

The Fairfield is a relatively new hotel. It's behind the Perkins, and there are satellite views where you see nothing but an empty parking lot. I would think that most people prefer newer hotels with updated amenities, and the Fairfield provides a fair amount relative to its room cost.

As you walk in, the host's desk is to the left. Directly ahead is the dining area, and I hope it opens soon. Coffee is available near the dining room, as is a to-go type of breakfast. I didn't partake in the to-go option, but they cover the food groups well.

The exercise room is slightly down the hall and to the left of the dining area. The elevators are across the hall from the exercise room. The rooms are comfortable, clean and quiet. The beds are a little soft but not overly so. The TV is large, and there's enough content available to entertain most.

Overall, I recommend this Fairfield. It's not that the Holiday Inn is several grades worse, it's just that the Fairfield rises above their offering. You're also close to Perkins, which is great since breakfast isn't being served, yet. Brewski's Pub and Grill is on the other side should you want some pub type food...