I stayed at The Inn & Conference Center at U of MD College Park. During previous stays, I have had a room along Adelphi Road, which had so much traffic that it interfered with sleep. On another stay, I was kept awake by some sound of water rushing across the ceiling, probably associated with toilets flushing during the night. So, I asked for a quiet room.
The hotel was relatively dead, but I never expected to have a room at a Marriott with no heat. I set the thermostat after a big day of travel and went out to dinner. Upon my return, I noticed the room was cold, and the unit was blowing cold air. I picked up the cordless phone to notify the desk (around midnight). The phone battery must have been dead as I was unable to get a dialtone. I called the front desk from my cellphone. I got cut off the first time, and then was put on hold so long that I thought I was cut off. I got dressed and went down to the lobby to tell them about these issues. All the clerk could say, repeatedly, was "I'm sorry, Mam".
It got worse from there. After demanding a new room with heat, the manager came to see me the next day. He had a retort for every complaint I experienced. He also told me I should have given their engineer a chance to fix the heat. I asked if they even have an engineer on staff overnight, plus, would I have to wait for parts? I was at the point of exhaustion and this was an experience that made me realize that Marriott needs to maintain their properties better than they do. I told the manager that if a room has no heat, they should immediately offer a different room, especially if it's late at night. Also, they should have more employees at the desk. I had to wait to talk to the clerk as people were checking in and he was the only one on duty.
I filled out the Marriott survey online and asked in the comment box at the end for a response. No word yet. It's been over 2 weeks.
The hotel is situated most conveniently to U of MD.
We are loyal to Marriott and have been staying at this property for a year and a half when we visited. We use to stay at The Conference Center at Georgetown when Marriott owned the property, and when we stayed there or Key Bridge, the buildings were maintained and the staff treated us like family.
I told the clerk and manager that Marriott has to do better. At my insistence, 2 women security guards transferred my baggage to my new room. Fortunately, I had not unpacked, so that was easy enough and the guards literally saved the day. They even went down to the desk and got the keys changed for me. Those security guards were wonderful.
I have bursitis and a post-surgical knee. I travel with an ice pack for swelling and they did provide a refrigerator. But I did not need all the hassle, extra physical demands at the end of a long day of travel. I finally got settled into my room around 1:30 am.
I expect a standard of excellence from Marriott that failed on this visit.
I will say, I had lunch the following day at the Garden Cafe, ordering a cheeseburger. It was delicious. I subbed out a salad for the fries, and the salad was beautiful. It was too much to eat. They wrapped it with Saran and I took it to my room and ate it later that day. It stayed very fresh in the fridge.
- Also Known As:
- The Inn And Conference Center, University Of Maryland University College
- The Inn & Conference Center, University Of Maryland University College Hotel
- Marriott Conference Center Hyattsville
- Marriott Conference Center
- The Inn & Conference Center, University Of Maryland University College Hyattsville
Region:
United States >
Maryland >
Hyattsville
Amenities:
Business Center
Fitness Center
Free High-Speed Internet
Restaurant
Room Service
Wheelchair access
Ranked #2 of 2 hotels in Hyattsville
Price Range:
$$
Hotel Class:3.5 star (3.5*)
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
-
The Marriott Inn & Conference Center, UMUC is a Washington DC area hotel that is both luxurious and environmentally responsible. This Marriott hotel was the country’s first green hotel and conference center.
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