We have stayed in the Charlotte area a number of times but never before at the Marriott City Center. The location suited our needs perfectly for this particular trip.
The check-in and bellman staff was exceptionally courteous and quite efficient. The lobby was attractive and well-maintained. Self-parking in the garage is not difficult once you navigate the very sharp and narrow curve in the entrance ramp. It felt reasonably safe and well lit. Our room was a bit small but certainly clean and comfortable and very reasonably priced given our discount (AAA, AARP, and Marriott- sponsored packages all work out to pretty much the same weekend discount).
BUT, and here is why I only rate our stay neutral and consider even that somewhat generous:
We were there on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday night we were awakened by extremely loud voices and laughter in the hallway right outside our room on an upper floor. I peeked out the security peephole and saw a group of well-dressed young people. they were calling to each other from doorway to doorway, down the hall, and generally behaving as though they were in a college dorm on a weekend night. I assume we were the unfortunate hallmates of people who had attended a very successful rehearsal dinner or other youth-oriented event where a lot of alcohol had been consumed and the reality of being in a grownup setting had been forgotten. I called the desk to complain and after five minutes the noise subsided somewhat, whether because the celebrants realized their behavior was unacceptable or because someone came up from the desk to tell them to be quiet I do not know.
Saturday night was much worse and something the hotel should have controlled. The relatively unobtrusive thumping music we had heard and ignored in the background Friday night had become a major annoyance, blasting up to our high-floor room for hours. We tried to go to sleep about 11:30; it continued until after 2 a.m. Several times between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. I called the desk and was told various things, among them that there had once been a club nearby that caused noise problems and the problem had just reappeared.... they were sending someone across the street to complain to the club...not clear if they were calling police, Not quite clear how many other people if any had called to complain this particular night, It was as loud as if we were on the street right outside the club--but keep in mind that not only were we on a high floor, we had our windows closed, and the air conditioning was on.
I suppose that on a week night for business travelers the Marriott Ceity Center is still a viable option, but I don't know the club habits of Charlotte--perhaps even on a week night there might be an issue. Unless I were to be told with certainty that the club noise was no longer an issue I would not stay at this Marriott again despite its excellent location. I am also disappointed that although my husband included a comment about the excessive noise and poor response from staff in his response to the standard "how was your visit" survey he received upon our return home, we have received no reply or acknowledgment of any kind--nearly a month after the survey was returned.
