Reservations Cancelled, poor customer service, faulty equipment, absentee management
I rated this location poor due to fouled up reservations (twice for one stay), unacceptably poor customer service, hidden parking fees, and inept maintenance.
Reservations:
The local staff called me the day before my reservation, cancelling my reservation and instructing me, (not asking me) to stay at another property. No explanation, no options. I am a Silver Elite member, Gold status in seven more nights, But the loyalty membership did not matter.
Surprisingly, the next morning (the day of the reservation) Residence Inn cancelled my newer reservation (a different Marriott property) without my permission. I received a voicemail of the change, and was INSTRUCTED by the voice on my phone to check in at Residence Inn, even though I no longer cared to stay there.
There seems to be an easy fix for this. Residence Inn publishes that they have 104 rooms available for a night. When they reserve the 104th room for that night, stop accepting reservations. Seems pretty easy. Of course, people closer to the problem will say it's not that easy, and I suspect they are right. But I've had no other hotel chain do this, so it must not be that hard, at least for loyalty program members.
Poor Customer Service
When I checked in at 6:00 PM, there was no manager, and there would not be for over 15 hours. I asked for a manager on call, but my request was ignored, even after asking twice.
FAULTY EQUIPMENT:
When I got to the room, it was not the room type I reserved, but a downgraded room, and the TV did not work. Instead of fixing it, the maintenance man rigged the TV manually on Channel five. All that was available was ABC channel five.
I got no offer to fix or replace the broken TV, even when I asked about that option, and was expected to just be happy I got one channel, and not NO CHANNELS. I complained to the front desk, but no further actions were offered.
Perhaps maintenance needs remedial training?
A 32" HDTV costs about as much as one night at Residence inn. There are probably close to 150 on site: Keep maybe a 1-2% reserve on hand - just 2-3 spares. When an occupied guest room TV breaks, just place one of the spares in that room until you can fix the broken one - easy fix.
HIDDEN PARKING FEES
NOTE THAT Marriott charges for Parking at this location. This makes sense in a downtown location where a significant percentage of guests Taxi, Uber or Limo in. Sure -- Don't charge for a service only a fraction of your guests use. But in wide open Grand Junction, most guests arrive by car.
They do not advise you of this on their website as you make the reservation, except in very small print as 'additional fees', which includes taxes, etc. and the $6 parking fee.
Perhaps I should not fuss. The desk clerk "Gave" me free parking, when she admitted there were significant foul ups on my stay. But there is a flaw in assuming a business traveler will appreciate a $6 discount on a bill paid by the company. This is business, not personal travel. The $6 benefits a distant corporation, but at a truly insignificant and unnoticed level. Perhaps offering loyalty points has more meaning?
Summary
Easy fixes if the staff cares.
