TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South

Negatives: The hiked up price for Friday and Saturday

Negatives: The water wasn’t hot, the couch bed was very uncomfortable, The floor was dirty

Negatives: The TV in our room was broken and would not turn the entire stay. The air conditioning broke down about 1am. The air conditioning was making so much noise we had to unplug it. Then around 4am there was a loud buzzing alarm noise coming from the hall. I called the front desk there was no answer. Then I had to get up go down stairs to the front desk, there was no one there. I had to wait for staff. The staff finally returned. She appeared to be annoyed by her flat tone that I waiting for her at the counter. She was not friendly, showed no sympathy, that I was up at 4am, nor was she apologetic, but she was efficient. She was able to stop the noise, and then I returned back to my un-air conditioned room. The maintenance issues were a problem along with the lack luster demeanor of the 3rd shift staff.

Negatives: The icing on the cake would’ve been if they had a swimming pool.

Negatives: My recent stay at the hotel was generally satisfactory, but there were aspects that necessitated a more nuanced evaluation, particularly regarding the room booking and description accuracy. Upon booking, I opted for a King Studio with Sofa Bed, swayed by the images displayed on the website （see the pictures posted on Booking.com), which promised a spacious and well-appointed studio. However, upon arrival and accessing my assigned room (Room 303), it became apparent that the reality starkly contrasted with my expectations. The room provided was markedly smaller and lacked the 'studio' feel, aligning more closely with a standard room configuration (as shown in the figure I attached). Seeking clarification, I approached the reception with my concern, presenting the images that influenced my booking decision. While the receptionist acknowledged the discrepancy between the website's portrayal and the actual room assigned, the explanation offered was that the images on the website were "misleading." According to her, Room 303 qualifies as a "studio" within their categorization, despite the clear differences in size and layout from what was advertised. This experience has led me to question the reliability of the imagery used for room advertising, a tool I've depended on for years with minimal issues, especially through platforms like Booking.com. The term "misleading" used in the explanation provided was particularly perplexing, as it suggests a known disparity between advertised and actual offerings, which is not a practice I've frequently encountered in my extensive use of Booking.com. Moreover, the hotel's high overall rating of 9.2 contributed to my decision to book a stay. Reflecting on my experience, I find it challenging to reconcile this rating with the aspects of service and accommodation that fell short of expectations, specifically in the realm of transparent and accurate room representation.