1/5 Stars -- Marriott Tijuana: An Absolute Nightmare. Never Again…read more
If I could give this hotel negative five stars, I would. I wouldn't wish this experience on my worst enemy.
I stayed at the Marriott in Tijuana expecting a comfortable room, some peace and quiet, and the level of hospitality you'd expect from a hotel carrying the Marriott name. Instead, I paid good money to stay in what sounded like an active construction site.
I was originally placed on the fourth floor, where I was subjected to relentless construction noise. I'm not talking about someone occasionally swinging a hammer. I'm talking about constant drilling with rotary hammers and the repeated firing of Hilti/Ramset powder-actuated fastening tools used to secure building materials to concrete.
And before management tries to dismiss this as ordinary maintenance noise, I know exactly what those tools sound like. I used to work as a carpenter. I've personally operated these tools. I know the difference between routine maintenance and heavy-duty construction. This was absolutely ridiculous to subject paying hotel guests to.
After complaining, I was relocated from the fourth floor to the seventh floor. Did that solve the problem? Absolutely not. The construction noise was still persistent. Apparently, Marriott's solution to an unbearable room is to move you three floors higher so you can enjoy the same nightmare from a different elevation.
Then came the air conditioning.
I turned on the AC, and the fan simply refused to shut off. I moved the fan setting from "ON" to "AUTO," exactly as you're supposed to. The room reached the desired temperature, but the fan continued running nonstop.
For all I know, that fan is still running today. It certainly seemed determined to outlive my reservation.
Between the construction equipment pounding away and an air-conditioning fan that apparently doesn't understand the meaning of "AUTO," getting any peace and quiet was practically impossible.
And here's the part that really pushed me over the edge: I requested a refund and was denied.
Let that sink in. I paid for a hotel room, not a construction-site experience with a defective climate-control system. I gave the hotel an opportunity to correct the situation. Moving me to another floor didn't fix the noise, and when I asked for my money back, they refused.
Now, to be fair, the staff members were generally friendly and polite. I don't have a personal issue with their demeanor. But there's something especially insulting about being treated pleasantly while being denied a reasonable resolution to a miserable experience.
It was basically a big "FUCK YOU" delivered with a warm Marriott smile.
That's what made this experience even more frustrating. Everyone can smile, apologize, and act courteous, but when it comes time to take responsibility and make things right, suddenly nobody can do anything.
Marriott, your guests pay for comfort, rest, and hospitality. They don't pay to listen to rotary hammers, powder-actuated fastening tools, and malfunctioning air-conditioning systems while management refuses to refund their money.
My recommendation? STAY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
There are plenty of hotels in Tijuana. Do yourself a favor and choose one where you can actually rest, where the air conditioning works properly, and where customer satisfaction means more than a polite smile and a refusal to issue a refund.
Marriott Tijuana, you got my money once. You will never get it again.
One star is one star too many.