"Dear Marriott Team,
We would like to share our experience after staying at your hotel for two nights.
Our disappointment began as soon as we checked in. We booked a **Deluxe King Room** through Booking.com. During the booking process, the room was presented with photos showing beautiful city views and plenty of natural light. There was no indication anywhere that the room we might receive could have a completely different view.
Instead, we were assigned a room on a lower floor overlooking the inner courtyard and directly facing other hotel windows, with very little natural daylight. The room itself was acceptable, but the view was completely different from what had been presented during the booking process. We specifically chose this room category based on the photos shown on Booking.com, which clearly suggested a bright room with attractive city views. If room views are not guaranteed, this should be clearly stated instead of advertising the room category exclusively with photos that create very different expectations. Considering that we paid around **€350 per night**, this was extremely disappointing.
Because we were so unhappy with the room—primarily because the actual view was completely different from what had been advertised—I went to the front desk to discuss the situation and ask about the possibility of a refund. I explained that the room did not match the expectations created by the photos on Booking.com. One of the receptionists told me that I could speak with his colleague, Margarita, as she spoke Russian.
When I approached her, our conversation went as follows:
"Good afternoon, Margarita. Do you speak Russian?"
Instead of simply answering, she looked at me with obvious surprise and asked, "Do we know each other?"
I replied, "No, your colleague told me that you speak Russian."
I asked again whether she spoke Russian, but instead of answering directly, she continued responding in a strange and confusing manner.
As a guest of a five-star hotel, I found this behavior completely inappropriate. I wasn't trying to have a personal conversation—I simply needed assistance with an issue regarding our reservation. After a long journey, the last thing a guest expects is to deal with uncomfortable and unnecessary interactions instead of receiving professional customer service.
When I explained that the room was completely different from what had been shown during the booking process, Margarita simply told me that **the view is not guaranteed** and that guests may receive different views depending on availability. However, this information was never disclosed during the booking process. If the view is not guaranteed, why are only rooms with beautiful city views shown in the listing? There was no statement on Booking.com explaining that guests might instead receive a room overlooking the back of the hotel, facing other windows, with almost no natural light. Had this been made clear, we would have made a different booking decision.
Eventually, after my husband also spoke with the front desk, we were moved to another room on the fifth floor, which had a much nicer view and was much closer to what we had originally expected. We appreciated that this issue was eventually resolved, but it required unnecessary effort on our part and could have been handled much more professionally from the beginning.
Unfortunately, the problems did not end there.
The room did not include basic amenities such as toothbrushes or a shaving kit, so we had to call reception and request everything separately. While this may be the hotel's policy, it certainly did not feel like the level of service one expects from a five-star hotel.
Even more disappointing was the housekeeping. The towels in our room had hair on them. We requested replacements, but the new towels arrived with visible stains, forcing us to ask for another set once again. Cleanliness is one of the most basic expectations in any hotel, especially one operating under the Marriott brand.
We have stayed in many five-star hotels around the world, and sadly, this was one of the most disappointing experiences we have ever had. While problems can happen in any hotel, what truly makes the difference is how they are handled. Unfortunately, we did not feel welcomed, valued, or genuinely cared for during our stay.
Based on our experience, we cannot recommend this hotel and will not choose this Marriott property again in the future. We sincerely hope our feedback will be taken seriously and that improvements will be made in both customer service and housekeeping standards so that future guests do not leave with the same disappointing impression."
