It seems they figured out every way possible to ruin what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. I was super excited to visit Birmingham for the first time to cheer on a friend's son who was racing at Barber Motorsports Park. I knew the resort was a bit of a drive from the park, but I thought with all of the amenities: the golf, the pool, and the spa, it would be a great source of rest and relaxation for me and my companion. With my status and all the upgrades I've accumulated from booking well in advance, I thought I could really "do it up" for a few days.
First Impressions
Firstly, while the exterior of the building is quite lovely, the interior is clearly remodeled, but not renovated. You can restore an old building to look old and beautiful, or you can make minor tweaks to remodel. This property appears to be the latter. If you like "old-world charm," as they say in realty, this is for you. The golf course is stunning. The pool is interesting, but no one was serving food or drinks or passing out towels. I never made it to the spa for reasons I'll share later, but I don't imagine it's an updated space.
Poor Service
Not only was I not given any type of upgrade, but the service in general was poor. The only exception was one housekeeper. I don't know her name, but she had short hair and blue eye shadow. She was spectacular, and I tipped her well. However, my other housekeeping experiences were poor.
On Sunday, September 8, we arrived back at the hotel at approximately 2 p.m. to see that our room had not been cleaned. We decided to rest and have them come later rather than wait. I asked the front desk what the latest time someone could come was, and they told me 6 p.m. At two minutes to six, I was still getting ready and asked Andrea if she could give me five minutes while I put some clothes on, and she said no. We let her in, and I moved around her as I apologized for not being ready. She didn't speak to me and had a very nasty attitude. She wouldn't even acknowledge that I was talking to her. Another housekeeper came in, and I said, "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm feeling really badly right now, and I don't know why." Andrea didn't say anything, and the other lady just seemed confused and left. Eventually, Andrea walked out with the room incomplete. She didn't say, "Thank you, I'm turning it over to [name]," or "Have a great evening, it's a pleasure to be of service." She just walked out. A few minutes later, another housekeeper with blue eye shadow came in. I think her name began with a "B." She was an absolute delight. She went over Andrea's work (and fixed it) and thoroughly cleaned and straightened the room and the bathroom. She greeted me in a friendly manner and told me to have a wonderful evening. That's what I expected. Andrea was out of line and has no business interacting with guests.
Checkout Disappointment
The next day, when I decided to do an all-day R&R at the resort, Cornesia at the front desk took great pleasure in telling me that I had only 45 minutes to check out. Never have I been told I can't have a late checkout. She wouldn't even give me 30 extra minutes. I had to check out at noon, which for a resort that couldn't even clean my room by 2 p.m. the day before makes no sense. I was very nice to her. She proceeded to tell me with a smug smile that "had I stayed at one of their other resorts before I would understand that sometimes resorts get full and they can't accommodate." I proceeded to let her know that I've stayed in resorts from here to Africa, and I've never experienced this. Still, she took great pleasure in making sure I knew that she was not giving me any extra time.
As an aside, when I've stayed at other Marriott resorts, the general manager has come out to personally greet me, give me their business card, and thank me for staying. They proactively gave me a nicer room and checked on me to see how I was enjoying my stay. So NO, Cornesia, my experience is not that.
So we lingered for a bit and left.
I doubt I would return to a place that did not value someone who has already stayed over a hundred days with Marriott, and it's just September. Or perhaps only certain people are special, based on the reviews? Interesting.
US