San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk

Doesn't live up to expectations

Prós: The hotel has a great location on the riverwalk in a quieter area next to the mall. The room we had (handicap) was very large, and the bed was comfortable. The lobby was nice, there was a starbucks in the lobby, and the food at the bar and restaurant were good.

Contras: This was one of the biggest hotel disappointment I've had in the past. year. I traveled over 200 days in the past year and stayed at quite a few different hotels, so I don't say this lightly. When we first walked into the room (905 handicapped) the bathroom stood out as an eyesore. It was at least 5-10 years past when it should have been renovated. The grout was multiple different colors that made it look like it could be moldy, the wallpaper was peeling from the walls, and there was a general lack of craftmanship in the way it was constructed. The final straw was when I went to take a shower, and the shower head connection was leaking and spraying water in all directions. It wasn't just a loose connection, because I was unable to stop the leak. This is something a guest should never have to deal with at a chain like the Marriott. I asked the front desk to be transferred, but because it was a busy time the only available room was the room below us (805). This bathroom was in slightly better condition, although there were a few cracked and chipped tiles. Although the shower head worked, it was a very low end and cheap looking model. The bigger problem was when my wife tried to take a shower the first night, she was unable to maintain a constant water temperature. It would alternate between cold and very hot. She showed me how red her feet were, and I can only imagine what sort of a problem this could pose to an elderly or handicapped person. The other problem was the terrible tv reception while we were trying to watch the sugar bowl in our room. It would constantly blur or pause, making it nearly impossible to watch the game. Fortunately or unfortunately, the reception on the large tv's at the bar was fine. In summary, this is not the type of property I would expect for a Marriott. For the time around the new year the value wasn't bad (just under 200) however I would have preferred to spend 50% more on a room that looked like it had been renovated in the past 10-20 years. In the past year the only time I have experienced bathrooms in this sort of condition were in $50 rooms in towns with less than 5000 people. Buyer beware.