"I am writing to formally document my experience during my stay at The Notary Hotel from July 23 through July 26, 2026. I traveled to Philadelphia to attend a professional conference and selected your property because I trusted Marriott's reputation for exceptional hospitality, professionalism, and guest service. Unfortunately, from the moment I arrived until after I returned home, my experience reflected the opposite of the standards Marriott publicly represents.
I am not writing because one thing went wrong. As a healthcare leader responsible for managing a large department, I understand that unexpected challenges occur. What defines an organization is not whether mistakes happen, but how leadership responds when they do. Throughout my stay, I experienced repeated service failures, poor communication, maintenance concerns, billing confusion, and interactions that left me feeling dismissed rather than valued as a guest.
Check-In Experience
I arrived at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
The problems began immediately.
The associate assisting me repeatedly attempted to process my debit card ending in 0460, which I intended to use to pay for my hotel stay. Each attempt resulted in me being told that my card had been declined. While standing at the front desk, I contacted my bank three separate times. Each time, my bank confirmed there was no issue with my account, corrected what they believed was occurring, and assured me the transaction would process successfully.
Despite those confirmations, I continued to be told by hotel staff that my payment had been declined.
The entire check-in process took approximately 45 minutes, delaying my arrival to my room until nearly 7:15 PM. Because of this delay, I missed the beginning of my conference's networking reception—an event that only occurs once each year.
In addition to the inconvenience, the repeated authorization attempts temporarily tied up funds in my checking account, creating unnecessary financial stress before my stay had even begun.
During check-in, I also provided my credit card ending in 4144 solely for incidental charges.
I accepted an upgraded room at an additional $50 per night, believing I would receive a premium guest experience. Instead, I was assigned a room that contained multiple maintenance issues.
Water Damage in the Bathroom
After returning late Thursday evening, I was exhausted and went directly to bed without using the shower.
On Friday afternoon, after returning from conference around 3:30 PM, I took my first shower and immediately noticed a large bubble in the bathroom ceiling directly above the shower, clearly indicating water intrusion.
I immediately reported the issue.
A hotel employee photographed the damage, escorted me to the front desk, documented my phone number, and assured me that Engineering would assess the room and contact me if a room change became necessary.
No one ever called.
No one followed up.
No one checked on me.
That evening I attended dinner and the conference comedy event believing someone from the hotel would contact me while I was away.
No one did.
When I returned later that evening, the ceiling bubble had become even larger.
The attached photographs clearly document the condition of the ceiling.
Air Conditioning Failure
Friday evening another issue became apparent.
My boyfriend joined me after work, and together we realized that although the thermostat displayed a comfortable temperature, the room itself remained extremely warm and uncomfortable.
The thermostat did not reflect the actual temperature of the room.
As a result, we were unable to sleep comfortably.
Saturday morning we continued with our plans to explore Philadelphia rather than remain in our room waiting for maintenance, especially since no one had contacted us regarding the ceiling issue.
When we returned Saturday afternoon to prepare for the conference awards ceremony, the room had become even hotter.
I found myself sweating while trying to get ready for a formal event because the room simply would not cool.
For a room costing approximately $300 per night after the upgrade, this was unacceptable.
Management Response
At this point, I contacted the front desk and specifically requested to speak with a manager.
The individual who answered the telephone confirmed multiple times that she was the manager on duty.
Only after she confirmed that I was speaking with management did I explain my concerns regarding:
the ceiling damage,
the lack of follow-up,
the excessive room temperature,
and the overall handling of my stay.
I was told that the hotel could offer 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and possibly a restaurant credit.
When I questioned whether that adequately addressed everything that had occurred, the call was abruptly disconnected.
I immediately called back using both the room phone and my personal cell phone.
On my personal phone alone, I remained on hold for approximately 15 minutes.
Eventually, I received a return call during which I was told that I had misunderstood and that the employee had never claimed to be the manager.
I need to be very clear.
She confirmed multiple times that she was the manager before I discussed my concerns.
As someone who leads employees every day, integrity is one of the most important qualities an organization can demonstrate. Being told afterward that the conversation never occurred significantly damaged my trust in your staff.
Engineering Response
While I was attempting to reach management, Engineering arrived.
I want to recognize the engineer because he was the one individual during my stay who genuinely attempted to resolve the situation.
He explained that the ceiling could not be repaired while the room remained occupied.
He also explained that the room's HVAC design was inadequate because the vents were located near the windows and too far from the main living area.
His recommendations were to:
close all curtains,
reduce sunlight entering the room,
clean the HVAC coils,
replace the air filters,
and provide a fan.
He later delivered a fan.
Unfortunately, even the fan was defective. The power switch was broken and the electrical cord was wrapped in electrical tape. The only way to operate the fan was by plugging and unplugging it from the wall.
The attached maintenance note confirms that Engineering cleaned the coils, replaced the filters, and attempted to improve the room conditions.
While these efforts were appreciated, they also confirmed that the room had existing HVAC issues during my stay.
He deserves recognition for his professionalism and willingness to help.
Billing Concerns
After returning home, I reviewed both my bank account and credit card statements and became increasingly concerned.
My debit card ending in 0460, which I used to pay for my room, reflected charges totaling $1,769.31.
My credit card ending in 4144, which I provided only for incidental expenses, reflected additional charges totaling $280.25.
When I contacted the hotel, Hannah explained that many of these transactions were authorization holds and would eventually disappear because I had used a debit card. She also sent a follow-up email explaining that only two charges had actually posted.
While I appreciate receiving that clarification, it does not erase the inconvenience created during check-in, nor does it explain why I spent additional time after returning home attempting to understand my bill.
I was originally told that my incidental card would only be authorized for $75 per night, totaling $225 for my three-night stay.
Instead, additional charges appeared on that card totaling $280.25, while my debit card also reflected multiple transactions.
Even after reviewing the folio, I still could not reconcile the charges with the $270 service recovery credit, the room charges, valet charges, and only two bottles of wine that had been charged to my room.
The billing process was unnecessarily confusing from beginning to end.
Customer Service After My Stay
Unfortunately, my experience continued after checkout.
During my telephone conversation with Hannah, I was repeatedly interrupted and told statements including:
"Am I allowed to talk now?"
"You are wrong."
"I will not talk to you if you're going to yell."
I have a naturally loud voice.
I was not yelling.
I was not using profanity.
I was attempting to understand my bill after an already frustrating experience.
Rather than listening to my concerns, I again felt dismissed.
Additional Observation During the Conference
Another incident that raised concerns about the hotel's commitment to hospitality occurred during the conference awards ceremony.
During the events meet and greet, comedy show, and award ceremony, the hotel was charging $22.00 per glass for wine. I observed that the same wine was available in the hotel lobby bar for approximately $13.00 per glass. I would appreciate an explanation as to why the same product was priced at nearly double simply because it was being served during a conference event.
Additionally, I observed additional guest bring their own unopened bottle of wine into the event.
Rather than handling the situation discreetly and professionally, a male manager, whose name I unfortunately do not know, approached the guest in what I perceived to be an aggressive manner. He insisted that the guest immediately remove the bottle and return it to their room. Shortly afterward, three security officers entered the event area and began looking underneath the tables while the manager pointed at the guest and spoke in what appeared to be a confrontational and disrespectful manner.
I fully understand that hotels have policies regarding outside food and beverages. However, policies can and should be enforced with professionalism, discretion, and respect.
The manner in which this situation was handled created an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone attending the event and further reinforced my overall impression that guest concerns were met with confrontation rather than hospitality.
Although this incident did not directly involve me, it contributed to my overall perception of the hotel's culture and approach to customer service.
This Was Not an Upgrade
The most disappointing aspect of my stay is that I willingly paid additional money expecting an enhanced experience.
Instead, my upgraded room contained:
documented water damage,
inadequate air conditioning,
defective equipment,
delayed maintenance response,
no meaningful communication,
and no follow-up until I repeatedly requested assistance.
I cannot help but question whether this room was routinely sold as an upgraded accommodation despite its known deficiencies.
Why I Am Writing
I manage a large healthcare department where I work alongside physicians, surgeons, nurses, and multidisciplinary teams every day. My profession requires accountability, professionalism, integrity, and respect in every interaction.
Those same values are what I expected from Marriott.
I entrusted your organization with both my finances and my comfort while I was away from home attending an important professional conference.
Instead, I experienced repeated communication failures, inconsistent information, maintenance issues, confusing billing practices, and interactions that left me questioning whether Marriott's commitment to hospitality is consistently reflected at this property.
The only individual who consistently demonstrated professionalism throughout my stay was the engineer who genuinely attempted to resolve the problems despite circumstances beyond his control.
Resolution Requested
I respectfully request:
A formal review of my stay by Marriott Executive Leadership.
A review of the conduct and communication of the employees involved.
A review of why this room was sold as an upgraded accommodation despite its documented maintenance deficiencies.
A complete review of my billing to ensure all charges were accurate and processed appropriately.
Appropriate compensation that reflects the significant disruption to my stay and the guest experience I received.
I have attached photographs documenting the water damage, the engineer's handwritten maintenance note, copies of my billing information, and Hannah's follow-up email for your review.
This letter is not about obtaining free accommodations.
It is about accountability.
Marriott has built its reputation on integrity, excellence, trust, and hospitality. Unfortunately, my experience reflected none of those values.
Throughout my stay, I repeatedly observed opportunities where professionalism, communication, and genuine hospitality could have changed the outcome. Whether it was the prolonged check-in process, the maintenance concerns, the confusing billing, the dismissive interactions with management, or the treatment of guests during the conference event, the common theme was a lack of ownership and a failure to provide the level of service that Marriott's reputation promises.
I hope Executive Leadership will review not only my individual experience but also whether these interactions reflect the culture of service guests should expect when choosing The Notary Hotel.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from someone with the authority to fully review this matter.
Respectfully,
Angela Fisher"
A Tripadvisor traveler review
Jul 28, 2026
