Residence Inn by Marriott-Downtown

Stayed here while passing through Charleston on the way home from FL for a night.
The main draw of this hotel was that it wasn’t ridiculously far from downtown and allows dogs. Though the pet deposit was steeper than the nearby holiday inn express, the rate still wasn’t bad and overall the Residence Inn offered a superior experience all around.
The front desk staff was extremely friendly both on check-​in and when I went down to ask for some toothpaste later (he even offered a few complimentary bottles of water). The hotel itself, while a little dated, still seemed clean and kept-​up well. The room was massive, included a full kitchen with a full-​sized refrigerator, range, etc. as well as a balcony (albeit a slightly claustrophobic one). I had no complaints about the comfort of the bed and when the dog got some mud on the comforter when we first arrived a super-​friendly housekeeper came within a minute or two of calling to change it. The room also had a sofa bed with linens to accommodate an extra travel companion.
One drawback of the room was the arrangement of the bathroom. There was an outside vanity area connected to the bedroom but literally just a toilet and shower in the bathroom itself– no surface or anything to place anything down on or even a good place to put clothes, etc.
The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to the downtown area once an hour at night (the last one coming back to the hotel a little before midnight). It was nice amenity and the driver was really friendly. Unfortunately, if you want to walk downtown (or really anywhere) it is pretty much out of the question due to both distance and the fact that you need to cross one of two bridges, neither of which are at all pedestrian-​friendly.
A complimentary hot breakfast was included but I missed it so I can’t comment on that.
Overall this was a very good hotel (great considering the price) and most likely where I will be staying when I come through again next year.

Its a good hotel. We came on a long weekend so the downtown hotels were very expensive. The location makes for a cheap Über ride to downtown or during the evening 5:30pm-11:30pm a free shuttle to and from downtown. The rooms are all large, could use a little updating. Beds were good. Only thing was the A/​C and fridge were pretty loud sometimes.
Service was just fine, check-​in and out went well, but most of the time it seemed like no one was ever at the front desk. They also don’t have anywhere to store luggage if you are leaving in the evening but checking out that morning. The hotel still held our luggage but just in an empty conference room, no type of bag check protocol like every other hotel I have been to has.
But its a good place if you want a more moderate priced hotel in Charleston.

I love this hotel! From checking in to checking out, everything was fabulous. The hotel is very clean. The rooms was perfect. We had 5 ladies in our room, and the staff there was always helpful with our requests for more linens, etc. The hotel shuttle made it very easy to spend our nights in Charleston Downtown without worrying about parking. The breakfast buffett was one of the best hotel buffetts that I have run into. I really enjoyed the view as well. We had both marsh views and yacht club views. No complaints here. We will be back.

Absolutely blown away at how great this hotel is. Our room was sparkling clean, the beds were as comfortable as a dream, and eating breakfast out on the breakfast-​area patio felt more like were in a chic 5-​star hotel in Miami than on the Charleston marshes.
The breakfast alone was worth coming for — I swear they had 2 – 3 people *just* for making sure stuff didn’t run out. They ran low on hot cocoa and the woman actually came to my table to let me know it was refilled — now that’s service! It was GOOD, too — true hot breakfast, not the unbag-​and-​heat stuff other free breakfast hotels tend to dump out. A chafing tray of corned beef hash? Fresh spinach to add to your creamy scrambled eggs? Delicious lemon poppyseed breads and a whole array of pastries? Maybe the fastest way to a hotel guest’s heart is through their stomach, because I’m in love with this place!
This is so much more than a place to lay your head after a day out in Charleston — it’s an experience that will really give your getaway a memorable polish. Thank you, Marriott team — I’ll be back. :)

Stopped here ½ through my «griswald family vacation «to Orlando from North Carolina. The room is awesome 2 bedroom suite very clean. The staff is super nice from the guy that held the door for me to the lady that checked me in everything is great so I’m giving them five stars

There is a free shuttle downtown and the staff is friendly. This hotel is fine if you do not have a pet.
The low rating reflects what I perceive as being deceived by their staff and pet policy. When I called to book my room I was told simply that the hotel is pet friendly with no mention of a fee. Upon arrival I was told there is a $ 100 fee for my pet for the night. For this reason, I would not return.

Recently renovated (can still smell the newness). Excellent access to downtown– the hotel runs a shuttle which is very convenient. Staff is very friendly, proud of their Marriott, loyal and service-​focused. I observed the management «inspecting» cleanliness and inquiring as to the guest satisfaction.

Great place, friendly staff and the room had obviously just been refurbished so it was clean and fresh. The room next door was being worked on but we never heard any ruckus.
My only complaint is false advertising… it’s not downtown! They have an evening shuttle, but that’s not what I was looking for… so I drove.

This place has the best complimentary breakfasts anywhere and I will definitely stay here again!
We went here for a long family weekend and had a great experience. The rooms are huge and loaded with all the amenities you could want from a full kitchen to a living area to a large vanity near the bathroom. We also had a huge balcony with great big chairs and a table on it that we sat out on in the morning and evening. The complementary breakfast menu is expansive and they keep it stocked all morning long, as opposed to just putting out food and when it’s gone, it’s gone. You get so much for your money here. It’s not walking distance to downtown, but if you have a car, it’s well worth the short drive in!

Great hotel, good condition. Breakfast is quite good as far as hotel breakfast bars go. The kids loved it, and the pool was a huge hit — heated to a comfy temp even on chilly early spring days.

I was very pleased with our stay here. Everything was fresh, well maintained, and clean. Our room was more than we needed– sitting area, full kitchen. The free breakfast is impressive– lots to choose from, and very tasty. Not far from downtown (maybe 10 minute drive), and they have a shuttle in the evenings which we used. The price was also quite reasonable. I would definitely stay here again.

My family & I stayed at this hotel while on a weekend trip to Charleston for a wedding. We chose it for its affordable rate and convenience to the wedding venues. Our two bedroom/​two bathroom suite was smaller than most other Residence Inn properties where I have stayed. But, for one night, it suited our needs.
The suite featured two bedrooms separated by a small common area and kitchen. Each bedroom had its own full bathroom. Though we did not use it, the kitchen was stocked with cookware and was suited for preparing small meals.
Though somewhat hidden off of the highway, the hotel was only a short drive from the Historic District. Breakfast is served in a room adjacent to the lobby. Though I went to breakfast early, the room filled quickly. However, people did not appear to linger for long periods of time, allowing other guests to take advantage of the meal.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay at this hotel. If returning to Charleston in the future, I certainly would consider staying here again.

This is my first time staying at a Residence Inn. I was pleasantly surprised.
The free breakfast was great — better than Hyatt Places. The scrambled eggs were great; a thing top of the line hotels often struggle with. The onion/​pepper potatoes were great as well. Other options included breads, a make your own waffle machine, fruit, yogurt, and cooked ham. The options changed day to day so those potatoes I loved only appeared once — future days had grits instead and sausage instead of ham for example.
The room — with free Internet — was nice. There were two windows overlooking the pool in room 218. When walking into the room there was no «hallway» or entrance. You opened the door right into the desk straight ahead and kitchen to the right. Pass the desk was a 3 seat couch. Off to the right of that a flimsy coffee table, an armchair and a TV between the two windows. The TV swiveled to either the couch or bed. A bathroom was at the farthest interior point of the room. The sink, having no door to it, was outside the toilet bathroom/​shower room. The kitchen had a normal sized fridge, microwave, 2 burner electric stove, sink, and island with 2 stools. My favourite thing about the room was the availability of plugs. There were two in the lamp bases on either side of the bed. There were also two on the desk lamp which was close enough to the right side of the couch to be used from there as well.
There is a free hourly hotel shuttle from 1730 to 2230 to Market Street. There were also free receptions each weeknight — beer tasting, snacks and drinks, etc…
Cons:
1) The shower was cold the first morning and I couldn’t get it to warm up. A call to the front desk discovered that they had many complaints and had to reset the hot water tank. I think it would have been nice to print out a letter and stick it under each door or something. It was fine the next time we went to use the shower. 2) I guess this ties into my point above on communication. One day there was a storm while we were away from the hotel. Upon returning we saw the cable was out. A call to the front desk informed us it was out city wide. Of course not the hotel’s issue, but a sign in the lifts or somewhere would have been nice. 3) The second day housekeeping took our dirty towels but left no clean ones. A call to the front desk brought 4 towels to our door faster than I’ve ever had a hotel deliver something! 4) The plates and silverware at the breakfast were styrofoam and plastic instead of real tableware; not «green» and not lending itself to a homey feel. 5) Some of the room lamp shades were very dusty.
Overall a good stay at this property. Nice grounds and the hotel is located in a quiet area. You cannot walk to the historic part of Charleston, but the drive is not long at all and there are activities in Charleston that offer free parking, such as the Palmetto Carriage Tour, so have a rental car doesn’t add too much of a cost to your trip. Parking at the hotel is free.

Very friendly staff. The most uncomfortable beds and broken couch. Not Marriott standard. Living room is not usable. Hotel looks good but furniture is very old and used.

I travel a lot and this was the best place yet if you are traveling with a group. You can’t walk to any restaurants, but the shuttle will take you to downtown in the evening, and you can get around by trolley or walk, it’s an easy drive to the beach and downtown. Rooms are big and the suites have two bedrooms and each bedroom has a bath, and the couch makes a bed. Great beds and pillows. Full sized coffee pot and breakfast is great.

Altogether this was an excellent hotel. The staff did not have any management in the evening hours in which was the time I checked in. This resulted in some issues with my reservation that the intern could not handle. The staff was extremely helpful in after hours when we checked-​in and gave my family some drinks and food. The next morning I approached the front desk and spoke with both the manager and assistant manager. Both were extremely helpful and resolved the issue in a matter of minutes. The hotel’s wifi did not reach our room on the third floor. The breakfast was good but due to the number of customers it was difficult to get any food.

Upgrade to the 2 bedroom sun rom suite. Room was very huge for a suite hotel… A little dated but comfortable. Hot breaks fat was standard for a residence inn with eggs, sausage, waffles, etc… Not much around other than California Dreaming restaurant which sucks… But downtown is only 10 min drive and lots of on street parking. I would stay here again if you need multiple rooms vs standard hotel room.

Well, things started out nice enough. The place looks a little older than I expected, but the rooms were nice enough and spacious. The staff was nice and the best amenities where: the daily wine serving, the breakfast was good, and the free shuttle to Charleston City Market area (our shuttle driver, Stanley, was the highlight of the stay here — very personable). Stanley should get a raise and a promotion! Marriott should be proud he works for them. On the morning of checkout, my girlfriend was gathering things and started to look under the bed to make sure nothing went under when she was greeted by a snake! I went down to the front desk to report it and the general manager said «I can’t say this is the first time it’s happened. At least you’ve got a story to tell now.» They did at least knock $ 50 off the bill, so they made an effort, but it really freaked my girlfriend out. Need less to say, we won’t stay there again. The only reason it gets 2 stars is because of Stanley! He deserves 5 stars, but a snake in the room really subtracts from the overall rating.
UPDATE: 10/​05/​2012:
The best thing the Marriott could have done was simply apologize. However, Katie (Sales Manager… see her response, dated 10/​04/​2012) would rather suggest I misunderstood what the manager said (his context). Perhaps both Katie and that manager need further customer service training. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate her reaching out — it was the right thing, but she wasn’t there and doesn’t know what the general manager said or the context in which he said it. I won’t take her up on her offer of ‘further resolution’ because there is nothing to resolve. I thought my review was very polite considering the circumstances. The stay was very enjoyable expect for 2 things:
1) the snake
2) the general manager
And, let’s go ahead and add 3) Katie’s insulting reply that I misunderstood the context. I work in a customer service driven industry and have to say that I don’t appreciate that response. A simple ‘sorry for your experience’ would have elated me, but now I’m more determined to spend my money someplace else.

I enjoy this Residence Inn. The rooms are regular for Residence Inn. The hotel is located on the marsh, which is a decent view. The complimentary breakfast has a good variety. Monday through Thursday, they serve manager’s social, which ranges from heavy snacks to a full meal. This is better than most Residence Inn’s dinners. You could eat breakfast and dinner there and never go out and not regret it. Wednesday night is always cooked on the grill and is always good.
The staff are friendly and helpful. I stay here every week and wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

not sure how old; but lobby and breakfast area upgraded since previous visit;
good breakfast; clean rooms, friendly & helpful front desk staff
nice, even free dinners three nights per week — CATERED by local restaurants; they even have an evening shuttle to the historic district
rooms large, and up to date; good Internet connections
hard to find first time in dark even with gps (road splits into three at fork — bear right! then continue to final turns)