Just spent 3 nights at the Marriott. We are Marriott reward members so of course we were given a room across from vending and the ice machine. Next we were offered a room at the end of a hallway, as far away as you could get from an elevator. Finally got a decent room. We got a room with no ottoman. When we asked we were told that there are no ottomans. When we said the last room had one we were than told that they were being cleaned. They finally brought us one that had a wet spot on it but who cared. To cap of our first night we pulled down the covers only to find a fitted sheet that did not fit on a king size bed. We stripped the bed ourselves trying to figure out a way to get the bottom sheet on but finally gave up. Someone came up at 11:30 at night with a sheet that did fit.
We can say that our wonderful waiter Alex made up for us having a rough start by being as pleasant as he could be and comping us breakfast to make up for the night before. They should promote this kid since he understands guest relations better than the kids at the desk.the valets were also great about bringing our car quickly during a busy time. Marriotts are pretty much all the same but witha Sheraton a few feet away, I think I would try harder to give guests a better experience. Also what is with letting guests go upstairs with the fire alarm blaring? We were told that there was no fire and they were just waiting for the fire company to come and turn the alarm off.but if the fire company wasn't there yet, how did they know there was no fire? Again, get Alex out of the dining room and on to the front desk.

I have regularly stayed at the Raleigh Marriott City Center once or twice a month for the past year and have recently noticed a downward trend. I always have a corporate rate which is significantly less than their posted rates of $250-$300 per night so I've let things go based on the convenience of being centrally located downtown. If you are not with a group or do not have a rate south of $170 I would recommend finding someplace else.

The Pros: Location downtown can't be beat, you can walk everywhere. If you arrive after 5 PM there is usually open parking on the street in front of the hotel which is free until 8 AM. I have only had to pay for parking one time. They have a great fitness facility with a nice view and tons of equipment. The pool is large with a hot tub and is indoors.

The Cons; Rooms and hallways are in need of a upgrade. The carpets have seen better days and the rooms themselves are very plain. They do not recognize Marriott Rewards Elite membership very well. I have only received an upgrade once and during my last visit I was put in to a double bedded room instead of a king as my profile specifies. As a platinum reward member I am guaranteed my bed type however something that simple should never even be an issue. When I first started staying here the concierge lounge was one of the best I have seen. Over the past year it has steadily declined. It went from having two warm offerings a night to only having one and rarely being well stocked. The price, again if you are paying over $170 I would say you will be very disappointed with what you get.

On my next visit I will try the Courtyard Midtown instead. It has recently been renovated and although the location might not be as good I think it's better than expecting 4 star and receiving 2.5 star.