Residence Inn by Marriott Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle

This hotel checked many boxes for me in Alexandria, and it offers a lot. Great staff, excellent breakfast, safe parking garage, and full kitchen in the room. You’re just three blocks from a Wegman’s grocery store, plus it’s in a great area with a large theater complex and a number of restaurants.

This is the second Residence Inn I’ve stayed at where the mattress has been beyond hard, it’s like sleeping on a brick! My muscles could never really relax at night, but the end of my stay, I was actually in worse shape. I’d just stayed at another hotel chain with a wonderful bed, and my hotel afterwards had an excellent mattress as well. It’s Marriott buying poor quality! (The pillows weren’t great either.) And similar issues with the bottom sheet! Again, at two separate Residence Inns, the bottom sheet has been far too small for the huge mattress, so you wake up each morning with it rolled up under you. If you’re going to buy deep mattresses, buy sheets that fit! I also had issues with air quality in the room, and the washing machines, although convenient, were very low quality! I stay in many hotels a year, and use a lot of laundries. These were bottom line basic machines. At this price point, I certainly expect at least a comfortable mattress, a sheet that fits, and a washing machine with a few options.

It was conveniently located near the Westin where a work summit was occurring, but they were unable to take my reservation as I was adding days to my stay. I didn't want to move around and just arranged the entire stay at the Residence. Location was great, close to restaurants, metro stations, and my go to for groceries - Whole Foods. I loved that the room had a refrigerator as I was trying to keep to a diet plan that eating out was not really part of. The breakfast offering had plenty of healthy options and coffee was always ready. I plan to just book at the Residence for next years summit.

Not a lot of information in the room about the local area, check out time, or amenities. I had my gym clothes but never got to the gym because I couldn't figure out where it was. I learned where it was when I was checking out....bit late.

You didn’t have to go far to get to places

The pets that were there. I didn’t know pets could be there

Garage parking on site Breakfast included (although we missed it every morning we were there) Well equipped gym (more than just the standard treadmill + weight set) Happy hour/bar open till 10:30pm Convenient location

Sundry was not well stocked - only a few bags of chips, minimal drinks, water was sold out.