nice hotel...yes a little dated on the decor. we were given a key to a room with people already in it. quick trip to the front desk and it was all cleared up. we were not upgraded or comped as a result of the mistake but it was ok...simple mistake. otherwise a typical Marriott stay.

I recently checked into this hotel w/o a reservation. I had a long drive from Dallas, and despite the recent drought conditions, "today" had to be the day it poured from Dallas to San Antonio. It was a spur of the moment business trip, and this was the closest Marriott to where I had to go the next day. Since I wasn't sure I'd drive all the way that night, I called the hotel directly and they said they were wide open. I printed off the rates directly from the Marriott website and headed to San Antonio.

After a miserable 6-1/2 hour drive (should only take 5 hours MAX), I arrived to the property around 9:30pm. I walked in and the associate at the desk was very friendly and confirmed they had plenty of rooms available. She quoted me the same base rate I saw online, but when I inquired on the AAA rate, (only a $7.50 savings) she said she would need to check w/ her superior. I'm "assuming" the gentleman that came out was the front desk manager, and he said they do not honor AAA rates for walk-ins. I asked if he was going to force me to call and make a reservation to get the rate, and he replied that was the only way I could get the rate. So I stood there on my cell and called reservations. During my 10 minute hold, I found it quite ironic to listen to the hold message discuss Marriott's "Best Rate Guarantee" that was redeemable either by internet, phone or the front desk. When I finally got reservations on-line, they easily made the reservation using my Rewards number. I also asked about the AAA rate not being honored as a walk-in and told her I was standing at the front desk. She actually laughed and said she never heard that one.

Once I hung up, I was checked in immediately. The original associate was still very nice, but the desk manager never once made a comment. He just stood there with a very smug look on his face. Looking back, i should have asked for his name.

Now 15 minutes upon entering the hotel I finally get to my room. To start, I walk in and I'm hit with the heavy aroma of musty old smoke. This was a non-smoking room, but it's obvious the carpet hasn't been replaced or properly cleaned since this room was a smoking room. My best guess, the carpet was over 10 years old. It was heavily soiled and stained. It looked like something I'd expect at a $29 MOTEL on the side of a highway. If this was not from smoke, I don't want to know what type of molds and mildew are growing in the carpet/walls. I refused to walk on it w/ my bare feet. The chair in the room had multiple stains on it as well. If it wasn't almost 10:00, I would have (and should have) demanded a refund and gone to a different hotel.

I then open up the wardrobe and this place still has an old standard def TV. C'mone, this is a $150 night Marriott and this is the best they can offer? There were several other properties w/in 5 miles of here b/w $100 -- $150/night.

The sheets were OK, but I made sure the bed spread was completely folded down. In the morning, you could tell the towels were also very old. They were clean, but you can tell when a towel is due to be retired.

Stayed three nights here and it was my first time staying in San Antonio in over 20 years. The hotel is definitely an older hotel - the rooms seem dated, the TV is the old tube type, and even the thermostat is the old slider type but the print has worn off so I could not see which way was heat and which way was cold (just had to do trial and error.) But the AC and heat are very noisy. Road noise was not so bad, but of course, could not hear it at all over the AC in the room. Even the ice maker is really noisy--you can hear it all of the way at the other end of the hallway.

The restaurant was nice and the food was good. Service was really good here but I am a light sleeper so I had to change hotels after the third night.

The customer service at the lounge was actually 5 stars. The women that worked the lounge stayed on top of refilling the appetizers and desserts. The woman that works the evening shift was very helpful when I asked her recommendations on where to have dinner. The front desk was very courteous and pleasant. The downside on the hotel is the fact that they are in dire need of renovations. I was surprised that the room did not have a flat screen television and the furniture was pretty old.