Residence Inn Somerset

Several things: My daughter and I checked in, then immediately left for a family function, returning about 10:30p. Upon returning, it was hot in the room. Thermostat was set (from previous guest?) to 69, but temp was showing at 73. Within minutes, went to 74, and minutes later to 75. Tried to adjust, but thermostat was not allowing. We called the desk, and clerk explained that the thermostats are new, and are motion-censored. Since we were gone for hours, it will take a while for it to detect motion. I reminded him we’d been in the room 30 minutes, yet temp was getting warmer. He said 30 minutes not sufficient. I asked what happens if we go to bed, will sensor stop, he said yes. It was already 76 degrees and getting warmer. He offered to have Housekeeping to send a fan. It never came. Upon checkout, we got our statement emailed immediately. However, the following day, we got another new statement adding an extra night for room and parking. Called, and woman who claimed to be the manager argued with me saying we never checked out. I said we did indeed, and had our statement. She argued, and insisted she was at the desk all day, and never saw us check out. She was rude and condescending, saying she needed to confirm our claim with her housekeeping staff. We did receive a correction on the charges, although the checkout date is still showing the wrong date. She should not be in customer service!

Overall this hotel is adequate. It was clean, cleaning staff was very good and accommodating. It really needs a face lift though, furniture very dingy and old. But the worst part was that we asked the hotel to hold our mail for about a week because we had checked out but would be returning to NJ. They agreed. When we went to pick it up we were told the hotel staff told the post office we had checked out and they would not accept our mail. So whatever we had was returned to sender. We have no way to retrieve some of it. And we think that included a large check from the NJ tax dept. I wrote an email to the management expressing our frustration and they did not have the courtesy to at least send an apology. Stay somewhere else.

We chose to stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott Somerset during a week-long visit to see family because, online, it looked like the perfect setup for an extended stay. The two-bedroom suite and full kitchen seemed ideal, and it’s rare to find that kind of layout in this area. Unfortunately, the reality was very different. Marriott should seriously consider whether this property still reflects their brand standards. The hotel is extremely outdated and in desperate need of renovation. From the moment we walked into the room, it was obvious how worn everything was. It looked like the staff had attempted to clean it, but the condition of the property is simply beyond what cleaning can fix. The furniture, bathrooms, and overall room condition all felt very old and heavily used. The showers were so dated that we genuinely did not feel comfortable using them, and while the room technically had a full kitchen, it was not somewhere you would actually want to cook. There was also a noticeable smell in the room that made the experience even worse. What’s disappointing is that this property actually has a lot of potential. The suite layout and location are great, and with a full renovation this could easily become one of the better extended-stay options in the area. But at the current price point, it absolutely does not justify the cost. We ended up checking out immediately and moving to the Residence Inn by Marriott New Brunswick Tower Center Boulevard, which was significantly newer, cleaner, and overall a much better experience. Unfortunately, we were still charged a cancellation fee, which was frustrating considering the condition of the room. Had we known beforehand what the property was actually like, we never would have booked or checked in. I would strongly recommend avoiding this location until major updates are made.