Bonn Marriott Hotel

What words do you come to mind when booking with the Marriott Group? Luxurious? Ease of Mind? Knowledgeable staff? Homestyle amenities? We booked this room not because it is Marriott but because there was an annual firework event (Rhein in Flammen) the night we planned to stay over in the area. Given its riverbank location and being a high rise building we just wish to enjoy the firework from our room. That's also the motivation behind booking the more pricy room with a river view. So, with all those in mind following were what happened: 1. Upon check-in at Front Desk, I asked about the firework and was explicitly told that viewing from the room is NOT POSSIBLE given barriers blocking the view and angle of the hotel, and the event was to be held at 10:30pm and all we can do is to walk towards the riverbank to look at it. It was a rainy day and we were warned that it will take us walking through swamp before reaching the bank. As one can imagine we are much discouraged and decide to give up trying. 2. Upon entering the room there was only 1 pair of slipper available, for a 2 person guest room 3. Upon taking a shower in the bathroom we noticed that there is a black mark in the middle of the bath tub, and water keep splashing out from the bath. It turned out that the water barrier, which is foldable, was missing a piece of plastic joint at the anchor connecting the upper and lower barrier, and thus water came out from the anchor area like a hose. 4. Upon looking at River Rhine around 10pm we noticed that there were large number of cruise ships driving into position on the river. Out of curiosity we watched them for around 10 minutes and it was then the firework was clearly displayed to us, at around a 45 degree angle, above the River. There was no tree, no barrier, and while it was still raining the room has been the ideal location to watch the firework, except that we have already given up hope and was about to close the window blinds before it all happened. It was pure luck as we had faith in Marriott staff giving us the correct local advice. So lessons learned: 1. Don't just believe in the brand 2. Don't just blindly believe in hotel staff. Trust your own research, and always double check what they are telling you. 3. Don't rely on hotel providing amenities to fulfil your basic needs. Always carry backup while on the road.