Marquis at Barton Trails

I’ve been living in phase 2 since mid summer 2015. Initially, everything was great. Very cute apartments, good appliances, friendly staff. Todd showed me around and was very helpful with assisting me during move in. Place stays clean and quiet for the most part with nice pools and decent fitness center. They’ve had a couple problems with car break-​ins and gate issues, neither of which are desirable when you pay for safety and feeling secure. My personal gate code wasn’t working to allow my friends in when they called. Not sure if my number was ever fixed as I was never notified, but they did give me a different code I could tell my friends in the time being so overall that issue isn’t too big a deal. My biggest complaint since I’ve moved in has been with extremely high electricity bills and poor communication between management and myself. I work full time and do a residency program so I am very rarely home. After the first few months, I noted my electricity bill was abnormally high (compared to what I paid at my last place and considering the fact these apartments are brand new with energy efficient appliances). I spent numerous hours speaking over the phone and in person to the electricity company, electricians and HVAC technicians to see what I could do to lower my bill. I stopped using all AC/​fans/​heat despite the hot and cold weather patterns. My bill didn’t change more than a few dollars. The electricity company reported they physically checked my meter and it was running correctly. I had a couple technicians physically come to my place and make sure all my outlets and appliances are working correctly. They wrote up reports with suggestions to have someone with higher apartment maintenance staff further investigate the HVAC system and water heater for possible dysfunctions. I was in frequent contact over email and with a summarized letter, including all reports and bills I paid for electricity and technicians, to the staff requesting that they follow up appropriately so we can figure out what’s going on. A few months have passed in addition to unreturned phone calls and emails and I’m still paying literally 5x what my neighbor with an identical floor plan pays (600 sq feet). I very rarely run my heater and have even come home to my apartment being 59 degrees in January when I get home from work in an effort to try to keep my bill as low as possible. This is not acceptable in any circumstance but especially because I’ve done all I can to try to resolve the problem and have had very little help from management, especially considering how much rent is. I do like living here and the location is great, but if management and electrical issues aren’t improved, it’s definitely not worth any of it.

We live in the new phase and love it. We have to leave for a job and are bummed bc we love this place. Beautiful inside. Well kept outside. Nice people work here. Manny is great. Everything about this apartment is beautiful and it will be missed!!!

I moved into Phase II, which is the brand new side back in May. When I first moved it, it was amazing. The office professionals were super nice and very helpful. My apartment is huge and fully upgraded. It feels more like a condo than an actual apartment as the office staff explained that the Phase II was built to condo specs. I LOVE my actual apartment, the layout and the upgrades. It’s beautiful. However, no matter how beautiful this brand new side is, it also comes with many frustrations. I originally rented here not only for the beautiful, brand new apartment and interiors but b/​c it seemed like a place where young professionals would live and not be a party complex. Being here 6 months, it seems like the party people and low class individuals have moved in. The two college aged kids that now live above me throw parties and are very loud. I have complained to the office several times and have even personally asked the upstairs people to keep it down and be respectful of loud walking. The music levels and partying have gone down, but the walking very hard is hit or miss and is very frustrating considering this apartment complex «is built to condo specs». I have also gotten yelled at by the old lady who lives in the first floor apartment by my reserved parking spot (that I pay for) b/​c I park too close to her apartment. I’ve gotten yelled at by the old man on the other side because my dog urinated on «his grass» although neither of those people own the grass or the building. There is also trash thrown everywhere along with nasty cigarette butts. It’s sad to see this brand new side of the complex get trashed by individuals who could care less and basically crap where they sleep. The office staff has recently changed and although per everyone’s lease agreement, it clearly states that you must pick up dog feces and keep your dog on a leash, the office staff does not enforce this even after MULTIPLE complaints. The office staff allows the low class people get away with letting their dogs poop all over the sidewalks and stair cases in addition to the grass. I’ve stepped in big, gross poop I can’t tell you how many times even on the side walk if I’m not paying attention. The chick across the hallway from me never keeps her aggressive dogs on a leash despite the office «giving her a lease violation», which I’m starting to think is complete crap. Overall, the physical apartment is beautiful & in a great area, but I have to give a low rating due to the fact the office staff is not very responsive in terms of fixing issues that my neighbors and I have complained on. I’m probably going to write a certified letter to the CWS Corporate office very soon especially after getting yelled at by neighbors who claim to own their grass.

I could not be more thrilled with our experience here. My boyfriend and I moved here from New York and this was one of about 50 places we toured and considered to be our new home. We were helped by Melissa, the Assistant Community Director — she was wonderful. She made it a point to get to know us both personally and find us an apartment that fit both of our needs equally. She got personal, but without being too invasive. She also stayed about an hour late to make sure we got to see a few different sizes and layouts.
The apartments were STUNNING. The doorways were very tall and grand. Everything was very up to date and new. The grounds were beautifully kept.
Unfortunately, jobs put us further north and we weren’t able to lease here. But if we ever have the opportunity to move south of downtown, we will absolutely end up here. If not for the beautiful apartments, but for the welcoming and wonderful staff.

I’ve lived in Phase 2 for a few months now and have ad a great experience so far! I’ll update in the future as more time goes by.
Overall
Phase two is brand new (Built earlier this year I do believe) with very large units. I’m living in a three bed two bath and love it. Unit is very up to date, granite counter tops, up to date appliances, energy efficient washer/​dryer, programmable thermostat, and dark wood floors. Great location, nice office staff, great amenities.
Pros:
Amazing location, brand new apartment, plus everything listed above. The bedrooms are very spacious, the bathrooms are great (shower stall + tub/​shower in shared bathroom). Rent is on point and utilities are quite low due to the apartment’s energy efficient build. Other residents are really friendly and it’s a pretty active community with lots of people walking around with their dogs or just out and about. I quite enjoy that aspect. Gym is new and in terms of apartment gyms, pretty good. Two pools, one brand new. Office is small but the staff is SUPER helpful and really friendly. They’ve helped me through quite a few problems!
Billing is all run through the resident portal and all expenses are clearly labeled. If you have questions go see the office and get some answers.
Cons:
Parking spots are pretty tight, and there is no shade unless you rent one of the covered spots or garages. Got an email a month ago about a car break in, and apparently there’s been a few other car break ins. There’s a gate, but that’s about it. However I’ve never felt unsafe at any time and haven’t had any issues personally. Another small downside is the office is pretty bad about answering the phone, due to a small staff and the phone being quite busy. I’ve found it best to just go see them in person, they’re quite helpful and eager to fix any problems you have!
To sum it up, I highly recommend living here! Quite a few positives and only one or two drawbacks. Worth at least getting a tour of it, say hi to the great staff!
A personal note.
When touring apartments keep in mind the demo unit is a demo unit. Always ask to see the actual unit you’ll be living it. The amount of angry apartment reviews I see that stem from this exact issue is astounding. Why would you sign for a unit you’ve never seen? Just keep this in mind when looking for an apartment.

I moved into Phase 2 of Barton Trails in the spring of this year. So far my experience is mediocre. I was very excited when I saw the customer service and model of the home I wanted to be for the next year. It’s only been a few months and I’ve had several issues with strange fee’s, complications with electric, pest control, etc. I feel, every time I call to followup on an issue or inquire about fees that appear in my mailbox, the leasing office is quite irritated (last phone call I was reminded somewhat passive aggressively they don’t open at 9:30 anymore, but 10 a.m. when I called) Below are a few issues I’ve dealt with if you are looking into Marquis Phase ii.
–I rented with a move in special attached with a $ 250 giftcard. I didn’t receive that until about 3 weeks after my move-​in date because of some lost paperwork (?) It really would’ve helped with my move in.
–There have been 4 car break ins since living here. The most recent was last week they sent an email about. With such money invested on the property, I would think security/​cameras would add to the value of rent people are paying.
–Parking is pretty frustrating. Seems like a lot of residents have unregistered overnight guests that cause me to have to park in front of other buildings. Again, if I’m paying over $ 1,000 a month for a place to call my own, I should be able to park in front of my own building and not worry about non-​residents and MOTORCYCLES taking up parking spots.
— The apartment home itself if quite beautiful and cozy, though with new construction, you can see the flaws coming to light after these months. The foundation seems to be lazily constructed in places like the Kitchen and Bathroom. Lots of holes in the the moldings, and paint on door knobs etc. The paint in my tub is peeling. Walls are somewhat thin. My neighbors above me are EXTREMELY noisy only at night. I believe they have a dog they let out at night that’s constantly running around the floors (not the pups fault of course) although the noise can be irritating sometimes.
— I had a literal army of ants in my kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I called the office and was told the Pest control company had already been by for the week and I could take matters in to my own hands and wait for the following week or pay $ 35 for them to bring him back the same day. Doesn’t sound like the quality service of maintenance for the $ 1,075 plus I’m paying each month. Pest control is added to my rent, if I need pest control, I should be able to call in on it at my convenience. Super disappointing.
— Brodie area is beautiful and convenient, though Phase ii is a little small (something to keep in mind) My apt. faces Home Depot and there is an overnight crew that can be loud at times.
Other than that, the location is great (Whole Foods and my Gym just 5 minutes away), access to Mopac is right on, the home itself is very pretty with all new appliances/​furnishings. Leasing office is losing its hold in high esteem, but maybe it’s just a stressful summer for them (?) I’m not going to say they are awful. I just would like some consistency in any aspect of a living situation. That’s about it!

After working through several issues, it seems the office has taken notice to the communication problems that previously existed. They have gone out of their way to explain all possible scenarios when trying to solve problems rather than leaving you feeling stuck without a solution. That was the main issue I had with the complex, and since it has been improved I am changing my rating.

Like Tiffany, I like this area of Austin. I’ve been at these apts for age and did not plan on moving. But management is not making it easy to stay here. They bend over backwards to help all the newer renters in the new section and treat the oldtimers poorly. My partner also had two of his tires punctured during the construction. Nothing was done or help even offered. And now there have been 3 car break ins and 2 home break ins in the past 6 weeks. The gate for the new section is always closed but the gate for the older section has been out of order for months. Email was sent out and they said that it would be fixed 2 weeks ago and still nothing. This area is not safe anymore.