Candlewood Suites Athens by IHG — Hotel in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

Transferring for work and staying in the hotel until I could find permanent accommodation I paid for my first week in full, then went to the front desk to extend my stay another week. I was told I was all set (my app said I was all set), which I assumed meant they had taken out the payment for another week. I went on about my week only to find that my room card was not working on a few occasions. So I went to the front desk, they asked my last name and room number, then fixed my key (not once saying anything else). Then at 10pm on Friday night there is a knock on my door, I open it to find not one, but 2 desk clerks telling me I needed to come to the front desk to settle my bill. So I go to the front desk to find a total of 5 desk clerks (one I assume was the manager) standing around to watch what happens. The "manager" proceeds to tell me that my credit card has been declined for the 2 previous nights and I need to settle up. Well I had been paying with my corporate card, so I am not sure how they figured I could get in touch with anyone from corporate at 10pm on a Friday. The manager asked me if my key had stopped working this week and I said yes! Your staff fixed it every time and not ONCE did anyone say we need payment. I had no choice but to pay $332 from my personal account to cover the bill (which is actually against my companies policy). I also made it VERY clear that I was not happy and she needs to train her staff better. I have since found out that my corporate card was declined because the staff in all their wisdom only charged for 2 nights of the second week, then proceeded to try and charge the card daily and this raised a flag for the bank. I have NEVER seen anything handled so poorly by so many people!! At least one of the clerks that turned up at my door had fixed my card, I always came in and out the front door right in front of the desk and NONE of the staff said anything until 10pm on a Friday night. I do believe the "manager" claimed they tried to contact me 5 times. If her staff told her that they should all be fired....I had no missed calls or voice messages on my phone AND why didn't they slip a note under the door "please come to the front desk there is an issue with your card" REALLY SIMPLE!! I would have come straight to the front desk.....just like I did at 10pm on a Friday night!!! I am an IHG member that used to use your hotels all the time, I will now go back to the chain where I am a Diamond member and...

When I checked in everything went well, but I discovered a cockroach in my room. I notified the front desk and they said they would fumigate the room the next day. They never changed my room either (was willing to work with them). I asked the front desk the next day if they ever did and confirmed they did. There were no indications they had been in the room. A week later I found another cockroach, bringing it to their attention again. The supervisor informed me they never did, and provided me with compensational points, as well as changing my room. A month later in the new room I found another cockroach! By this point in time I was about to check out and didn't want to be disappointed with their poor results again. Along with this, room service would never clean my room. The do not disturb sticker would be removed for weeks and they failed to clean weeks at a time! This is by far the worst experience I have ever had and would rather have slept in my car. This is my take on the situation and their responses to the problems I encountered with no fluffery. I am more than willing to discuss matters further and am disappointed that I do not have good things to say about this hotel. My stay was for 4 months.

[Edit] Thank you for the quick response Candlewood Suites Athens. I understand the pet policy rules and they were relayed to me upon check in and yes I did have a pet staying with us. However, the pet was taken out of the room and outside of the premises as advised by the front desk whenever cleaning services or the "fumigation" would have taken place. The signs were removed, as advised, and the other rules were followed that were explained upon check-in. I would have liked to resolve matters sooner as well, but the timeline to resolve these matters was more than plenty. I frequently relayed my concerns to the front desk multiple times, as well as the moment they occurred. I did everything I could to display to the property my displeasure...

**Updated (see end of Post) to owner who responded to my comment but I am not able to respond directly.

The pain started as soon as I walked in the door when I was welcomed with an argument with an employee and a paying customer. The argument was not necessary and it was over confirmation of price. Then to make it worse, the employee is raising her voice to embarrass the customer. I didn't witness the full situation but no matter what, the situation was not handled professionally.

We were 3rd in line but it took almost 15 minutes to check in!!! Then when it was my turn to check in, I had similar questions about billing and the front desk staff was not able to explain and a customer had to explain the difference from what was quoted to what was charged. All I was told is the price is on the screen, you can't see that? Keeping my fingers crossed the quoted price gets charged.

Then up to the room. Besides the painfully slow elevator door, once we got to the room and opened it, we were welcomed by a smell like a men's locker room mixed with day old dishes. Luckily for air freshener in my bag. Then you feel like you are on a boat because the floor is so uneven. After the long check in and stressful moment of "what in the world did I get myself into?", I sat on the bed and both sides of the bed hugged my sides. And no, I'm not that heavy. 200lbs should not have the bed hugging me.

Off to the bathroom where there is rust on fixtures and now I'm not comfortable showering.

Lastly, I'm tired and I know I won't get good sleep due to the poor quality bed but the walls are so thin, I can hear the conversation next door and they are not even talking loud.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring but my experience in the last 2.5 hours is enough to put this review.

Was not able to reply to the owner's comment. I stayed under our coach's name. M Wischmann room 202 and stayed...