Candlewood Suites Bemidji by IHG — Hotel in Bemidji

I booked a two bedroom suite with a pull-out sofa through the IHG website. It was supposed to have a queen bed and a king bed. The room we received was a two bedroom suite, each with full sized beds. There was not a sofa in the room, just a recliner. The two bedroom suite was booked to accommodate five adults, which were clearly not able to fit in a room with two full beds. The two bedroom suite we booked through the IHG website did not even exist within the building. The only room on site that would accommodate five adults was a room with a king bed and a sofa, and we were not going to sleep three in a bed to make that work. A roll-away was requested to resolve the situation quickly. There are no roll-aways on property. Extra comforters and pillows were requested. There were no comforters available and we were told they do not have extra pillows. With the hotel manager unavailable at our time of arrival, I spent an hour on the phone with IHG as well as talking to Cami at the front desk. IHG comped us another room for one night so we were able to sleep the five adults. This solved one of the two nights for which we reserved the two bedroom suite. After being at an activity until early afternoon on day two of our stay, we returned to the hotel to figure out accommodations for night two. Charles, the hotel manager, was available to discuss the situation with me when we returned. Charles' opening statement to me was that "He understands there was an altercation the night before about our room situation." I informed Charles that there was in no way an altercation the night before. There was no fight, there was no yelling, there was not even a voice raised at Cami. Cami and I actually have calm discussions and it was reiterated several times by myself that I was in no way frustrated with Cami or angry at her. Cami was actually fantastic at the way she handled the situation and very easy to talk to. Her customer service skills are top notch. The tone Charles used with me was not one of understanding or friendly. The issue with the room description being incorrect was blamed on IHG not keeping the website up to date. Charles was not able to provide any solution to the issue of us not receiving what we reserved or paid for to accommodate us for night two. I spent an extensive amount of time on the phone with IHG, who also called Charles to discuss the situation. Charles came back to us again with no solution. I again called IHG and the situation was resolved by IHG booking me a room and providing me with a confirmation number. I returned to the front desk and informed Charles that the situation was handled. His question to me was "So I assume you will not be staying with us tonight?" This question came off to me as a hotel manager not caring about the hotel having business or providing any customer service to the guests. We did stay the second night at Candlewood, as we were able to obtain a second room. When we left on Sunday, Charles was at the front desk when I went to check out. He did not say a word to me and walked away. I also found it odd that he was wearing the same outfit as the previous day. This was an example of an extreme lack of customer service and lack of caring about the image he is presenting to the hotel guests. Kenny was extremely helpful and energetic with the check out process. I wish Charles had half of the customer service skills that Cami and Kenny showed me at the front desk. I can safely say that I will never be staying at the Candlewood Suites in Bemidji. For the sake of this newly opened hotel, I hope some customer service skills are learned by the hotel manager and that the room descriptions are corrected on the website. I don't care if it is the responsibility of IHG or the hotel itself, the room descriptions should be accurate so this nightmare does not...

Dear IHG Hotel Corporation,

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and outrage regarding the treatment I received today at your Candlewood Suites location in Bemidji, Minnesota. As a loyal member of the IHG family and a frequent traveler, I never anticipated such a distressing experience, especially during a time of personal crisis.

Today, my mother underwent surgery in Bemidji, and emotionally exhausted, I reached out to Candlewood Suites for an early check-in. Kari at the front desk, displaying kindness and empathy, offered to assist me despite the early hour. However, upon arrival, I was confronted with an appalling situation orchestrated by your manager, Ryan.

Despite booking through the IHG travel agent portal with a valid travel agent rate, I was informed by Ryan that the rate would not be honored. His demeanor was hostile and dismissive, going as far as accusing me of knowingly exploiting an outdated rate from 2018. When I attempted to clarify the situation, Ryan's behavior escalated, mocking me and making derogatory remarks about my profession and personal circumstances.

Ryan's conduct was not only unprofessional but deeply distressing. As a single female traveler, I felt utterly unsafe and vulnerable in his presence. His disregard for customer service and blatant disrespect towards me and his own staff, particularly Kari, is unacceptable by any standard.

Feeling so unsafe that I had no choice but to leave, I sought accommodation elsewhere. This decision was not taken lightly but was necessary for my well-being and peace of mind.

Furthermore, the manager initially indicated he would consider refunding me, but then emailed me stating that since my father called him and supposedly “harassed” him, he was no longer going to refund me. As if my father has anything to do with me, the customer.

I left the premises in tears, shaken by the encounter, which is an unprecedented response for me. As the owner of a successful travel agency, I understand the importance of customer satisfaction and professional conduct. Ryan's behavior falls far short of these expectations and warrants immediate action.

I implore you to thoroughly investigate this incident and take appropriate disciplinary measures against Ryan. No guest should ever be subjected to such mistreatment, especially during moments of personal vulnerability.

Furthermore, I intend to share my experience on various social media platforms to ensure that others are aware of the appalling treatment I endured. I trust that IHG Hotel Corporation will take swift and decisive action to address this matter and restore faith in the Candlewood Suites brand.

I would like to add a follow-up to my initial review. I urge the IHG corporation to do more in-depth background checks on their employees. This is, after all, a hotel, which is supposed to be a safe environment for travelers.

Sincerely,

Emily Bookey Owner of...

Dear IHG Hotel Corporation,

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and outrage regarding the treatment I received today at your Candlewood Suites location in Bemidji, Minnesota. As a loyal member of the IHG family and a frequent traveler, I never anticipated such a distressing experience, especially during a time of personal crisis.

Today, my mother underwent surgery in Bemidji, and emotionally exhausted, I reached out to Candlewood Suites for an early check-in. Kari at the front desk, displaying kindness and empathy, offered to assist me despite the early hour. However, upon arrival, I was confronted with an appalling situation orchestrated by your manager, Ryan.

Despite booking through the IHG travel agent portal with a valid travel agent rate, I was informed by Ryan that the rate would not be honored. His demeanor was hostile and dismissive, going as far as accusing me of knowingly exploiting an outdated rate from 2018. When I attempted to clarify the situation, Ryan's behavior escalated, mocking me and making derogatory remarks about my profession and personal circumstances.

Ryan's conduct was not only unprofessional but deeply distressing. As a single female traveler, I felt utterly unsafe and vulnerable in his presence. His disregard for customer service and blatant disrespect towards me and his own staff, particularly Kari, is unacceptable by any standard.

Feeling so unsafe that I had no choice but to leave, I sought accommodation elsewhere. This decision was not taken lightly but was necessary for my well-being and peace of mind.

Furthermore, the manager initially indicated he would consider refunding me, but then emailed me stating that since my father called him and supposedly “harassed” him, he was no longer going to refund me. As if my father has anything to do with me, the customer.

I left the premises in tears, shaken by the encounter, which is an unprecedented response for me. As the owner of a successful travel agency, I understand the importance of customer satisfaction and professional conduct. Ryan's behavior falls far short of these expectations and warrants immediate action.

I implore you to thoroughly investigate this incident and take appropriate disciplinary measures against Ryan. No guest should ever be subjected to such mistreatment, especially during moments of personal vulnerability.

Furthermore, I intend to share my experience on various social media platforms to ensure that others are aware of the appalling treatment I endured. I trust that IHG Hotel Corporation will take swift and decisive action to address this matter and restore faith in the Candlewood Suites...