Sonesta Simply Suites Charlotte University — Hotel in Charlotte

The hotel seems nice, as do the rooms - initially, my expectations were exceeded, and I am one of the pickiest people, especially when it comes to public places such as a hotel room. The furniture was streamlined and nice - updated, EXCEPT the fridge and stove...it was like, they looked at their budget and decided to cut funds for the fridge and stove, but updating everything else. It's an extreme eye sore, but everything else was nice. My main thing is always bathrooms and the bathroom was nice. I'm the first to inspect a tub, and it was crystal clean; I was impressed. I inspected the towels, and there was not a tear, rip or hole; however, I saw small stains on one of the towels laying across the tub. The bed was comfortable to an extent; it was soft, but too soft for my liking. There was a bug on my pillow, a little brown bug on my pillow that I assumed was a bed bug. My infant and I were laying on the bed and I got up at about 2am to change his diaper when I noticed the bug on the pillow. I called down to the front desk and he gave me another room to sleep in. The second room seemed to be nice, but i thought I saw a tiny bug in the kitchen - I can't say for sure because it was on a piece of towel on the counter and I just threw the towel away - I didn't have the energy to investigate. Mind you, this is a pet friendly hotel so it may have been a bug from a pet - I don't know. Granted, this is one of the nicest pet hotels I've ever seen, so to their credit, I'll give them that. The next morning when I went to the front desk to check out, the woman stated that she had been made aware by the night agent; however, Orkin would have to come out to verify it was a bed bug before they could move forward with any sort of compensation. I advised that even if it was not a bed bug, there was still a bug in my bed and it was an inconvenience to switch rooms at 2am with my infant son. She went to the back to speak with someone and came back to say that I would be given 10% at that time, and then someone would call me after Orkin came. I received a call that same afternoon and was told that Orkin came but "there was no more evidence of bed bugs" but that I was going to receive a one night credit for the inconvenience - I was there multiple nights. I noted the fact that she said "no more evidence of" but she didn't actually confirm that there was any so it could have just been the way she said it. I was satisfied with the end result. I do think that the first lady who told me they would have to wait for Orkin should have handled it better...I don't want to tell you that I saw a bug and you tell me you have to verify. Like I told her, whether it was a bed bug or not, there was still a bug in the bed and that was enough to provide some sort of compensation, but she did give the initial 10%, so that's fine. Additionally, whatever it was bit me cause there was a red spot on my back for which I showed the night agent for proof. With all that being said, I can't say that I wouldn't recommend them but I can't say that I would either. The hotel is nice and the rooms are nice, with the exception of the fridge and stove, which they really need to update, but for an extended stay it is really nice, which is why its disappointing that I can't give it a better rating or high recommendations. I rated the cleanliness of the room a 3 due to the bug, but had it not been for that, then I would have rate it a 5. I don't know how they clean pet rooms but I'm almost positive that if the bug I saw wasn't a bed bug then it was some type of pet bug. I didn't have pets with me but initially I was going to which is why they put me in a pet room - I normally would NEVER stay at a pet hotel because there are usually nasty, although, this one wasn't. I would say to err on the side of caution, but to stay there and give it a chance as i do think it's a nice hotel - better than some I've seen in the university area. Would I stay there again...I can't say that I would, but I don't want to discourage anyone else from staying there, just...

The two stars that I have to give Sonesta Simply Suites, Charlotte University is exclusively because of front desk worker, Shamika‘s responsiveness and customer service acumen. At the end of April, I spent a week at Sonesta Simply Suites, Charlotte University. My first impression of the room I booked was a good impression. The room smelled good and the room looked very clean. The check in process went smoothly. Parking is $5/night and the incidentals fee is $100 (refunded 8-10 business days after your stay). The sheets were clean and the bed was nice. There is a kitchenette. The coffee pot had been used and not cleaned. I put all dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned the room with bleach wipes (a habit since COVID/2020). In room 138, there was mold on the bathroom ceiling. My son stayed with me. He used an air mattress. The first night, I slept in the chair: I had fallen asleep watching tv. The next night, I woke up and showered, heading out for appointments. My face was itching, violently. I looked at my face and saw swellings. I had an appointment at 7am and the front desk person was busy, so I spoke to them in the evening, Shameka was at the front desk and she had genuine concern about the state of my face. Room 138 had bed bugs.

Here is a copy of my note to the corporate offices.

I’m about to complete my stay at Sonesta simply suites in Charlotte, North Carolina, University Park. I was in room 134, originally. The room looked good, and smelled good. One thing I did notice, was that there was mold on the bathroom ceiling. I was going to bring that to the attention of the manager, but other issues prevailed. I was moved from that room because when I woke up on Tuesday, my face was full of bites. I think were bedbug bites. I am well travel, and have experienced big bedbug bites In the past. I brought it to the immediate tension of the second shift person on duty, Shameka. She saw the five bites on my cheeks around my face and eyes and she was visibly concerned. I appreciate her concern and responsiveness to request for another room. She’s a good employee. There are also two bites on my back She moved me to another accessible room, 111. The bites are reddish purple and it itches like nothing else. The bites occurred during the first (back) and second night of my stay. I slept in the chair the first night of my stay and my son slept on the floor (air mattress). This hotel isn’t advertise as a long-term stay hotel. Had I known that I would’ve booked one of your other properties. Long-term properties that house workers (migrant workers are bussed). I think that your customer base should know what they’re booking. I have to get medication and use it during this trip to treat my face, Which after five days is still swollen and discolored. I have pictures and video. We were given room 111 and since it had a long-term customer in the accessible room, the floor was an even because the rug padded been cut up by a wheelchair. I need an accessible room because I have my own issues with mobility. I am permanently medically disabled. The bed had a sink in the middle and it was incredibly uncomfortable. There was a chair in the room that I wouldn’t let my pet sit on. It was so dirty and torn up; It actually had holes in it. The bedskirt was ripped from wheelchair use. The room looked clean, but clean it smelled of smoke - It smelled of use I guess. I am asking for fair compensation for my experience. I am a question that I be compensated for two nights And for my medical expenses. I’m calling my primary care doctor for prescription medication’s today. I used antihistamines(Benadryl) and it hasn’t subsided. If I touch my fact it swells again. I’ve been very uncomfortable for four days. I did receive compensation....

We stayed in the room with a separate bedroom, and sleeper couch. I’ll cover the pros, which are many, and then the cons.||The living room was a pretty good size. The TV was large and not too distant that you needed binoculars to see. There are 36 cable channels, no channel guide, Disney or National Geographics. There was a comfortable easy chair. ||The bedroom had a queen bed that was comfortable and the TV in the bedroom was large and easy to sea from the bed. There was a small area that can be used as a desk. Like in the living room, lots of drawers and good closet space.||The kitchen had a fairly large dining room table. There was a full-size fridge with an automatic ice-maker and full-size microwave – not the small hotel sized ones. The kitchen was stacked with plenty of plates, flatware, pots and pans. There was a dishwasher and an electric stovetop. There was plenty of paper towels when needed. There was even a bulletin board in the kitchen.||The bathroom was spacious. The bathtub was quite comfortable. There was good water pressure. Importantly, there was plenty of counter space around the bathroom sink and the lighting was outstanding. There were three towels and each one was of high quality with plenty of thick water absorbing strands. ||There is plenty of drawer, shelf and closet space for anyone. The A/C is controlled by a modern thermostat. There was very good lighting in all the rooms and big windows that could be partially opened. There were lots of electrical outlets, and a clock radio next to the bed. There was also lots of closet space to hang up your wardrobe.||The staff was very friendly and very helpful with whatever I needed. All phone calls were free of charge. There were lots of luggage carriers so I never had any problems getting one to load or offload the car. You need a car because there’s nothing to walk to.||The cons are rather insignificant, but good to know. The mirror in the bathroom is the only mirror in the place. There are quite long hallways if you’re far from the elevator. They charge $5 a day for parking which is unusual because there’s nothing around, but they were willing to wave that charge when I was accurately shocked that they would charge me for parking. Finally, the biggest disadvantage was that there was only one chair (office type) to sit around the good-sized...