Candlewood Suites Orlando - Lake Buena Vista by IHG — Hotel in Dr. Phillips

Great hotel, incredibly friendly and helpful staff, many thanks to Ileana, Dominique, Victoria, Chris 1 and Chris 2 and the many others. Thanks also to Marco the general manager and the unknown owner. For employing such a great team and building the building so professionally that you can't hear any noise from your neighbors in the rooms. I haven't experienced that in Orlando in the last 16 years. Actually, all the buildings are just a cage made of roof battens with plasterboard and hollow walls. We deliberately chose a room on the street because of the fireworks at Disney Epcot, so the traffic isn't completely silent, of course, but you can also choose a room at the back. Unfortunately, a refrigerator doesn't run silently all the time, but you can't have everything. Simply turning it down a bit at night helps you fall asleep, or turning it off when you don't need it. But my ice cream is more important to me.|We stayed at the Candlewood Suite Lake Buena Vista Orlando for 6 weeks and enjoyed it much more than the previous 7 weeks at the Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort International Drive, which I cannot recommend and it was over 50 USD cheaper per night.||We had booked a 2 bed suite with kitchen for a really reasonable price of around 100 USD including fees and taxes and were really surprised at what we got for the price. Ileana from reception had kindly given us suite number 710 on the upper floor, overlooking the street. This was important to us, so we could watch the fireworks from Disney Epcot from the window to the right in the evening. There was also always something to see on the street and at the intersection. The suite had two very comfortable beds, a table and cupboard combination that my son could also use as a desk for his online lessons at the Wilhelm von Humboldt online school. We had booked for 39 days from November to December. Of course, we also needed a lot of space for food and drinks, as we only had a rental car for the day of arrival. Otherwise we walked or took the 350 bus. There was enough space, so I was able to store over 500 bottles of water and lots of supplies for 6 weeks. The large refrigerator with the freezer compartment was absolutely ideal for this. The kitchen block wasn't huge, but it was big enough to cook for my son and me for 6 weeks. There was crockery and cutlery for 4 people, actually enough of everything you need. 3 pots of different sizes, a frying pan, a toaster, a coffee machine, a dishwasher, which I don't need because I always wash up by hand. What I thought was great was that you could borrow various things for free down by the elevators, for example a mixer, a waffle iron, a juicer, a deep fryer, etc. You just had to ask Ileana, Dominique, Viktoria, Chris or the others at reception and they would help you straight away. In the room there was also a spacious closet with an ironing board and iron, a flat screen TV and a comfortable armchair with a footrest that you could pull out. The bathroom had a bathtub with a shower attachment, toilet, sink with a cupboard underneath, a small wall shelf, enough towel rails, plus a soap dispenser, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel, all Dove products. The little night light to the right of the washbasin between the socket was great. That meant you didn't have to turn the light on at night when you needed to go to the bathroom. The suite can be cleaned regularly, but I don't know how often this happens for free. I never actually use room service in hotels, resorts or apartments. I always clean my room myself. Some guests put their rubbish in the hallway and call reception to have it picked up. I don't like that, so I took my rubbish down to the rubbish containers to the left of the parking garage. With a bit of luck you can sometimes see a raccoon there, says my 16-year-old son, but I didn't see one.||We mostly cook ourselves and only ever go to McDonalds for a burger. But there are so many restaurants in Orlando, on International Drive, in the shopping malls, and there are several near the hotel, right next to it, on the other side of the street, at the intersection. There are probably 15 to 20 different ones, from Asian to Mexican, pizzeria, Burger King and many others within a 500 metre radius.||The service was excellent, the staff always friendly and helpful. As a Lifetime Diamond Member, I'm used to really great service in Asia. In the USA, you don't usually notice so much of it. The Candlewood Suite Lake Buena Vista belongs to the IHG Hotel Group, where I didn't have any real status, but despite that, I was treated incredibly nicely and courteously. Before I booked, I went to the hotel a few days beforehand to look around. Ileana from reception was immediately willing to show me a room on the lower floor so I could get an impression. I thought that was really nice. Otherwise, all the staff were really incredible, when we came or left we always waved to each other in a friendly manner. If you had any questions, there was always quick help. Downstairs in the lobby there were two computers that you could use for free, or if you wanted to print something out. Then there is a laundromat with 5 professional washing machines and 5 dryers that you could use for free. Of course, essential for a 6-week stay. Next to that there was a professionally equipped gym. Between the buildings there was a pool with a grill and seating and loungers, not that big, but there was always something free when we were there. One of the elevators was out of service every now and then, but we never had to wait more than a minute or two. Otherwise we usually took the stairs, which is a good way to keep fit. There was also a small shop with coffee and other things that are not free and have to be paid for at reception. Unfortunately, some guests forget this!||Great location with good transport links. Just a few hundred metres from Interstate 4. Good bus connections to all amusement parks, SeaWorld, Disney, Universal Studios, International Drive, the Premium Outlets and shopping malls, many restaurants within 5 minutes' walk. You can also walk to Disney Springs, about 15 - 20 minutes, by car 3 - 5 minutes depending on traffic and traffic lights. I also sometimes walk the 4 km to Aldi if the bus is delayed.||There are an incredible number of leisure activities in Orlando. At Candlewood we had the pool and the fitness center.|But we often went to Disney Springs in the evening to hear different bands and groups play for free. We have annual tickets for Universal Studios, which meant we could take the free hotel shuttle bus, which was partly charged with the 10 USD fee. Just like the bus to Disney. We got an ID card at the LYNX bus station in Orlando, my son for under 18 and I for over 65, so we only had to pay half and the monthly ticket only cost 25 USD. To get to Universal we took bus 350 from the bus stop across the street at the intersection to Destination Parkway and from there bus 38 directly to Universal. That could take over an hour if you missed the connection. But if you stay in Orlando for 3 months like we did, you're glad that you can get by without a rental car. With a rental car, it takes about 15 - 20 minutes depending on traffic. We also bought the fun ticket for SeaWorld for about 100 USD on Thanksgiving, which you can use for about 15 months until the end of 2025, except for a few blackout days. Bus 350 also goes directly to Disney Springs, from there you can take bus 311 to MCO International Airport. You can also take another bus to Disney Park Magic Kingdom and watch the fireworks for free by the lake in the evening, for example. Or take the ferry back and forth if you don't have a...

I didn't expect perfection; however, I did expect cleanliness and professionalism while staying at this location, & I received neither.||I have been a loyal IHG member since 2019 and have normally felt well taken care of during my stays at various locations.||Unfortunately, my recent experience at this particular location was far below the standards I have come to expect from IHG.||There were a series of significant issues that I encountered during my recent stay from June 24, 2024, to July 1, 2024.||Upon arriving late on 6/24, I found my room uncomfortably hot due to a broken thermostat. Despite notifying the front desk, maintenance was unavailable, and no alternative room was immediately offered. Eventually, I managed to get the window unit working, but the initial lack of assistance and subsequent issues with the room's cleanliness were deeply concerning.||The following day, when I attempted to arrange a cleaning, I encountered unhelpful and inconsistent information from the front desk staff. Despite being told upon check-in that cleaning could be scheduled at any time as long as a day's notice was given, I was informed that the earliest possible cleaning was several days later. This forced us to stay in an unclean room, which was highly inconvenient and unsanitary. I was unable to use the kitchen area or the appliances due to sanitary issues. This was a huge inconvenience to me as a customer, as I was forced to dine out for several days as an alternative.||Throughout my stay, my son and I experienced numerous issues, including inconsistent housekeeping schedules, poor and downright disrespectful communication from certain female staff members, and unprofessional behavior from certain employees. Notably, despite assurances from staff members such as Christopher, our concerns were not addressed, and promised follow-ups that I'd be hearing from the general manager never materialized.||Additionally, on 6/29, housekeeping attempted to enter our room despite a clear "Do Not Disturb" sign, and despite prior communication that we no longer wanted service due to how housekeeping previously left our room after a supposed clean (view the attachments) and due to the fact that we were at the end of our stay. This disregard for privacy was alarming and unprofessional as housekeeping tried to enter the room repeatedly despite a locked door and do not disturb sign. This frightened my son. Later that day, when I attempted to resolve this issue with the front desk, I was met with rudeness, combativeness, and dismissiveness. I was given 3 different names when I asked who I was speaking to: Victoria, Elionna, or Nicole.||To compound these issues, the toilet in our room almost overflowed, and while maintenance responded quickly, the attitude of the maintenance staff was cold, which made us feel uncomfortable as well. The elevator remained broken the entire time we were there, making it extremely hard to come and go, and the halls were riddled with trash as well. They were just as unsanitary as the rooms.||Despite these numerous issues and efforts to address them with the hotel staff, including multiple requests and scheduled follow-ups, our concerns were largely ignored. The level of unprofessionalism and poor service we experienced from the women we spoke to at the front desk is unacceptable, particularly given the significant cost of my stay.||I trusted that this feedback would be taken seriously and addressed promptly to prevent similar experiences for future guests; however, no one at the hotel, despite being given multiple opportunities, has addressed or resolved any of the issues shared with them.||As a long standing member of the IHG loyalty program, I value the quality of service that IHG typically provides, and I still hope that corrective measures will be implemented to uphold these standards. Despite being told that the GM would contact me by multiple staff members, it has yet to happen.||I am hoping they will make this right, as no customer deserves to stay in an unsanitary room, nor do they deserve to be...

I didn't expect perfection; however, I did expect cleanliness and professionalism while staying at this location, & I received neither.

I have been a loyal IHG member since 2019 and have normally felt well taken care of during my stays at various locations.

Unfortunately, my recent experience at this particular location was far below the standards I have come to expect from IHG.

There were a series of significant issues that I encountered during my recent stay from June 24, 2024, to July 1, 2024.

Upon arriving late on 6/24, I found my room uncomfortably hot due to a broken thermostat. Despite notifying the front desk, maintenance was unavailable, and no alternative room was immediately offered. Eventually, I managed to get the window unit working, but the initial lack of assistance and subsequent issues with the room's cleanliness were deeply concerning.

The following day, when I attempted to arrange a cleaning, I encountered unhelpful and inconsistent information from the front desk staff. Despite being told upon check-in that cleaning could be scheduled at any time as long as a day's notice was given, I was informed that the earliest possible cleaning was several days later. This forced us to stay in an unclean room, which was highly inconvenient and unsanitary. I was unable to use the kitchen area or the appliances due to sanitary issues. This was a huge inconvenience to me as a customer, as I was forced to dine out for several days as an alternative.

Throughout my stay, my son and I experienced numerous issues, including inconsistent housekeeping schedules, poor and downright disrespectful communication from certain female staff members, and unprofessional behavior from certain employees. Notably, despite assurances from staff members such as Christopher, our concerns were not addressed, and promised follow-ups that I'd be hearing from the general manager never materialized.

Additionally, on 6/29, housekeeping attempted to enter our room despite a clear "Do Not Disturb" sign, and despite prior communication that we no longer wanted service due to how housekeeping previously left our room after a supposed clean (view the attachments) and due to the fact that we were at the end of our stay. This disregard for privacy was alarming and unprofessional as housekeeping tried to enter the room repeatedly despite a locked door and do not disturb sign. This frightened my son. Later that day, when I attempted to resolve this issue with the front desk, I was met with rudeness, combativeness, and dismissiveness. I was given 3 different names when I asked who I was speaking to: Victoria, Elionna, or Nicole.

To compound these issues, the toilet in our room almost overflowed, and while maintenance responded quickly, the attitude of the maintenance staff was cold, which made us feel uncomfortable as well. The elevator remained broken the entire time we were there, making it extremely hard to come and go, and the halls were riddled with trash as well. They were just as unsanitary as the rooms.

Despite these numerous issues and efforts to address them with the hotel staff, including multiple requests and scheduled follow-ups, our concerns were largely ignored. The level of unprofessionalism and poor service we experienced from the women we spoke to at the front desk is unacceptable, particularly given the significant cost of my stay.

I trusted that this feedback would be taken seriously and addressed promptly to prevent similar experiences for future guests; however, no one at the hotel, despite being given multiple opportunities, has addressed or resolved any of the issues shared with them.

As a long standing member of the IHG loyalty program, I value the quality of service that IHG typically provides, and I still hope that corrective measures will be implemented to uphold these standards. Despite being told that the GM would contact me by multiple staff members, it has yet to happen.

I am hoping they will make this right, as no customer deserves to stay in an unsanitary room, nor do they deserve to be...