Candlewood Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport/Cruise by IHG — Hotel in Fort Lauderdale

I don't know what has happened to this place, because we had an awesome stay here before COVID, even while the hotel was being renovated. It's taken a bad turn in many areas, and it's unfortunate because the location for a pre-cruise stay is perfect and the last stay at this property was worth every penny. This time, there were a lot of non-guests just hanging around, freely walking in and out of the lobby, hogging up the gazebo for hours, hollering and being just general nuisances, smoking cigarettes all over the place. It felt like we were trying to get in and out of a dark, smelly alley in New York City or someplace like that. We felt very uncomfortable and almost like we were being harassed. Perhaps a security guard is needed to ensure guests are comfortable? I realize good help is hard to find/hire now after COVID, but the front desk staff has gone from welcoming and friendly, to passive, unhelpful and basically acting like they don't care whether you stay or not. Our check-in clerk wouldn't speak above a whisper and barely made eye contact. We reserved a bedroom suite and needed to use the pullout couch in the living room. There was no bedding or pillows in our room for the pullout couch, so on our way out for dinner, I asked her to ensure we had bedding for the fold out couch. She literally said to me: "oh you need sheets to sleep?" I then said "yes, and I will need pillows too" and she seriously told a paying, returning guest, "well there are more than enough pillows on the bed in the bedroom, you can take and use one of those". I did a little mental yoga to make sure I didn't snap at her and said "and what about a blanket?" and was literally asked "you want a blanket too? Can't you just turn your heat on if you get cold?" I then said "forget it, I'll go without and freeze instead of dealing with you." Later, after dinner, we returned to our room and found the water in the toilet and the sinks was running a dull-stained yellow tint. I had no choice but to return to the front desk and talk to her again. This was the last straw for me, because her response was "Are you sure it's yellow? No one else has complained, but I'll leave a note for the morning, because no one is here now to look into that tonight". We weren't even asked if we'd like to change rooms, she had no interest in making us happy, and it was at this point that we swore we will never, ever, return to this location. My last interaction with her was when I then asked about vending machines, or any selection of sodas, waters, etc. and she pointed to the "Candlewood Cupboard" which was almost completely bare, and told me I should just walk next door because that hotel has a better selection, or I can walk across the highway to the grocery store. I was done with her after that and had no further intentions of dealing with her again. The only other thing of note was that the fold out couch mattress was about 2 inches thin, unsleepable, and had burn marks and stains on it (room 515 - have someone go look if you don't believe me). I slept poorly, maybe 2 hours total all night between the discomfort and the noise of everyone slamming doors, yelling in the hallway and hollering outside in the parking lot. One good thing - the room was relatively clean and the cleaning staff in the morning was very friendly and greeted me with a nice good morning and smile on our way out of the room, which was nice. Different front desk clerk in the morning had the same sort of attitude as the...

I don't know what has happened to this place, because we had an awesome stay here before COVID, even while the hotel was being renovated. It's taken a bad turn in many areas, and it's unfortunate because the location for a pre-cruise stay is perfect and the last stay at this property was worth every penny. This time, there were a lot of non-guests just hanging around, freely walking in and out of the lobby, hogging up the gazebo for hours, hollering and being just general nuisances, smoking cigarettes all over the place. It felt like we were trying to get in and out of a dark, smelly alley in New York City or someplace like that. We felt very uncomfortable and almost like we were being harassed. Perhaps a security guard is needed to ensure guests are comfortable? I realize good help is hard to find/hire now after COVID, but the front desk staff has gone from welcoming and friendly, to passive, unhelpful and basically acting like they don't care whether you stay or not. Our check-in clerk wouldn't speak above a whisper and barely made eye contact. We reserved a bedroom suite and needed to use the pullout couch in the living room. There was no bedding or pillows in our room for the pullout couch, so on our way out for dinner, I asked her to ensure we had bedding for the fold out couch. She literally said to me: "oh you need sheets to sleep?" I then said "yes, and I will need pillows too" and she seriously told a paying, returning guest, "well there are more than enough pillows on the bed in the bedroom, you can take and use one of those". I did a little mental yoga to make sure I didn't snap at her and said "and what about a blanket?" and was literally asked "you want a blanket too? Can't you just turn your heat on if you get cold?" I then said "forget it, I'll go without and freeze instead of dealing with you." Later, after dinner, we returned to our room and found the water in the toilet and the sinks was running a dull-stained yellow tint. I had no choice but to return to the front desk and talk to her again. This was the last straw for me, because her response was "Are you sure it's yellow? No one else has complained, but I'll leave a note for the morning, because no one is here now to look into that tonight". We weren't even asked if we'd like to change rooms, she had no interest in making us happy, and it was at this point that we swore we will never, ever, return to this location. My last interaction with her was when I then asked about vending machines, or any selection of sodas, waters, etc. and she pointed to the "Candlewood Cupboard" which was almost completely bare, and told me I should just walk next door because that hotel has a better selection, or I can walk across the highway to the grocery store. I was done with her after that and had no further intentions of dealing with her again. The only other thing of note was that the fold out couch mattress was about 2 inches thin, unsleepable, and had burn marks and stains on it (room 515 - have someone go look if you don't believe me). I slept poorly, maybe 2 hours total all night between the discomfort and the noise of everyone slamming doors, yelling in the hallway and hollering outside in the parking lot. One good thing - the room was relatively clean and the cleaning staff in the morning was very friendly and greeted me with a nice good morning and smile on our way out of the room, which was nice. Different front desk clerk in the morning had the same sort of attitude as the...

Worst hotel of IHG BRAND.TERRIBLE HOUSE KEEPERS,MAINTENANCE GUY WITH LOTS OF ATTITUDES.THEY BEHAVED LIKE YOU STAYING FOR FREE.THERE SUPERVISOR,TELL HER SPANISH RUDE MOUTH OVERSEER TO TELL YOU TO CHECKOUT IF YOU REPORT THERE INCOMPETENCIES.MAINTENANCE BUSY WASHING HIS CAR,FRONT DESK IN BATHROOM SMOKING.ELEVATOR BREAK DOWN.MICROWAVE DON'T WORK,NO ICE MACHINE WORKS IN THE FRIDGES EITHER.GUEST TRY TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN THE HOTEL AS WELL.LOTS OF POLICE CARS AND AMBULANCE.THERE WAS NO REMORSE FROM FRONT DESK RUDE MOUTH STAFF ABOUT THE OUTAGE OF THE ELEVATOR NOT IN SERVICE.GUEST MISSED THERE FLIGHTS BECAUSE CANNOT BRING THERE LUGGAGES DOWN FROM THE HIGH FLOORS.INSTEAD STAFF STATED THATS NOT THERE PROBLEM.REFUSED TO TELL UPPER MANAGEMENTS OF ALL THE TICKET# WAS FILLED OUT BY DAY STAFF.INSTEAD MATEO TOLD STAFF NOT TO RECHECK BACK IN GUESS BECAUSE OF ALL IS INCOMPETENT HOUSE KEEPERS ARE SPANISH LIKE HIM COMPLAINS OF HOW THEY GOT WRITTEN UP FOR NOT CHANGING THE SHEETS, MISSING BRUSH FOR PLATES,DIRTY UN MOPPED FLOOR,AC BEEN LEAKING LOTS OF WATER ON CARPET IN ROOM.MISSEN SCREWS FROM THE AC & LOUD NOISE RUSTY BATH ROOMS WITH MILDEWS AND CHIP OFF PAINTS AS WELL.STEVEN AND DANIELLE GOT THE CASE #S FROM GUEST RELATIONS AND SEVERAL COMPLAINS FROM OTHER GUEST BEEN IGNORED.MATEO IS NOT EVEN A MGR.BUT GOT NERVES TELLING PAYING GUEST WHO PAYS HIS BILLS FROM THE REVENUE SUPPORTED TO THE HOTEL FOR STATING ALL THE DIRTY UNCLEANED ROOMS.IF ITS NOT DIRTY SMELLY SHEETS,ITS STAINS ON PILLOW CASES,DIRTY DISH WASHERS.STEVEN REFUSED TO CONTACT GUEST REGARDING ALL OF THE DISTURBING STAY AT THE HOTEL.EVEN HOUSE KEEPER TAKING YOUR PILLOW OUT YOUR ROOM AND THEN SEARCHING THE DRAWS WITHOUT GUEST PERMISSION FOR THE PILLOW LIKE THE GUEST TOOK IT.TOTAL DISGRACE TO THE HOTEL HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.NOT TO MENTION A DRY HEAD ONE NAME KITAEA WHOSE BREATH STINK OF SMOKING ALWAYS TALKING TO THE GUEST SMELLING VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.THIS IS PAST THE WORST HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED AND THEN THEY GOT THE NERVES FOR TRYING TO DISRESPECT THE GUEST FOR SPEAKING AND STATING THE OBVIOUS OF THE DIRTY FILTY HOTEL.WHY PUT SOMEONE IN CHARGED IF THEY UNTRAINED,VERY PREDUDICE TOWARDS BLACK NON ESPANICS AS WELL.REFUSED TO REPORT ALL OF HIS SPANISH HOUSE KEEPERS INCOMPETENCIES TO UPPER MANAGEMENT. THEN GOT NERVE LYING ABOUT HE NO GOT THE TICKET #'S FOR THE GUEST RELATIONS.I WILL BE POSTING ALL TO ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS SO NO ONE WASTE THEY HARD EARN MONEY STAYING HERE.TOTAL DISGRACE TO THE IHG BRAND AND EVERYONE WHO TRAVEL FOR A LIVING FOR WORK.TOTAL DISGRACE ON UPPER MGR AS WELL.RECOACHING IS URGENTLY NEEDED FOR FRONT OF THE HOUSE AND UPPER MGR WHO FAILS TO ADDRESS ALL GUEST COMPLAINS THRU GUEST RELATIONS.STAY AWAY TO SAVE YOUR INNER PEACE.SHOWER HEADS IN THE ROOMS JUST AS BAD AND DIRTY AS THERE FILTHY DISRESPECTFUL UNTRAINED SMOKE SMELLING MOUTH.PERIOD! RUN,STAY AWAY.ALL HYPERCRITES WHEN THEY SEE YOU NOT NO PUSH AROUND.ESPECIALLY,WHEN SPENDING MY HARD EARN...