Staybridge Suites Hot Springs by IHG — Hotel in Hot Springs

In this review I want to cover 5 important topics. Destination, Location, Hotel, Food, Cost, and rental car. When my wife and I decided to finally take a honeymoon/wedding anniversary it could have been to some other exotic locations like the Mexican Riviera, the Bahamas, or to Hawaii. But instead, we chose Hot Springs, Arkansas. The reason is because 14 years ago I did some work there and found it to be a very intriguing and quaint little town. While I was working there, I came across the Historic downtown area with the bath houses and more importantly, learning about the thermal hot spring water fountains. That is what was most intriguing to me, the mineral drinking water. After the job was completed, I managed to take home 2 - 5-gallon water jugs of this wondrous fountain of youth drinking water. Fast forward to our recent trip to Hot Springs, I looked high and low for hotels to stay at and thankfully with the help of a search engine app called Priceline, I was able to secure a great deal at the Staybridge Hotel. As far as my review for Staybridge, it was hard to not give it a 5-star review. And I mean that sincerely. The minute we arrived, we were greeted by a smiling face by the Hotel manager Ms. Linda and a warm reception. We checked into our room and were pleasantly surprised to see that we had a room with an awesome view overlooking Lake Hamilton. We arrived early in the morning and to our surprise, they were serving breakfast for the guest (Bacon and eggs, Waffles, fruit salad, bagels, juices, oatmeal, and my favorite, biscuits and gravy yeehaw) Our flight was a very, very long flight (delays after delays American Airlines don't get me started with them) from San Diego, California and needless to say, we were famished when we finally arrived at the hotel. Ms. Linda made us very happy when she told us that we are welcome to go in and get something warm to eat and we were more than happy to oblige. With that being said, that is where the food part comes in. We didn't expect to have any meals served to us to be honest, but much to our surprise, they served up a hot breakfast every morning for the 7 days that we were there. Not only that, but on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, they serve up a light evening supper for the guest that we found very satisfying. That in itself, saved us money by not having to go out to eat at different restaurants every day. Our room was equipped with a kitchenette, so we were able to use it to our advantage. We found a nearby Sam's Club and went and picked up some of their pre-made meals and brought it back to the room and ate to our heart's content. Let me tell you, Sam's has an excellent Sushi bar and amazing price deals. The hotel staff are very polite and very professional and did not have any issues. The other guests were a mix of people and were very friendly and cordial during the times for breakfast and evening mealtimes. Our room was very cozy with a sofa and lounge, and big screen TV. The air conditioning unit was very quiet and didn't keep me up all night. The bed was somewhat stiff, but it was good overall. My wife and I went out every day and got to know the city of Hot Springs and all it had to offer. We were very happy with our choice to vacation there. As for the car rental (Toyota Camry). We got an amazing deal with Avis (through Priceline) and only used half a tank of gas. We filled it up at none other than, Sam's Club and at $2.84 a gallon, we saved bookoo bucks. Lol. So, in conclusion, what did we learn here? You can price shop all day for a cheap hotel, or you can go to Priceline and speak with one of their reps and get a deal like we did. We plan on going back again next year and "possibly" consider looking for a place to live and get out of California where the cost of living is outrageous. I think Arkansas has a lot more to offer overall. But time will tell. I hope this review helps you with your future vacation stays in Hot Springs. And if you do stay at the Staybridge Hotel, Tell Ms. Linda I sent you...

Dear Staybridge Suites Management,

I am writing to address the numerous concerns that arose during our recent stay at your hotel from July 9 to July 12, 2025. Our experience was unfortunately marred by a series of significant issues that require immediate attention.

Upon our arrival on July 9, we encountered a problem with our payment method. Despite attempting to use our American Express card, the transaction was declined. American Express confirmed that they had not received any transaction information from your system. Despite this, the front desk clerk was adamant that their system was functioning properly. We were forced to use another credit card to cover our hotel fees, which was both frustrating and inconvenient.

On July 12, the fire alarm in our room went off for over four and a half hours. We reported this to the hotel clerk, Linda, who assured us that she would investigate the issue. However, it took her 45 minutes to arrive, and she was unable to determine the cause of the alarm. We expressed our safety concerns, but her demeanor was nonchalant, which was concerning given the circumstances.

After waiting over an hour for maintenance to arrive, we contacted the local fire department due to unresolved safety concerns. The fire marshal inspected the system and decided to relocate us to another room for our safety. It was worrying that Linda was hesitant to involve the fire department initially, raising questions about the hotel's commitment to guest safety.

After being moved to a one-bedroom suite, we requested an extra mattress and pillows for comfort. Linda reacted negatively to our request, expressing irritation and ultimately telling us to leave the hotel. This was shocking and unacceptable. We stood our ground and waited for the local police to arrive, who facilitated a resolution by securing the extra pillows we needed.

This entire experience has taken a significant toll on my health, resulting in ringing in my ears and exacerbating existing immune system issues. My wife also experienced dizziness and nausea, adding to the distress of our stay. We were in Hot Springs for a family event, which we ultimately missed due to the chaos and stress caused by these incidents. Our grandchildren were also severely traumatized by this careless action by the hotel management staff.

It is disappointing that I have not received an email from the management team addressing these issues. As a retired law enforcement officer, I have never encountered such treatment in my 75 years. If this is the management model for IGH, it is not working. It is important to note that our family events often utilize hotels for meetings...

Our insurance arranged this hotel due to our broken hot water heater. However, upon check-in, we encountered a billing error, being charged for 40 nights instead of the one week needed. Additionally, we were shocked to find someone already in our assigned room's bed. Despite the error, the staff showed no accountability or apology, simply offering another night's stay. The lack of acknowledgment or attempt to rectify the situation, particularly considering the potential severity, is disappointing. The general manager failed to address the issue appropriately, opting to dismiss it rather than make amends. Such poor customer service warrants avoidance of this establishment, and we intend to report the incident to corporate.

UPDATED response from my husband:

This situation could have been avoided completely. The night staff apparently made a mistake and gave me and my family keys to a room that was occupied. Alarming and as potentially dangerous as that was it could have been solved with a “sincere” apology and assurance it would be looked into as to not happen in the future. That was absolutely never conveyed. The next morning I received a VM from the GM. I returned that call and the front desk clerk put me on hold several times, I assume to talk with the GM. This was not at all what I expected or thought should take place as she had called me I was simply returning her call. When she finally got on the phone with me, she stated she had no idea what happened the previous night (as she had been out for 5 days) and would like me to tell her, so I did. Yes I was upset but not verbally abusive. Once I told her the situation she replied with “sir I’ve been working on this all morning”. She went on to tell me she had spoken with the lady I walked in on and she was shaken but fine. Pardon me for being infuriated at being lied to but that is absolutely unacceptable. This could have been prevented. It is safe to say our conversation went totally downhill from there and as far as a sincere apology, that never came. I instead received “I’m not sure why you are so upset it happens all the time”.

Much more could be stated as to why the conversation went the way it went but safe to say once I was lied to, I was not a very happy customer at that time.

On top of this, the hotel proceeded to use out last name/personal information in their response to my review. So, again, another red flag of how management handles things...