Candlewood Suites Vestal - Binghamton by IHG — Hotel in Town of Vestal

I am taking a few moments to memorialize my actions related to the disagreement with the General Manager at the Candlewood Suites Hotel in Vestal, NY.

I originally made the reservation at the Candlewood Suites hotel for Monday and Tuesday nights as I was planning on the i3 project being completed by the end of the day on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. On Tuesday evening when I got to the hotel I asked the front desk attendant if I could have the room cleaned and the bed changed. At that time she indicted the policy was that the room is only cleaned once every seven days. I explained that I wanted to get the room cleaned and the bed changed. She explained that I would have to check out of the room and make a new reservation, that would trigger the room being cleaned and the bed being changed. Per her advice, when the project was extended on Wednesday I let the reservation lapse. When I returned Wednesday evening I went to check back in and was assigned the same room # 425. I asked if the room was cleaned and the night desk clerk noted that see had left a note and also put it a note on the bulletin board. I was extremely disappointed when I walk in to the room and it was not cleaned and the bed had not been changed.

Early Thursday morning I asked the night desk clerk what had happen that the room was not cleaned. She indicated that the reservation was extended and changed from a new reservation by the General Manager. I asked to speak with her and was told she was not in until eight o’clock. I asked her to make another request to have the room addressed and she responded that I may want to speak with the manger when she got in to work.

On our first break I went back to the hotel to catch the manager and get the issues addressed. When I asked the front desk manger to explain she said the reservation was not new and the room and the bed would remain in that condition until I had stayed for the same seven days in a row. I showed her the email from IHG showing the reservation was new according to IHG, as I had received additional welcome points, which only occurs when you set up a new reservation. After seeing she had no reasonable explanation for the situation I ask to speak with the general manager. The general manager stated that she could not help me and if I did not like the policy I was free to contact IHG. I explained that I was a priority club spire elite member since 2000 with over 1 million rewards points and that if I contacted IHG there would be issues if I contacted IHG. At that point I asked for the owner information as I intended to contact him. Charlye stated that he does not need to be contacted, she handles idiots like me.

At that point I had to return to the i3 job site, I stormed out of the hotel indicting that I intended to call IHG and the owner and make sure they both understood what was going on at this location. Once on break I call IHG and had the client services agent contact the general manager of the hotel, while I was on the line. Charlye was rude to the agent on the phone and basically explained that I was just being difficult and they had no intention of cleaning the room or changing the bed. At that point I tracked down the owner and left a voice mail message with J&T Properties of New York.

After the conversation with the client service agent, on our lunch break, I went back to the hotel and checked out, as I was not going to get the room cleaned and the bed changed. I was asked if I had removed all items from the room and I stated that I needed to grab my stuff and they should just close out the account. Charlye Iverson was very combative at that point as she was visibly concerned that I had contacted the owner At that point I got my stuff out of the room picked up the bill and...

First and foremost, check-in process was way too slow, the couple before me took them more than 10 minutes at least. As for me, totally disappointed, I asked for high floor and away from elevator, then guess what, I was assigned a room on 2nd floor and right next to the elevator (it makes a loud noise every time guess press the button and arriving the designated floor). Beside, I can hear the walking sound from upstairs’ guests.

I brought this attention to Autumn (front desk staff); she said she is not authorized to switch me to a different room given the hotel is totally booked although she mentioned the fact her manager, Robert can do it.

When Robert showed up, he was giving me a very inconsistent message and terrible attitude by saying: all rooms are taken, and because I booked a king room and there is no other king room available to switch me; but, at the same time, he said if I’m willing to pay $15 more then he can give me a queen room which is on 4th floor and away from elevator. So, my question is what does he mean? Normally as a platinum member for more than 20 years any hotel will upgrade me right there.

Not until I called the customer relation hotline, a gentleman was nice enough to call Robert to reconcile the issue. Robert unwillingly after about an hour (after I have unpacked cause I didn’t know whether he would switch me or not) with an attitude assign me a different room. In addition, he was rushing me and said: you still want to switch room or not, if you do, hurry up.

Then WiFi on my cell phone stopped working after moving to the new room, I called Robert and of course he didn’t...

First off I am a SPIRE ELITE member and stay at multiple IHG hotels per month. No masks at all were being worn by the guests and guests kept going outside to smoke weed. There was a snowstorm at night and the plow didn't show up until 7 AM and got stuck in the snow at 730, and the driver didn't attempt to get it free until 1130 am when he just poured some salt near the tires and proceeded to leave the property and not return for 2 hours. I watched the entire situation unfold from my room. There were 2 snowblowers attempting to clear the entire lot of 3 hotels. Whomever owns the property was completely unprepared for its guests and the only person that I can compliment is John the manager at the Holiday Inn Express who was extremely professional and compassionate and ended up snowplowing my car out at 130 so I could get home to my family. I will NEVER stay at this Candlewood Suites again and am embarrassed by the lack of enforcement of masks and the unpreparedness for the snowstorm. I was told that the property managed snow removal on its own, so the snow plow driver should have been clearing snow all night long, not leave every single guest who parked in the parking lot to be covered by 3 feet of snow. I can't express how disgusted I am at the lack of leadership at this hotel. Whoever the owner/manager is should be reprimanded or even fired for their lack of planning...