Candlewood Suites Wake Forest Raleigh Area by IHG — Hotel in Wake Forest

This was the absolute worst experience ever! TBH it started out very well! but took a turn for the worst on my last night and morning of my checkout which happened to also be my birthday! Each day the coffee area was not stocked. Front desk passed the blame on housekeeping saying it was their duties, not offering the missing items that I needed. There were 2 staff FD agents behind the desk! I had to ask multiple times for a lid and sugar for my coffee and she said she didn't know where it was. I asked how long have you worked here she said since 2021. I said it's okay to help housekeeping, team work makes the dream work! SHe took her time find thing led and sugars! The entire staff needs training on customer service as well as the GM! As a stayover guest with a 2nd reservation for the next day, I tried to handle my new check-in that morning, but the staff working that morning was unable to handle my new check-in to the point I could not wait any longer. It should not have taken that long to handle something so simple. She said she at least got the card authorized and room assigned to my reservation but I am not sure why she didnt check me in and rescan my key. ( didnt make any sense) This was a setup for disaster upon my return after midnight. why because my key didnt work, had to ring the front desk at the phone in the enclosed foyer. I told the agent I am a stayover and my key doesnt work. He asks so you have a reservation for tonight, I said yes I am here. He comes to the door allows it to open. As I walk in to head to the desk he stands in front of me to stop me from walking any further! He asked can I help you!?! I said yes I am a guest here and I just need my key to my room activated. He asks me again, so you have a reservation! I am now frustrated, because it made me feel like I was an intruder, as if I was a random person off the street. I asked him sir do you not remember me? Ive been with all for the last 2 nights and you have spoken to me on multiple occasions in passing. He said no I dont remember you. I said okay well i am staying over I my card is already charged, all i need is a key to my room everything should already be taken care of from this morning. He then goes behind the desk and start looking! Im not sure what happened that morning but he could not find me because the a.m agent assigned my new reservation to the wrong room and it created a big mess as if I was lying about who I was. (I believe). I had to tell him my belongings are in my room so I hope nothing was moved or touched. he said idk about that. so he switches the assigned room back(unless he did this in mallace and fabricated the entire assigned room issue im not sure) but either way he said he found it and switched it back to my orig room and then hand my all the paper work to fill out. I initial and sign all important info leaving off my email, phone # (saying at this point you may not even want my email etc. He said i can't give you a key unless you fill it out in entirety, I said you already have all that info there from my previous reg card where i did fill everything out. Its late I am really tired and really didn't expect to deal with that after 12a in the morning! This shouldn't be this hard! He goes flipping through the binder saying no we dont have it! I said you have to, I filled it out when I first checked in. Finally sees my previous one and say okay yeah I see it. Okay perfect! Im thinking he is handing me the key now and say oh no i have to rescan it, he does, but say it didnt work and then throws it in my direction onto the counter! Too close in my opinion! LOOK AT YOUR CAMERA! Then finally makes a key that works and very condescending tone says " now have a good night!" After going up to my room, I here something walk by my door within min of me going in. This night auditor walk my hall twice immediately after i am in my room. but why? I just knew I was going to contact the manager to discuss with them about my concerns as there were so many better ways to deal with this. So the next morning after checking out, I get a call from the GM. mind you its my birthday. I am thinking the GM is providing a service call to see what my concerns were, but he did not he. He treated me as if i were the problem, without asking what my concerns were and called me delusional, and texted my personal phone with nonsense! I was blown away by this treatment and lack of respect for a person let alone a guest if your establishment! Obviously after seeing some reviews here i am not the only one that feels this way. again 2 staff members should be the managers and that is Tori and Yolanda! Very nice and professional! Everyone else needs needs to go back to training! BUT most of all treat people with respect and dignity! I have high expectations everywhere I go, and this property did not meet it by a long shot ruined all in just 24 hours! Had I not stayed my last night, this property would of had a 10 from me, but problem handling is not skill set of this...

This was the absolute worst experience ever! TBH it started out very well! but took a turn for the worst on my last night and morning of my checkout which happened to also be my birthday! Each day the coffee area was not stocked. Front desk passed the blame on housekeeping saying it was their duties, not offering the missing items that I needed. There were 2 staff FD agents behind the desk! I had to ask multiple times for a lid and sugar for my coffee and she said she didn't know where it was. I asked how long have you worked here she said since 2021. I said it's okay to help housekeeping, team work makes the dream work! SHe took her time find thing led and sugars! The entire staff needs training on customer service as well as the GM! As a stayover guest with a 2nd reservation for the next day, I tried to handle my new check-in that morning, but the staff working that morning was unable to handle my new check-in to the point I could not wait any longer. It should not have taken that long to handle something so simple. She said she at least got the card authorized and room assigned to my reservation but I am not sure why she didnt check me in and rescan my key. ( didnt make any sense) This was a setup for disaster upon my return after midnight. why because my key didnt work, had to ring the front desk at the phone in the enclosed foyer. I told the agent I am a stayover and my key doesnt work. He asks so you have a reservation for tonight, I said yes I am here. He comes to the door allows it to open. As I walk in to head to the desk he stands in front of me to stop me from walking any further! He asked can I help you!?! I said yes I am a guest here and I just need my key to my room activated. He asks me again, so you have a reservation! I am now frustrated, because it made me feel like I was an intruder, as if I was a random person off the street. I asked him sir do you not remember me? Ive been with all for the last 2 nights and you have spoken to me on multiple occasions in passing. He said no I dont remember you. I said okay well i am staying over I my card is already charged, all i need is a key to my room everything should already be taken care of from this morning. He then goes behind the desk and start looking! Im not sure what happened that morning but he could not find me because the a.m agent assigned my new reservation to the wrong room and it created a big mess as if I was lying about who I was. (I believe). I had to tell him my belongings are in my room so I hope nothing was moved or touched. he said idk about that. so he switches the assigned room back(unless he did this in mallace and fabricated the entire assigned room issue im not sure) but either way he said he found it and switched it back to my orig room and then hand my all the paper work to fill out. I initial and sign all important info leaving off my email, phone # (saying at this point you may not even want my email etc. He said i can't give you a key unless you fill it out in entirety, I said you already have all that info there from my previous reg card where i did fill everything out. Its late I am really tired and really didn't expect to deal with that after 12a in the morning! This shouldn't be this hard! He goes flipping through the binder saying no we dont have it! I said you have to, I filled it out when I first checked in. Finally sees my previous one and say okay yeah I see it. Okay perfect! Im thinking he is handing me the key now and say oh no i have to rescan it, he does, but say it didnt work and then throws it in my direction onto the counter! Too close in my opinion! LOOK AT YOUR CAMERA! Then finally makes a key that works and very condescending tone says " now have a good night!" After going up to my room, I here something walk by my door within min of me going in. This night auditor walk my hall twice immediately after i am in my room. but why? I just knew I was going to contact the manager to discuss with them about my concerns as there were so many better ways to deal with this. So the next morning after checking out, I get a call from the GM. mind you its my birthday. I am thinking the GM is providing a service call to see what my concerns were, but he did not he. He treated me as if i were the problem, without asking what my concerns were and called me delusional, and texted my personal phone with nonsense! I was blown away by this treatment and lack of respect for a person let alone a guest if your establishment! Obviously after seeing some reviews here i am not the only one that feels this way. again 2 staff members should be the managers and that is Tori and Yolanda! Very nice and professional! Everyone else needs needs to go back to training! BUT most of all treat people with respect and dignity! I have high expectations everywhere I go, and this property did not meet it by a long shot ruined all in just 24 hours! Had I not stayed my last night, this property would of had a 10 from me, but problem handling is not skill set of this...

I checked in to visit the Southeastern Baptist Seminary, as I will be attending school there for the next few years. I hoped to negotiate a less expensive rate, because I would like to have stayed there every time I come to town.

Don't let the"Good" and "Average" marks fool you. I'm a leadership-development and organizational quality management professional. I had no specific complaints, per se, but I tend to grade hard where I see potential GREATNESS contrasted by the employees' apparent contentment with AVERAGE. Nothing bad comes to mind about the place, but nothing knocked my socks off---and there were plenty of opportunities for "sock-knocking"

The Good: Clean, comfortable, courteous place. Fast efficient check in and check out. No issues. Good room, plenty of hot water in a well serviced, well equipped suite. Very comfortable mattress. I slept very well. A good value for the money, especially in that market.

The Bad: None. I was scouting hotels for a long-term two year committment that would have resulted in my staying there befween 40-50 days per year for the next two to three years. I could not get a price negotiated that I was satisfied with--but again, in fairness, for the common occasional traveler--this place is a good deal in this market.

What would they have to do to get me to grade them "excellent"?

More ownership of the property by employees:

I had a little trouble knowing how to shop for food, since I didn't know what the cooking capabilies were in the room--I wanted to bake a pizza. The desk staff didn't know if I could, and a member of management gave me an answer--but was wrong. Just by reading the in-room hospitality guide, I discovered that ovens, (while not standard equipment in every room) were indeed available upon request.

Every person on the staff--from management to housekeeping should have known this, but no one did.

Offer more information on the property and how to use the ammenities.

I discovered the fitness center on my own, and didn't bother buying food for breakfast becasue I believed breakfast would be available--as it is in many extended stay types of places.

Ironically, the only information offered to me without asking was the Wi-Fi access code...I didn't even have a computer with me.

The staff gave me the impression that they were taught and encouraged to operate in a loop of proceedures...while that's a good training tool to make sure the essentials get handled, the staff didn't personally engage me, find out what my needs were, why I traveled, or how they could help me...The staff was very professional, experienced, and intelligent and were up to the task, yet, I get the idea that they were doing what they had been taught or told to do...and very little else....it's a shame beacuse I saw so much untapped potential and so much professionalism just dying to get out of them. I would come back to this hotel just to see them again.

More attention to your own loyalty program (Priority Club).

I am a priority club member--and stay at Priority club properties and Hilton Honors properties almost exclusively (unless I have no other choice). I was not asked about my Priority Club membership---and in the distraction of seeing so much unrealized potential, I forgot to bring it up...This stay was not recorded on my credits and at this point, I just don't want to fight the apparent lack of interest to make sure my single night's stay is awarded...