Garner Hotel Aiken South by IHG

The 24-hour coffee machine was the one real plus. I stayed Friday through Tuesday, and it didn't seem like the sheets were changed, just folded and put back. The bathroom didn't seem to get properly cleaned either. There wasn't major damage or dirt on the walls or windows, but the place needs more care. I wish it were cleaner overall. Two stars.

This was the worst hotel stay we've ever had, and as IHG Members we shouldn't have been treated this way. We arrived around 0230 and provided paperwork for our service animal, verified on 11/22, along with my boyfriend's Veteran identification. The next morning, hospitality woke us around 0900 when we weren't ready for service. Later, once we'd left the room, no one came to clean it, so we returned that evening to an unserviced room. On day three I called the front desk to request service. Nobody came until after noon, and it wasn't clear whether there was a schedule. They picked up the room, but didn't fix the shower caddy that had come off the wall, and after our third night we got no fresh sheets. Staff just made the bed, and we had to remake it ourselves after asking for clean sheets. On the third night, Cindy, a front desk hostess who said she was a manager, followed us after seeing our animal. She said there was no service animal note in the system and falsely claimed she'd checked us in. We showed our paperwork again, and when we said we were Veterans, she told us, “It does not matter.” The service was very poor, and we felt targeted by staff. I hope no other guests have to go through this.

We had a very pleasant stay. The beds were comfortable, the accommodations were great, and the staff were helpful, pleasant, and insightful. The location was convenient, right among the shops and restaurants. After reading recent reviews, I noticed the same one under two names, apparently from someone upset about a pet being treated differently from a service animal. Another reviewer seemed disgruntled over not getting a refund. I'm glad I checked the place out for myself, and I'd say give it a try.

The service was five-star, but the room and breakfast were a letdown. We got a second room after finding several stains on the bed in the first. The next one had the same problem, plus marks all over the walls and roller blinds that were stuck so badly we had to tug them down with both hands. It didn’t feel like either room had been cleaned before we arrived. We were too tired to ask for another room for just one night. Breakfast was limited. The cinnamon swirl bread was stale, the muffin tasted as if it had been made with spoiled milk, and we couldn’t work out its flavor. The juice machines were nearly empty and gave us watered-down juice. The cinnamon rolls were the one decent thing.