Candlewood Suites Columbia East by IHG

A nice touch is the shared locker of things you can borrow, from blenders and bottle openers to books, games, and other kitchen equipment. There’s free coffee in the market, too. My room was large, with dishes in the kitchen and extra pillows already there. The bed and pillows were comfortable.

The room was clean and comfortable enough, so it did the job. Service, though, didn’t meet the standard I usually expect from IHG. It wasn’t terrible, just an average stay and not one of their best.

There were bed bugs in the first room as soon as we checked in. In the photo, the smaller bugs are the bed bugs if you zoom in, not the bigger beetle or bug. At 1 a.m. we were moved to another room, but it clearly smelled like someone had smoked in it before, wasn’t clean, and had bed bugs too. We were too exhausted to try a different hotel. The woman at check-in seemed unfazed, as if this happened all the time. Stay away!

We got in during the early evening after a long day driving. The desk staff were friendly and helpful, but the room smelled overwhelmingly of urine when we arrived. I understand it was a pet room, but rooms should be inspected more carefully before guests get there.