Candlewood Suites Corpus Christi-Spid by IHG

We checked in Friday afternoon at Candlewood Suites. They charged about $450 plus a $75 incidental deposit, which I understood. Then on Saturday there was another $51 charge. Nobody we asked could explain it, and later the manager said it was an authorization that would be returned. On Sunday, they took another $150. The manager said their system was charging some guests multiple times, but still couldn’t give us a clear explanation. We moved our money out of the account because the charges kept appearing, and Monday morning there was another attempted $250 charge. We decided to leave early. The manager then said we had to pay another $350 or they’d call the police for “staying without paying,” even though we showed proof the hotel had already charged nearly $800. All we were told was, “It’s not showing on our end.” This was one of my worst hotel stays. The unexplained charges, no real answers, and management’s threats were unacceptable. I’d never stay here again. I’d give no stars if I could.

Randy was courteous when he came to collect towels, but that was the only positive part of my experience. The hotel is under renovation, yet the service from assistant manager Lisa was disappointing. I needed to check out at 1 pm instead of noon because of my daughter’s medical appointment. I left a message asking for a callback and got none, so I had to leave my meeting to make sure my belongings weren’t removed after checkout. When I spoke with Lisa, a maintenance worker joined the conversation. I asked him to step away, and she accused me of being chauvinist. I found that inappropriate and unprofessional. Lisa showed little empathy and raised her voice. I also reported a safety issue with a door handle that doesn’t fully engage, but she dismissed it. The hotel should provide a safe environment for guests. She also seemed unfamiliar with who owns the hotel when I asked. In my 35-plus years in hospitality, I’ve found the customer service here lacking. There were no do-not-disturb signs either. I’ve contacted Mosby Hospitality and Candlewood Suites corporate to share these concerns, and hope they’ll address them.

As a Platinum Elite member, I didn’t feel recognized at all. Staff denied my early check-in without checking availability, never acknowledged my status, and didn’t offer the required welcome amenity. The IHG app also failed at checkout, adding a technical hassle on the way out. The room had several problems. There was no phone to call the front desk or emergency services, no hand soap bottle or bathroom trash bin, and only one full roll plus part of another roll of toilet paper for the whole stay. There wasn’t a “Do Not Disturb” sign for the door either. I’d asked for a high floor but ended up on the second floor at the far end of the building. People stomping around above me made constant noise. This property isn’t being maintained to IHG standards and doesn’t value its elite members.

They ran out of room keys, so I would have had to depend on staff every time I needed to enter or leave the room. I was there on business and needed to move in and out quickly. When I tried to cancel, they still charged me for one night. A completely failed stay. Awful.