Candlewood Suites Dothan by IHG

We were charged $175, though no one was there to check us in for over 30 minutes. We arrived Saturday at 11:20pm to a sign saying staff were “assisting” another guest. After 20 minutes with nobody there, I knocked on all the employee-only doors and called down the halls, but got no response. The restrooms were empty. My partner drove around looking for staff. We saw a black car parked at the side of the driveway, but the person didn’t seem to work there and offered no help as we came in with bags and then left with them. I called the main number several times and texted the sales director twice, ten minutes apart. I didn’t expect an answer so late, but it was very disappointing. I wondered if staff were asleep, using a room, or had quit. Thirty-six minutes after we arrived, they finally answered the phone, but by then we were at another hotel. We called the next morning at 9am for help. Makayla answered. My partner explained we’d made a reservation the night before and couldn’t find anyone to check us in for more than 30 minutes. She said they were assisting another guest and we’d just have to wait. He calmly asked whether it really took that long and said he’d been ready to sleep, didn’t know if anyone was working, and thought we shouldn’t be charged. She replied, “Well, You have a nice day,” and hung up without trying to help. I better not get charged.

We’re grateful to every person at Candlewood Suites who helped us through a family death and made a hard time more bearable. After another hotel chain gave us a horrible two-night stay while we were in town for the loss, we switched hotels after night two, and we’re so glad we did. We planned to stay briefly, but unforeseen circumstances kept us there twice as long. The staff arranged enough extra time so we’d have a place to sleep. Everyone we dealt with, from the front desk, sales, managers, and housekeeping, was sincere and caring. It was quiet, the room was very clean, and we had everything we needed. We mostly slept, showered, and did laundry, but this was hands down the best stay during such a difficult period. We’ll definitely stay here again when we return to the area. Thank you all for looking out for us. After such a rough start to our trip before we arrived at your property, your kindness and comfortable stay meant a lot. You showed us what a long-term hotel should be. Keep up the amazing work. 👏

The staff were kind and said they were sorry, though they didn’t do much to help. I don’t plan to stay here again when we’re in Dothan. We first found black hair all over the toilet bowl. Someone came up right away after we called and cleaned the bathroom. There was also old food on the appliance handles and kitchen floor, which we cleaned ourselves since we didn’t want to complain. The next morning, the supposedly fresh folded bath towel had more black hair on it. The desk said all the other towels were in the wash and suggested I come back later. My husband found a service cart with clean towels so we could get ready.

The room was spacious and nice, but we won’t stay here again. After driving more than six hours because of a family emergency, we checked in and slept for a couple of hours before a dog in the next room woke us. The walls were so thin it sounded as if the dog were in our room. Housekeeping said it wasn’t even registered, and it barked on and off all day, so we got no rest. We asked the front desk to move us, but the hotel was booked. We also requested a refund. The desk said they’d contact the manager, who wasn’t there to hear about our situation, but then told us they couldn’t refund us or offer another accommodation. We had to lose the money and go without sleep. Even a discount for the bags under our eyes would have been nice.