Staybridge Suites Wilmington - Brandywine Valley by IHG

The strongest part of our 29 day stay was the staff, and I'd happily stay here again. The TV was awkwardly placed for watching from either the bed or the couch. The stove top looked like it had been glued back together, very messily, and I cut my finger while wiping things down. The worst issue by far was the cat pee smell across the whole floor. It came from one room down the hall, where linens the cat had peed on were left outside the door. I told staff several times, and they already knew about it. They didn't offer to move us, but did give us a bottle of deodorizer. Despite that, it's a great place and the staff are great.

I hope this helps other wheelchair users decide whether this hotel will work for them. I stayed with my husband and booked an accessible room because I use a wheelchair full time. Some features were helpful: the bathroom had grab bars, doorways were wide enough, and I could roll up to the bathroom and kitchenette sinks. But the bed was too high for me to get into on my own. The bathroom hand soap was fixed to the wall out of reach from a wheelchair. Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap were mounted on the wall opposite the shower bench, also impossible for me to reach. Without my husband, I would have had to sleep on the couch. I contacted the front desk through the hotel's text system about these problems. Nobody answered until six hours after I checked out. If I'd known the accessible room would have these barriers, I wouldn't have booked, and I won't stay here again. The parking and exits raised another serious safety concern. There were only five accessible parking spaces. For the last two days, I had to park at the back and take up two spaces so I could get in and out of my vehicle in my wheelchair. From there, the only way I could enter the building was at the front. In the dark, I had to roll all the way around the parking lot and hope no one hit me. The only other ramp up to the sidewalk was blocked by a parking space. Other exits were said to be wheelchair accessible, but had steep slopes in front, and even getting out those doors meant going all around the building to get off the sidewalk. That's not accessible, it's a safety issue. Separately, the bathroom smelled like sewage from the pipes the whole stay. A guest smoked outside right in front of the entrance doors, and apparently the hotel has no policy against that, so they allowed it. I will never stay here again.

The room was clean enough, though some things looked dated and needed cosmetic repairs. I didn't ask about the thermostat until midweek because I thought it had been turned off, but once I mentioned it was broken, it was fixed right away. I didn't use housekeeping, so I can't comment on that. The welcome was a bright spot. The front desk man was personable and smiling, and went through the amenities with real enthusiasm. The staff here could teach others about customer service, especially Karon (sp?). She was warm and attentive when I asked about food. Breakfast and social hour options didn't suit my diet, but that's okay. There are plenty of places to eat nearby, and the coffee was fresh, hot, and good.

I've been here three times, each stay two weeks or longer. Breakfast is consistently good, and the Social Hour is even better.