Candlewood Suites DFW Airport North - Irving by IHG

It was handy being near the airport, and the 4 a.m. shuttle driver was great. The night driver was a bit fast and interesting. I ended up here unexpectedly because of airline issues. There’s no breakfast, but I’d recommend it if you just need a quick place to stay with a shuttle.

The room was spacious and well equipped, with a stove and oven, much like the Sonesta. The DFW shuttle worked fine. There were a few issues that held the stay to four out of five, though. The refrigerator still had food from the previous guest, so the cleaning could have been better. The elevator was out at first but fixed within a few hours. Check-in was slow, with a long line and only one desk worker. We arrived around 2:30 p.m., but no one would check anybody in until exactly 3:00, and it would’ve helped if they could start the paperwork while we waited. I’d also accidentally booked the wrong date through Hotels.com after midnight, since it wouldn’t allow a same-day booking once the date changed. I called within a minute to add that night or get a refund and rebook elsewhere for two nights. They said it was non-refundable and wouldn’t help, which was disappointing and inflexible. Good room amenities, but those operational hiccups kept it from being a full five stars.

Guests smoke in their rooms, and without seals around the doors, cigarette smoke gets into the hallways and leaks into rooms on multiple floors. My young children and I breathed it all night. The front desk was unapologetic and did nothing about it, after terrible customer service from check-in through the incident. This privately owned hotel doesn’t meet IHG standards. Zero stars if I could. I won’t be back.

The free laundry and proximity to the airport were the only reasons I gave it any stars. The room was disgusting: crumbs in the furniture, grimy surfaces that looked untouched for months, a dried booger on the sheet, and a roach in the bathroom. The bed was hard as rocks. The TV picture kept jumping, so it was impossible to enjoy. When we asked to switch rooms, they said they’d contact us, but never did. We asked three times for fresh towels and were told to come get them because staff couldn’t leave the desk. When we went over, two people were there, and one seemed more interested in her phone than helping. Save yourself the headache and book somewhere else.