Candlewood Suites Lake Charles South by IHG

The room was clean, the AC worked well, the bed was comfortable, and the location was good. But getting hot water was a struggle. On the first day I ran the shower for at least 15 minutes before it got warm enough, and the second day it never warmed up. The shower curtain was too short, so water got everywhere. The living room chair was broken, some lights didn’t work, and the TV volume would suddenly get really loud, then go straight back down.

We paid extra for a king bed but got a queen instead. When we asked to switch rooms, the front desk said there was nothing they could do. The hot water didn’t work, so my husband and I took cold showers. I called to ask what was going on, and they guessed lots of guests had used up the hot water, then said they’d submit a maintenance ticket. It’s a hotel, so there should be hot water for guests. Maintenance wouldn’t come until morning, and we were there for only one night. We tried again to switch rooms and got no help. On top of that, we were charged almost $100 more than we should have been, with no explanation. It was a terrible stay. The room was clean, which is the only reason I’m giving two stars instead of one. Do not stay here.

We paid up front for one night and had a noon checkout, but housekeeping bothered us several times well before then, and the front desk called before checkout to ask if we were leaving. If we’d overstayed, they could have charged our card. We left before the deadline and returned the key cards, yet they charged us twice. Now my wife’s phone has been blocked after she asked them to refund the incorrect charge, which still hasn’t been refunded. We rented a suite. The shower water had to run for 30 minutes to get warmer than tepid, and never got hot enough for me to shave. It leaked all over the floor, so we used our towels to hold back the water, and the bathroom vent didn’t work. We also found someone else’s clothing and handed it in at the front desk. The afternoon staff were courteous; the late-night staff weren’t helpful.

The road noise was awful, like trying to sleep on the freeway, since the hotel sits right beside it. Our room’s fridge motor was going out and made intermittent, very loud sounds. We eventually had to pull it away from the wall and unplug it for some quiet. It clearly hadn’t been cleaned underneath. When we called down for another room, the hotel was full, so we couldn’t move. Parking was limited, and we had to leave the car far away, under a road. We stayed one night this past weekend. The room wasn’t clean, the sheets and comforter were stained, and there was debris in the tub. I was very surprised and disappointed. Stay somewhere else, this one’s a no.