Candlewood Suites Detroit Sterling Heights by IHG

The night manager deserves credit for how he handled the fire and helped MTFD. I was staying for work early on 1/26/26 when someone on the second floor started a room fire at 4AM. The whole building was evacuated, and we waited outside in the cold until about 7AM before we could get our things. The fire wasn't the hotel's fault, but it made for a miserable night and a difficult full workday afterward. We weren't compensated for the disruption, though I expected a hospitality company to recognize the inconvenience and comp the night. At the end of the week, I asked the desk clerk for a printed receipt. She said it would be emailed, then went right back to her screen and seemed unwilling to answer anything else. A week later it still hadn't arrived, so I'll have to call for the receipt I need for work expenses. There isn't breakfast here, just a 10% discount at the hot dog shop out front, which isn't what I want in the morning. I picked up sandwiches from a nearby Meijer instead. The gym was small, had no active circulation, and only one mirror in front of the treadmill. The manager's response is the only reason I gave two stars. Otherwise it would have been one, and I wouldn't stay here again.

The room was clean and quiet, and the guy who checked me in was polite. But the shower pressure was so weak that washing shampoo out of my hair was difficult, and it was just as bad in the second room. At midnight on my first night, rain brought water through the roof into my top-floor room. I called the desk and was told to pack up, come downstairs, and get a key for another room. I dragged everything down in my pajamas, only to wait in the lobby while the attendant figured out how to change my room. She first offered another room on the top floor, which I turned down because the roof was leaking. I ended up on a different floor in a handicap room I didn't need. That part wasn't a big deal by itself, but while I stood there with all my things, she was checking in a new guest. I felt an existing guest being moved should have been the priority, and the new key should have been ready. It would have been much easier if someone had brought the replacement key to my door. The leak was frustrating, but what bothered me more was how I was dealt with once it happened.

We found the room spacious, comfortable, and very clean on our first stay at a Candlewood Suites. The kitchen came stocked with dishes, cookware, utensils, dish soap, and paper towels, along with a stovetop, dishwasher, large microwave, and full-size fridge with freezer. There are four washers and four dryers on the first floor, and laundry is free if you bring your own soap. There's no breakfast, though coffee in the lobby is free. Parking was plentiful, and there was green grass for walking a dog. The front desk staff were helpful and very nice. I'm adding Candlewood Suites to my regular hotel choices and hope the others are as nice. Highly recommend.

We had a great two-night stay. The room was spacious and clean, and being pet friendly mattered most to us. I brought my two cats and my baby, and it worked out perfectly. The cats loved it. There was a microwave, dishwasher, and dishes and plates in the room. The hotel and pool were clean, and the free laundry was a nice bonus. We'll stay here again when we come home for Christmas.