Staybridge Suites McAllen by IHG

The smell was awful, and the place was really messy. I’d paid extra for a king suite through a third party the property works with, but they gave me a double bed room instead. I showed my receipt, and they said I’d have to pay even more to get the king room I’d already reserved and paid extra for. They had a king available but refused, saying the third party messes up all the time and they have to pay for it. That’s not the customer’s fault. I filed a fraud complaint with Staybridge and booked at the much nicer, cleaner Courtyard Marriott next door. I paid less there for a double queen room. Staybridge didn’t care about its customers and tried to take advantage of me when I was in a bind.

The room was clean and service was quick. I liked being able to set different TV languages, with English on one TV and Spanish on the other while both played the same channel. The elevator made odd noises, though maybe I was overthinking it. There were boxes by one elevator, but at least they weren’t in the way. They gave me just three towels at first, so I had to ask for another. Breakfast was a bit bland, and with the number of guests they should have more than one waffle iron.

The larger room in our two-room suite had a queen bed, though I’d expected a king. Apart from that, the stay was excellent. The staff were very friendly when I booked by phone, and check-in went smoothly with no problems. Checkout was convenient too, with extra time to rest and get ready before leaving.

There was a serious cockroach infestation in my room, which made for a very disappointing stay. When I told the front desk, they seemed unconcerned and offered no real help. They moved me to another room, but didn’t help transfer my belongings or offer any courtesy or compensation. The issue was handled badly, and I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.