James Buchanan Hotel

The problems didn’t end when we left. I called Jeff Shepherd at home, and we had a cordial conversation. He offered to refund our stay, over $300, which I gratefully accepted. A week later there was still no refund. I texted him; he read it and didn’t reply. Another week passed, so I called and left a voicemail asking why he’d changed his mind. I then emailed the company that manages the James Buchanan - Capital Hotels. Still no response. The poor customer service is on top of a dirty hotel. I don’t mind old, historic places, but they shouldn’t be this dirty, and the HVAC should work. Do yourself a favor and stay at one of the other hotels down the street. We will. If you like living dangerously, I posted photos with my review on Yelp. Each room had a letter from Jefferey Shepherd, VP of Operations, urging guests to text or call with issues. I texted him during our stay and got no reply. We spent two nights there in December. Room 205 looked nice at first, but I found dust and hair behind the bathroom door. Then the HVAC wouldn’t work, so I went to the desk. The manager showed us a second room with the same problems, then a third with the same problems plus brown spots on the ceiling. We were given a fourth room, a suite on the third floor. It wasn’t updated like the first few, but the HVAC worked and it looked clean at first glance. By then it was 10 PM. I found a big clump of black hair in the shower drain and left it for morning. There were only a few inches on either side of the bed, so we had to shuffle into it. In the windy night, the windows rattled, and we could hear a surprising amount of Main Street traffic. In the morning I showed the front desk a photo of the shower and asked for housekeeping. The clerk said they don’t have housekeeping on weekends. What?! I’ve never stayed at a major hotel chain without daily housekeeping. An AI search of the hotel on Facebook mentions “daily housekeeping.” We avoided that shower and used a nearby relative’s place, which was super inconvenient. We also found a dirty chair in the living room, like someone had peed on it. That night we tried to watch TV, but none of the three remotes worked. At least we slept decently the second night. On Sunday morning we rang twice for the front desk clerk to check out, but he never came, so I left the keys on his chair and went. Skip the cold breakfast, which is all they offer, and walk up the block to One North for a hot meal and delicious gourmet coffee. We stayed in the suite after several room changes, but the fourth room at least had working HVAC.

It felt more like being in a lovely old home than a hotel, and I felt right at home. I had a great time here. The staff were attentive, responsive, and hospitable. It was a welcome change from the usual boutique hotel experience, with a nice mix of old and new.

We had a nice one-night stay and didn’t eat here. The staff were friendly, and the room and bed were clean and comfortable. The hotel has a pleasant older atmosphere.

We got married in the Biergarten on Saturday April 26th, and it was phenomenal! Every staff member was incredibly sweet and accommodating with whatever we needed for our special day. We also held the reception in their dining room, which was just right for 22 guests. The food was out of this world delicious. I’d recommend this place for any kind of event, especially a wedding. I’d give it more stars if I could!