Crowne Plaza SHENANDOAH - WOODLANDS AREA by IHG

We had a great stay and will be back! At the hotel restaurant's happy hour, April took lovely care of us. Mrs Avis, the “Queen of New Orleans,” was so much fun to chat with and welcomed us with wonderful Southern hospitality.

The room itself had several problems: the pillows were far too soft, the AC smelled damp, the carpet was filthy and looked unvacuumed, and there was no hot water at the bathroom sink the next morning. When we came back that evening, the room hadn't been cleaned, and the wet towels were still there. We hadn't used either of the two door signs, Do Not Disturb or No Service Needed. At the desk, a staff member told us housekeeping only cleans if asked, and that asking more than once costs extra. We had never been told about this policy, and there was no sign explaining it. When I brought the wet towels down for replacements, she said I couldn't leave them there. I didn't want to put them on the floor, but she laughed and said it was 11 p.m., she was tired, and couldn't do anything. She told me to speak to the person who handled our check-in the next morning. That was after a difficult first evening at Crowne Plaza Shenandoah in The Woodlands. We arrived tired in the afternoon and saw a room sign advertising “Crowne Plaza In Room Dining, Dinner, Bar and Small Bites, Happy Hour 4 to 6 p.m.” The room phone didn't work, so I went to the restaurant. They said the QR menu in the rooms was outdated and gave me a different one. After I ordered, they told me room service wasn't available and we had to eat downstairs. I showed them the Crowne Plaza sign from our room, but they ignored it. At the front desk, I was told the restaurant was an independent service and there was nothing they could do. I said the room ad should name the restaurant instead of the hotel if that was the case. It was misleading, and we ended up leaving the hotel to find somewhere proper to eat. There was never a manager available when we needed one, just desk staff who wouldn't take responsibility. Back in the room, frustrated and exhausted, I opened the nightstand drawer and a cockroach came out. The phone still didn't work, so I couldn't call anyone. We decided to move hotels, but it was past midnight, so we waited until morning to check out. All we got at checkout was a simple apology, with no effort to address the problems or offer compensation. The front desk response had already felt unprofessional and mocking. We won't return, and I can't recommend the hotel. It lacked basic customer service, maintenance, and hygiene.

Monique at the front desk really saved my weekend. I was there with a big group for a wedding, and the staff were already busy. When something went wrong with my room late at night, she stayed calm, understood the situation, and sorted out each issue quickly. She clearly cares about people. I travel a lot and haven't met many front desk staff this good at their job. Give her a raise! :)

We came to town on short notice for a client trip and needed rooms for one night plus a couple of hours of meeting space the next morning. There weren't any meeting rooms available, but the team understood our dilemma and made it all work smoothly. The catering manager, Hugo at the front desk, and Josh, who served us during the meeting, all helped things go off without a hitch. It was even smoother than some meetings we've booked well in advance. Big thanks to everyone for making the coordination low stress. We'll stay here next time we're back in Houston.