Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Detroit Southfield

The front desk handled a bad surprise really well. We liked our first room, then spotted a baby roach. After we killed it and had dinner, a full-grown one showed up. The clerk listened without making excuses and promptly offered to move us to a different building. He also said he’d mark the room unfit and make sure it was sprayed. If he’d handled it any less well, we would have left. The rooms are gorgeous and very clean, and security is taken seriously. We’ll definitely stay again.

Our January work trip went well. The room was clean, nice, and pretty huge, with a kitchen, though there were only three of us for two days and we didn’t use the hotel much. Guest services was only available around 1 a.m.; at first we dealt with the security guard, who I think is on-site all day. Based on that stay, I’d come back.

Good value, with lots of room, a kitchen, nice bedding, and pretty good pillows. The mattress looked new but felt a bit stiff. Breakfast, a gym, and a pool for warm weather are available. Renovations are underway, though the exterior still needs work.

The security team made me feel safe, and I understand why there’s a parking fee after 7 p.m. if it helps reduce partying. At the same time, I get why the charge feels unfair to guests without an agenda who just want a home-away-from-home feel. The hotel has real potential, but needs a few changes. Our stay was good thanks to the customer service. The front desk man working 9/17-9/21 was especially helpful and understanding. My sister got sick while we were visiting from Texas, and she’s disabled. He let relatives and friends drop off food without hassle, which made it easier for me to care for her without extra stress. Credit to him and the security staff. Some updates would help: new dark-colored furniture to hide stains, and hardwood floors instead of carpet, which felt very dirty and would be easier to keep clean. There were lots of gnats in our room, so I’d pour bleach down the kitchen sink after each checkout. The ground-floor room also had spiderwebs and spiders. I killed a huge one in the bathroom, and I’m terrified of bugs, especially spiders.