Crowne Plaza Syracuse

Getting my refund turned into a drawn-out fight with the hotel. I contacted the BBB and finally got my money back. This whole visit was a disaster, and I wouldn’t stay here or at another Crowne Plaza again. We’ve always stayed with IHG, but after this I’m questioning why we spend so much with them. The room was dirty when we arrived: used hand towels, a grimy sink, and a shower with old soap scum. We were there for about 15 minutes before leaving with our friend, who had a room too. We came back around 8:30 or 9 p.m. and saw several fire trucks. We’d stopped at the bar for a drink before going upstairs, but were told there was a fire on the 20th floor and to get out. Staff gave us little information. We stood in the cold for 30 to 45 minutes, while staff looked at us without saying anything, until we wandered over to a doorway and hallway in the adjoining conference center where others were gathering. We sat on the floor for nearly two hours without updates. People were falling asleep, there weren’t enough seats, and no one offered anything. Eventually we were curtly told we could move to another hotel. We had to leave without our belongings, with no estimate of when we could retrieve them. We had no clothes, medication, toothbrushes, phone charger, or anything else. Staff said guests would be contacted, but we never got a call or other notification, and no one offered to reach out until we asked. We had to track down our things ourselves. When we finally went to get them, we mentioned our knee problems and got no help, only “elevators are out.” We climbed 13 flights with puddles on the stairs and no caution signs. We understand fires happen, and the fire itself may not have been the hotel’s fault, though articles seemed to suggest it started in an upstairs banquet area. The dirty room and the poor communication, along with the disregard for our time, belongings, and comfort, were the real problem.

The building is badly run down, and the staff I dealt with were unprofessional. I emailed the General Manager, Ms. Godlewski, but never heard back. I also spoke with the Operations Manager, Ms. Chavez, about what happened, especially my food. She said, without sympathy, that the hotel wasn’t responsible for food consumption. I explained that a housekeeper had put garbage in the bags with my groceries, making the food unsafe. She insisted it was fine to eat, then told me to step away. I never got any follow-up. The next day, a man who was likely an employee came into my room without knocking and said he didn’t know anyone was there. I checked in on Wednesday and had to change rooms three times. The first had peeling wallpaper and mold. The second had no heat and dirt on the windowsill, and the third heater didn’t work either. By Friday, the room still hadn’t been cleaned, so I asked for housekeeping. I asked the front desk again Saturday and was told it would be done Sunday. That morning, a housekeeper in the next room said my room wasn’t on her list but that she’d clean it. When I came back in the afternoon, mine had been skipped. The desk then said it would take about an hour. I waited, went back, and saw the housekeeper leaving with two supermarket tote bags for the garbage. Inside were a used toilet paper roll and other rubbish on top of my groceries. My desk, bathroom, and carpet hadn’t been cleaned either. The toilet seat was broken, and metal pieces stuck out of the bed.

The service was consistently good. Everyone I dealt with was prompt and courteous, and the bed was clean and comfortable. But I wouldn’t spend my money here again. After taxes the room was over $200, with no breakfast included, an over-$18 drink at the bar, a closed restaurant, and no pool. The place also felt a bit run down, so the price didn’t match the quality. Parking in the garage cost extra and felt pretty much necessary. At least three homeless people approached us asking for cigarettes or money. The hotel locks its doors at night and you have to ring to get in. The garage itself is open, and people walk through the hotel driveway to reach it, so I hoped the cars would be secure. We had no break-ins or other car trouble during our stay. My adult son did trip on bricks sticking up in the driveway. There are several spots where they stick up enough to catch your toes.

The staff were pleasant, and housekeeping brought extra towels or other items quickly when we asked. The lobby looked great, and the hotel has an unusual design. Our room seemed nice at first, but the curtains were coming off and the ceiling showed water damage. There was a lot of water around the window, and the toilet ran all night. Sitting on it even got our clothes wet, which was gross. There’s no pool, just a gym.