Candlewood Suites West Memphis by IHG

Connie Phillips deserves special thanks for outstanding service, and the rest of the staff were excellent too. I stayed at the Avid/Candlewood Suites for the first time last night. It seems quite new, with spacious, comfortable rooms and very good lighting for reading or working. The room was quiet, and there’s a lobby kiosk for snacks and drinks. West Memphis is convenient, right by the freeway, with a Cracker Barrel just steps away. The food was good, though the choices were limited. I found the breakfast setup confusing: it’s in the lobby without a clearly marked area, and the plates and hot food are at the far end rather than near the entrance.

The breakfast spread was a highlight: eggs, bacon that was neither burnt nor soft but somewhere in between and very tasty, seasoned roasted potatoes, bagels, muffins, Greek yogurts, oranges, bananas, cold cereal, and more. There was also oatmeal with brown sugar, dried cranberries, and walnuts in lidded containers, plus apple and orange juice and a full coffee bar with creamers, sugar, and all the fixings. You can buy snacks and drinks at the mini store, though one soda cost me $3 for a bottle of Dr. Pepper. I found the place safe and well cared for. It’s beside the highway, Cracker Barrel, and LaQuinta. The clean parking lot has cameras and plenty of lights at night, and the street was clean too. The rooms matched the photos, smelled nice, and were clean, as was the lobby. It’s worth the price. The hotel is 9 minutes from the convention center and 22 minutes from Memphis Airport, across the beautiful Arkansas Bridge into Memphis. The staff were friendly. There was a down-to-earth man, who I think was the manager, greeting people and checking in with almost everyone at breakfast to see if they needed anything. He went out of his way to accommodate guests. That makes a difference. If you’re thinking about booking, this is your sign. Book here and stop stressing!

The free coffee available around the clock was a nice touch, and breakfast was a bonus with what you need to get the day going. I stayed four nights at the avid hotel. The rooms were big and clean, the bed was very comfortable, and the shower was nice. I’ll look at this hotel chain again.

Great staff, a good hotel, and a safe location. We chose it because the website listed an indoor pool, but it’s covered with one side left open. It was cold and windy while we were there, so my kids tried to swim but couldn’t handle the weather. That was our only complaint.