Candlewood Suites St. Joseph/Benton Harbor by IHG

Reviews

• BB

  Bridger Bellon

  Aug 26, 2026
  3.0
  First, the good: - Very comfortable bed - Bathroom towels were soft and fluffy - Shower was nice and bath faucets had plenty of pressure - A/C was reasonably quiet - Nice space in the studio-style room Then the bad: - Staff (front desk) need better training and management. Also more help might be needed, if they're short-staffed. When I arrived, at about 9:00 PM, no one was manning the desk. Ok, understandable. They had a note saying to use the phone to contact someone. Did so, and receptionist answered and was apparently close to being back at the desk. As she came in, she mumbled a slight apology and immediately started griping about how she was outside cleaning dog poop off the sidewalk. No greeting, no "How are you doing?", just immediately starts complaining. Now, I was very happy that she took the initiative to clean up the mess (people, seriously? clean up after your dog yourself), so good on her for that, but overall, not the best first impression for a new guest just coming in after a long day. - The TV was terrible. Little tiny thing - pretty far from the bed. Probably about 32 in, or so. Older Samsung flat screen, with a bad picture. But worst of all - it took 2 remotes to operate it, and neither one functioned very well at all. It took a very long time to even get to the satellite channels to show up. -Thin walls are not very insulated, so some noise from other guests was almost constant in the room. - Overall lack of maintenance and shabbiness. The room itself was clean, and not too terrible. Especially the bathroom, which was likely renovated not too far in the past. But other areas in the room, and especially in the hallways and lobby, were showing signs of neglect and lack of upkeep. Lots of flaking paint, dents and dings on everything, stains and damage on flooring, things like that. - No laundry bag in the closet - In the bathroom, there was a soap dispenser near the sink, but in a very weird and inconvenient location. It wasn't actually right next to the sink, but instead about 4 feet away across the countertop. So, you're pumping out soap into your hands, and might be having some spill-over, all over your personal travel items that are arranged on the countertop.
• MC

  Madyson Crane

  Aug 24, 2026
  1.0
  We found hair in our bathroom, the room smelled very funky, there was a lot of yelling when we arrived and the elevators didn’t work. I asked if I could speak to a manager because I was upset that I paid $200 for one night and found an unclean room. I waited for a while to post this review as well, hoping that it would take just a second for anyone to get back to me. I followed up three times providing contact information. I also am a rewards member so I attempted to contact them through that as well. I heard nothing and was continuously told the manager was going to be getting contact with me. That never happened. Needless to say, I will not be coming back and I will be recommending anyone who asks me to never to stay here. Honestly, the campgrounds are cleaner than this place!
• SE

  Sad Experience

  Jul 23, 2026
  1.0
  My wife and I stayed at Candlewood Suites St. Joseph/Benton Harbor under the IHG chain of hotels and resorts on July 4, 2026, after traveling to the area to help our elderly parents during the widespread power outage. When I entered Suite 207, I found a used condom in the bathroom wastebasket and immediately reported it to the front desk. The desk attendant instructed me to dispose of it myself. After returning to the suite, I documented additional issues, including visible mold in the shower, rust on the bathroom light fixture, a water-stained shower ceiling, a broken bathroom light, and an inoperative thermostat. The suite was also missing toilet paper, which we had to obtain from the front desk. Throughout the night, the malfunctioning air conditioning unit continued to blow cold air because neither the thermostat nor the unit's controls worked properly. After our stay, I submitted a formal written complaint with photographs to hotel management. In its written response, the IHG Regional Director of Sales and Revenue acknowledged that the suite did not meet its cleanliness and maintenance standards, identified multiple maintenance deficiencies, and stated that corrective actions had been taken, but ignored my request for a full refund in his reply to my complaint letter. I did not hear from the Franchise Owner at all on this matter. A few days later, I called the Regional Sales and Revenue Director to ask why he didn’t address my letter requesting a full refund of $334.88. I was told he would need to contact the franchise partners and would get back to me that afternoon. Three days later, I sent a status email inquiring about the refund. I have not heard back from him. I subsequently filed a complaint online with their Guest Relations Office at Headquarters. To make things right with me as a valued member, I was offered only 30,000 IHG points (which may be equivalent to 1 free night at a standard Holiday Inn during off-peak times). I was informed that they are unable to offer refunds for franchise establishments. Based on our experience and the hotel's acknowledgment that the suite failed to meet its standards, we cannot recommend staying at this hotel. I would rate our stay 1 out of 5 stars, consistent with the well-documented experience and the hotel’s acknowledgment that the suite fell below its standards. -George
• RB

  Regina Baker

  Jul 12, 2026
  4.0
  The suite we had was good. Rooms could use an upgrade. No breakfast.
• EW

  E M Whalen

  Jun 22, 2026
  2.0
  The actual hotel is fine. Don't expect a lot as it's the most economical kitchenette, but it's not bad at all. The reason I rate them like I do is because I've stayed twice... well, once, actually. I used my company card to book and then at checkin. I was told it was "blocked", so I needed to give another card. Ok, I guess. Then at checkout, I found both had been charged. Hm, so much for being blocked, I guess. It took over two weeks to get sorted out. After staying at a different hotel my next trip, I decided to give them another try. My work had switched cards, so maybe this wouldn't be an issue this time. Go figure, my card was "blocked" again and I was asked for a second card. Yeah, fool me once... so I left. And go figure, when I checked my account that night, there's a charge on the "blocked" card. Maybe just use a third party to book with them and you'll get a cheap stay without the payment shenanigans.

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