Crowne Plaza Albany - the Desmond Hotel by IHG

Reviews

• NJ

  Nathan Johnson

  Jul 16, 2026
  2.0
  Location: no issues, close to where I wanted to be. Service: prompt and direct, housekeeping was delightful. Rooms: Mostly convenient, standard hotel stuff. Problems: The doors had visible cracks of light around them from how bad they were fit, and horrible soundproofing as well. There was a group of maybe 10 teenagers who would come up and down the halls EVERY MORNING at six, and I could hear every word that was spoken from my bed. Confusing layout that led to a lot of getting lost. Pool was so hot it was like being in a sauna. The employees only door next to it also opened automatically for some reason, and smelled horrible. 4/10, would not recommend.
• LJ

  Lance Johnson

  Jul 15, 2026
  5.0
  I stay at the hotel often and it is by far one of the best hotels I stay at. Service is always top notch and every room I’ve stayed in has been very nice and exceptionally clean. The restaurant is excellent. Always a delight to stay at this hotel. Highly recommend
• MS

  Matthew Smith

  Jul 13, 2026
  1.0
  We booked this hotel hoping for a comfortable, stress-free family stay with my dad and my kids, but it was an absolute letdown from the second we arrived. First off, the logistics were a total nightmare. The exterior door closest to our room was locked but physically broken and wouldn't open from the outside. We had to haul all of our luggage and two young kids all the way around to the main front entrance just to get inside the building. On top of that, the elevator felt incredibly old, sketchy, and unstable, which didn't make us feel any safer. Once we finally got into the room, we realized how outdated the place actually is. The TV setup is an ancient cable system—you can't access any streaming apps at all, which is a major pain when you're trying to put a movie on to help the kids wind down after a long drive. We tried to use the indoor pool, which was supposed to be a major highlight to let the kids burn off some energy. It was tiny, run-down, and a complete disappointment—the kids absolutely hated it. The final straw was the breakfast. We specifically paid extra for a "Breakfast Included" rate for our booking, but at check-in, the front desk flatly refused to give us more than two vouchers. They claimed a hidden policy that limits it to two adults, even though our reservation was clearly booked for four. The staff was completely unhelpful and refused to do anything to honor what we actually paid for. It is incredibly dishonest to charge a premium rate for a breakfast included booking and then refuse to feed everyone. Between the broken doors, sad amenities, prehistoric TV setup, and bait-and-switch breakfast, we will absolutely never stay here again. Save your money and book somewhere else.
• TZ

  Tz Z

  Jul 10, 2026
  5.0
  Update: 5 and a half stars. 10 stars. Left my work laptop charger there, and they were so accomodating in locating it and getting it sent back to me. Over a week after my stay. Insane amazing service all around. I absolutely loved this entire experience. Easy check in. The nicest front desk clerk. Go up to the room. Super clean and comfy. Explore the place. Incredible courtyard. Go to happy hour. Impeccable service and drinks and atmosphere. Go back up to the room. Watch shark tank Go to bed. So comfy. Forget my laptop charger, grr. Call them a whole week later and they find my power cord and ship it to me. Love this place. Thanks guys.
• JL

  Justin LaBarre

  Jul 7, 2026
  2.0
  Not very happy with this property. I had two pretty big issues happen while staying here and I have had no response from anyone at this property or IHG corporate with getting them resolved. I stayed June 29th into June 30th 2026. First issue was my room had the most touchy shower temperature knob I've ever seen. If the knob is turned barely past the "ON" position, scalding hot water comes out. Now at the time, I did not know this, I had the knob at half while standing in the shower, pulled the shower knob, and had my entire back get burned from scalding water. After getting burned, I went to bed with an uncomfortable hurting and itching back. I did not get to bed till 3am since the drive for me was long coming from southern PA. At 7:30am June 30th, the fire alarm goes off. So now I get little sleep, less than 4 hours, having to do business in the Albany area later that day. Upon checkout I explain this to the clerk who I can tell does not care, he offers me bonus IHG points, I should have asked for a manager to explain these issues to and not that clerk, so that's on me. Now I opened a case with IHG support about my experience here, its been almost 5 days with no response from this property and no bonus points. I think I am entitled to a apology for this mess and my extra points. I will not stay here again and to those reading this in the future, think TWICE before booking this property!

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