During a recent trip with which I had already experienced being screened at an airport security checkpoint and my first airplane flight — I paid for a basic economy fare — and my first experience renting a car during the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, I found myself in Grand Junction in Colorado, where I had the opportunity to be a guest at a Candlewood Suites hotel property for the first time.
My First Stay at a Candlewood Suites Hotel Property — and The Verdict Is…
Candlewood Suites is a brand of InterContinental Hotels Group; and it is a casual extended stay hotel property “where you’ll always feel at home, at your best and really productive while on the road.” You can earn IHG Rewards Club points with every stay.
I stayed at the Candlewood Suites Grand Junction Nw hotel property. I parked the car I rented outside directly across from the entrance — which was rather convenient, especially as the ambient temperature was cold outside — and walked in.
The photograph above shows the front desk in the lobby of the hotel property at which guests check in and check out for their stays. Notice that plexiglass was installed due to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic — along with plenty of notices pertaining to such requirements as wearing a mask or cloth covering for the face at all times in public areas of the hotel property.
The lobby area itself was decorated for Christmas; and the furnishings were reasonably comfortable. A flat-screen television is mounted on the wall next to what is called the Lending Locker, which allows guests to borrow whatever they need whenever they want — whether it is a blender or a board game.
Candlewood Suites does not have a restaurant on site — nor is breakfast served in the mornings — but a room called the Candlewood Cupboard offers free cups of coffee; and guests can stock up on a variety of breakfast items, cold beverages, snacks, frozen entrées, laundry detergent, sundries, and more at any time — all on the honor system. A microwave oven is also available for use.
The business center is equipped with two computers, a laser printer, and assorted office supplies — all on a long desk shaped like the capital letter L.
The fitness center is called the Candlewood Gym, which is open 24 hours per day and is included in the room rate; and it seems to be fully equipped with lots of aerobic and cardiovascular equipment so that guests may adhere to their exercise routines all that much easier — including a flat-screen television to entertain guests while they exercise…
…but note that two water fountains instead of a machine with filtered water are available if you need drinking water. A scale is even available for guests who want to weigh themselves.
The laundry room is located in the same area as the fitness center, which I had never seen before at a hotel property — and use of the clothes washing machines and clothes drying machines are included in the room rate for guests of the hotel property at no extra charge.
The Room
The room to which I was assigned was located on the top floor of the hotel property — and not that it mattered to me, but none of the doors had a sticker which indicated that the rooms endured a rigorous cleaning which was meant to combat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
The sleeping area of the room appeared to be no different than at any other mid-range hotel property…
…although the bed on which I slept was comfortable — but an irritating fly incessantly buzzed around the room from the time I walked in for the first time until the time I left for good.
On the night stand between the two beds was an alarm clock, a telephone, and a remote control for the television, which was not wrapped or protected at all — and remote controls have been know to be one of the most unclean parts of a hotel room in terms of germs long before the current pandemic was underway. I rarely watch television; so this did not matter to me.
The temperature of the room appeared to be controlled by either a thermostat on the wall or on the climate control system located under the window in the room.
I have never seen a reclining chair in a standard hotel room, which I thought was a nice touch. It was reasonably comfortable. Underneath the flat-screen television was a Sony disc player, which likely played digital versatile discs — which are more popularly known as DVDs — and compact discs. A door leads to a connecting room for guests who book a reservation for two adjacent rooms.
The desk is built into the room and is quite large — and no fewer than four electrical outlets are available for use. In addition to a second telephone and a bulletin board on which to pin notices, two chairs are located on each side of the desk. However, one minor yet annoying design flaw exists: the chair on rollers cannot easily roll back because of the strip on the floor which separates the carpeted area of the room from the hard floor of the kitchen area.
The room was actually rather spacious, with the kitchen and desk on the right; the entrance to the room in the center; and the closet, bathroom, and beds on the left — along with a narrow full-length mirror. As I said, the room is indeed spacious — but I would not go so far as to call it a suite.
The closet was larger than one typically found in a hotel room; and was almost large enough to qualify as a walk-in closet. It was equipped with no fewer than a dozen wooden hangers, a long wire shelf, an iron, an ironing board, and a laundry basket.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was close to being a full kitchen, as it was equipped with a full-sized refrigerator, a microwave oven, a dishwasher, a small sink which included a garbage disposal, a coffee maker, and an electric flat-top range — but no oven — as well as drawers and cabinet space. The refrigerator contained an ice maker — but if you plan on using it, start it as soon as you enter the room, as it was quite slow: it created a minimal amount of ice overnight while I slept.
The cabinet over the sink was stocked with dishes, bowls, glasses, mugs, cups, a measuring cup, salt, pepper, sweeteners, a colander, other types of dishes, and a toaster.
The electric cooktop had two places on which food can be cooked — a small pot with a lid was on one of those two places — while in the cabinet underneath the sink was a scrub brush hanging on the door, a receptacle for waste, dishwashing liquid, two packets of dishwashing powder, and a spare roll of paper towels.
The top drawer contained assorted cutlery — including knives, forks, and spoons — a can opener, a bottle opener, a spatula, and other utensils. The drawer below that contained a pan and an oven mitt.
The third drawer from the top contained an assortment of pot and pan lids; while a larger pot was in the bottom drawer.
The small cabinet over the refrigerator was empty.
The small cabinet over the microwave oven was also empty and only contained an electrical outlet in which the microwave oven was plugged.
On the dishwasher was a magnet which proclaimed that all dishware had been cleaned and ready to use; while two magnets on the refrigerator had Busy, busy, busy. (Do Not Disturb) printed on one of them and Catch Me Later printed on the other one.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was somewhat on the small side; but it was otherwise not unlike a typical bathroom one would find in a mid-scale hotel property. The amenities on the left of the sink included one small bar of soap and a small bottle of body lotion — because the bath tub area had larger dispensers of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel.
Upon using the shower — and despite my best efforts of placing the shower curtain in an ideal position in relation to the bath tub — water was all over the place and the floor was flooded after my shower was completed. The shower head was adjustable; but I could not find the way which I preferred the water to spray on me.
Even more annoying was that the dispenser which was supposed to contain shower gel became empty while I was showering. The other two dispensers contained shampoo and conditioner — all by J.R. Watkins.
The View From the Room
The view from the room consisted of a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel property and the parking lot…
…as well as some of Grand Junction — and a view of the mountains of Colorado National Monument in the background, which were lightly dusted with snow.
Summary
Candlewood Suites Grand Junction Nw is conveniently located just east of 24 Road between Interstate 70 and Interstate 70 Business Route — as well as only a few minutes from many shopping and dining options in Grand Junction. Mesa Mall is only a few minutes south of the hotel property.
The room rate for the night was $71.87; and with all taxes and fees came to a total of $82.31. For that price point, I would recommend staying at a Candlewood Suites hotel property — especially if you require complimentary use of the washer and dryer, want a reclining chair in which to relax, need a large closet to store your items, do not need breakfast provided by the hotel property in the morning, and need the use of a kitchen in your hotel room…
…but other options do exist — including TownePlace Suites by Marriott and Home2 Suites by Hilton. Both hotel brands offer breakfast included with some room rates — especially if you have elite status — and also have large spacious rooms. Shop for your stay based on price.
Candlewood Suites Grand Junction Nw
654 Market Street
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
United States
1-970-255-8093
All photographs ©2020 by Brian Cohen.
