The Candler Hotel Atlanta, Curio Collection by Hilton

Terrible experience. Stayed at the Candler for Peach Bowl weekend. Booked a suite. Got an early check-in, which was nice. However, when my wife and I went into our room, it was freezing. My wife told me to turn up the temperature on the thermostat. When I went to the thermostat location, there was no thermostat, just wires in the wall! There was also electrical panel boards in the room and stains on the carpet. The room was in a state of disrepair. Why were we given this room? I called the front desk and explained the situation. The person told me that she would call me right back. After not getting a return call I called the front desk again and the person told me that a bellman would be up with keys to another room. She offered me a reduced room rate and $30 a day dining credit to move to a much smaller room. The bellman never showed up, so I had to call the front desk again. The new room was much smaller than the room that I booked. The next morning when my wife and I went to take showers, there was no hot water, just a trickle of cold water. We had to take cold showers. When I informed the front desk about the situation, the person stated that so many people took showers that they ran out of hot water and had reset the hot water system. Really? I had set up a wake up call on our departure date. Never got the call. When I received the folio for the room charges, the $30 a day credit that we were supposed to receive was not applied. Could anything else have gone wrong?

We've stayed at the Candler twice now. I've included pictures from both times. Pulling up to the hotel, on a busy day it can take an unreasonable amount of time for a valet to approach you. The valet service (the only parking option) is also ridiculously priced at $55/night. I'm aware of the responses to other reviews in which the hotel says this is "comparable" to other locations in downtown Atlanta. Okay, but is it necessary for you to turn a profit? Doubtful. Maybe turn the greed down a notch. Check-in is fine. You can do all or most of it on the Hilton app if you use it. Useful, as that line can also grow long at times with the hotel's limited staff. The first time they had complimentary champagne available in the lobby. The last time we were there, they unfortunately did not, though they did have lemonade. There is also sometimes an unpleasantly long wait for the elevators, which doesn't seem necessary for a building with 6 of them (in theory, anyway. I don't believe they're all operational). Once you get up to your room, you'll find that it's small (which is to be expected from a hotel of this era so I'm not exactly faulting them), but well-appointed. The rooms are very nice, clean, and comfortable. The second time we stayed here we got an upgrade, and that extra few square feet made a lot of difference. The hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous, and you can spend a lot time exploring all the history and details, which are all well-documented with QR codes you can scan. It truly is a beautiful property. If you're a gold or diamond member, you can get a $15-per-guest credit toward your bill at the restaurant downstairs. It will not be enough to cover your bill, but it makes it worth it to dine there. The restaurant is, much like the rest of the hotel, gorgeous. The food is certainly good, but not spectacular. We haven't eaten here for any other meal. They typically also neglect to tell you at check-in that you'll want to make a reservation at the restaurant for breakfast, or you may be subject to a long wait time. Overall, despite its shortcomings, the Candler is a charming and historic property that we'll likely stay at many more times over the years. It takes some getting used to its quirks and idiosyncracies, but it is certainly a fine hotel and we would recommend it to anyone.