Athens Hotels with Hot Tub

Valet, parking was a surprise. Front desk staff was flexible with my request’s for extensions. Also the breakfast was top tier. A variety of options. The king suite 1 bedroom was comfy and modern. With its own mini kitchen and appliances. However I do wish they’d upgrade their coffee machine to something like a Keurig, but there’s plenty of joe in the main lobby so I understand that it’s not necessary. The bar opens at 4pm and breakfast is served around 9am or 8am. And also downtown is just 5 minutes away.

We have stayed at the SpringHill Suites Athens West several times while visiting family in Athens. We have always enjoyed out stays, and when too much noise or too many people are at our family home, my wife and I often return to SpringHill in the middle of the day to relax. Even in Covid times, we find the breakfast buffet an enjoyable meal with both healthy and carb-full options available. WIFI is fast and the beds soft. The facilities are clean, the water hot, and plenty of towels. The staff is always courteous. Grocery stores and eateries are just down the road a few miles. Stayed March 2022r

Let me tell you about Broc and the level of service he feels is appropriate for this hotel. When I arrived, there’s a parking lot to the right that says “no hotel parking”. I proceed past the front lobby where they have a couple signs marked “loading and unloading only”. I continue to proceed to a gated parking entrance. Expecting to press a button for a parking ticket, I instead find a call button. You cannot get in without a key. I can’t park without a key. I press the call button … again … again … again … again. After the fifth time, a van behind me is blowing his horn. He’s behind me. The bar is in front of me. I’m unsure what he expects me to do. Finally, I call on the phone and get the front desk. I explain it’s raining hard, my car is getting soaked inside and I need to get in. Right at that time, the man in the van behind me gets out. He’s an employee and tells Broc “I got it Broc; we’re good.” He could have helped sooner but oh well. I make my way into the parking deck. I grab my bag and proceed to the door. This time, I find the door is locked and requires a key to get in. Go figure. Again, I have to check in to get a key. Hilton and many other hotels allow you to use your phone as a key. Here at IHG’s Athens Indigo, they aren’t as advanced. I need a key to park. I need a key to get to the lobby. I can’t get a key until I’m in the lobby. I’m no *****; I get there’s a solution to this problem. People are inside. I don’t know that solution though. It’s storming outside and I’d hope/expect there to be a way to check in without dodging rain bullets. NOPE. I call again and get “wonderful” Broc again. I tell him I’m in the parking deck but I don’t see how to get inside. Here’s where it gets fun. After that statement above (verbatim), he tells me, “If you can’t figure it out, I can just cancel your reservation and you can go somewhere else.” WHAT?! Not sure who made his day horrible, but he’s decided I’ll be the one where he evens the score. I tell him I can figure it out if he just tells me the way in. Once inside, I see Broc standing there not helping anyone; just waiting. I walk up and he asks how he can help. I directly but not rudely say, “Actually at this point, I would rather just have a manager to speak with and get me checked in.” Broc is having a bad day; I don’t want to be a part of it anymore. Life’s too short. Broc responds (no kidding … exact words), “I’m not getting anyone for you and you have 6 minutes to get off the property before I call the cops.” Let’s pause for a second. I’m not some huge person or a physical threat of any kind. I’ve said NOTHING to him at this point to warrant the continued escalation. However, I also know he can (for any reason) call the cops. So I start out the door. I am here at the hotel as a presenter for the company hosting a conference. (BTW, lost sales in that I won’t be back after this.) I’m not interested in his power trip or dealing with out-o

I would love to say this is a great hotel… and it is. But to charge guest to park at this property is totally insane. Parking should be included in a nights stay and not a surprise after you arrive. When most people are researching hotels for the best booking rate it is to get just that, the best booking rate for a hotel in their search area. At twelve dollars a night it added $36 to our stay. That said, this is a comfortable property and maintained very well. Our room was very clean and nicely furnished. Biggest problem with these rooms is the glass sliding “barn” style door that closes off the bathroom. This affords limited privacy and if your room mate gets up during the night the light brightens up the room. Very bad idea on the designer’s part. We were here for a wedding with friends staying at this same property. We all basically had the same concerns and complaints. Breakfast is basic and typical… coffee, juices, dry cereals, variety of muffins, bananas, oranges, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, yogurt and a few other toaster items. Interaction with the staff was very good. I always try to be fair and honest with my reviews. This property is located in downtown Athens and at first appearance seems to be in a questionable location but we felt quite safe at this location. Happy and safe travels!

You should know that any photos I’ve seen online of this property are somewhat accurate. From a distance, everything looks great, but on closer inspection this property has some significant miles on it. Couches snd other seating are lumpy and need replaced. Carpets and lamp shades are stained. I saw people swimming in the pool, but no one in my family wanted to brave it. My room needed major upgrades. It had a flat screen TV that was probably 32” but it was low res. The remote barely worked. There were no places in the room to accept USB charging cords, so bring your bricks for an outlet. Parking was plentiful, but if at capacity the lot would be very cramped. During my stay they had several workmen with big trucks and other work vehicles. There were restaurants and grocery stores nearby, but only McDonald’s was safely walkable. The staff was friendly and available. If you need a bed to sleep in, this place was ok, but don’t expect luxury.