Candlewood Suites Elmira Horseheads by IHG

The hotel stands out for its spacious rooms featuring fully equipped kitchenettes, a signature amenity that makes it particularly well-suited for extended stay guests, traveling professionals, families, and pet owners seeking a home-away-from-home experience. Guests consistently commend the hotel's overall cleanliness, its remarkably quiet atmosphere despite its convenient location, and the exceptionally friendly staff who contribute significantly to a welcoming environment. For those planning a visit, utilizing the kitchenette can offer a cost-effective way to manage meals, while taking full advantage of the pet-friendly amenities ensures a comfortable and hassle-free stay for guests traveling with their furry companions. This combination of features creates a memorable and practical lodging option.

Facilities & Amenities
Guests highly value the comprehensive facilities and amenities designed for comfort and convenience, particularly the fully equipped kitchenettes found in each room. These include a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and a complete set of cookware and utensils, allowing guests to prepare their own meals. A significant highlight is the availability of free laundry facilities, which is a major convenience for both short and extended stays. The hotel also features a well-maintained fitness center for guest use and an inviting outdoor patio with a BBQ grill, perfect for relaxation. While free Wi-Fi is provided, some guests noted limitations with smart TV app access. A recurring issue, however, is the frequent unreliability of the elevator, which can cause inconvenience, especially for guests on higher floors. Additionally, a borrow station offers various items like games and electronics.

Cleanliness & Room Comfort
The hotel generally receives high praise for its cleanliness, with many guests describing rooms and bathrooms as immaculate and spotless upon arrival. The spacious rooms are consistently highlighted as a significant positive, providing ample space for relaxation and extended stays. Feedback on beds is mixed; many guests report them as comfortable and conducive to a good night's sleep, while some found them too firm or lumpy, impacting their rest. Similarly, pillows receive varied opinions. The bathroom areas are typically clean and offer good water pressure with hot water, though a few reviews mention dated fixtures or minor issues like chipped paint in tubs or doors not closing properly. While the hotel generally maintains a quiet atmosphere, some guests experienced floor noise from rooms above or occasional AC unit noise. A notable concern for a small number of guests was the presence of unpleasant room odors or sightings of bugs, including cockroaches, spiders, or ants, which understandably detracted from their comfort.

Dining & Food Quality
A frequently mentioned point regarding dining and food quality is the absence of a complimentary breakfast, which many guests noted as a downside compared to other hotel chains. However, the hotel compensates by offering free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in the lobby throughout the day, which is appreciated. The inclusion of a kitchenette in every room is a significant advantage, empowering guests to prepare their own meals and snacks, thereby reducing the need to dine out. For convenience, an honor system pantry is available on-site, stocked with various snacks and food items for purchase, though some guests found the prices to be on the higher side. Additionally, a major draw for many is the direct proximity to an Outback Steakhouse in the same parking lot, often offering a discount to hotel guests, providing a convenient and popular dining option.

Location & Accessibility
The hotel's location and accessibility are consistently praised, particularly its convenient placement just off the highway, allowing for easy arrival and departure. Guests appreciate that despite its proximity to major roads, the hotel maintains a quiet setting, ensuring a peaceful stay. Its strategic position provides easy access to local attractions and popular destinations such as Watkins Glen State Park, Ithaca, and the Corning Museum of Glass, typically reachable within a 30-45 minute drive. The surrounding area also offers numerous shopping centers and a variety of dining options, including an Outback Steakhouse conveniently located within the same parking lot. Furthermore, the hotel provides ample parking on-site, which is a significant convenience for guests traveling by car.

Staff & Service
The staff and service at this hotel consistently receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, standing out as a major highlight of guests' stays. Reviewers frequently describe the team as exceptionally friendly, warm, and welcoming from check-in to check-out. Their professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond to assist with various requests, such as accommodating last-minute reservation changes, addressing room issues, or providing helpful local recommendations, are highly commended. The check-in and check-out processes are consistently noted as quick and painless. While the hotel operates as an extended stay property, meaning housekeeping service is typically less frequent (often weekly or upon request), staff are readily available and responsive to guest needs for extra towels or toiletries. The pet-friendly service is also a recurring positive, with staff often showing affection towards canine guests.

Additional Information
For additional information, guests frequently highlight the hotel's strong pet-friendly policy, which includes a low pet fee and convenient dog relief areas equipped with waste stations around the property, making it ideal for travelers with animals. As an extended stay hotel, a key amenity is the provision of free laundry facilities, a highly valued convenience for guests on longer visits. The hotel also offers a unique borrow station or lending library, allowing guests to access various items like games or electronics during their stay. It is important to note that the hotel does not feature a swimming pool, which some guests mentioned. While an honor system pantry is available for purchasing snacks and other items, some guests found the prices to be somewhat high compared to external stores.