We booked the Craddock Terry Hotel for our first wedding anniversary, excited to show my wife and family my hometown of Lynchburg. Sadly, our stay was one problem after another.
The morning after our first night, when the bed sheets had come undone, we discovered what appeared to be bed bug feces on multiple corners of both mattresses along the seams. Both the general manager and housekeeping staff later told me it was simply an exploded pen. However, I inspect properties — including hotels — for a living, and I know what bed bug feces looks like. Regardless of the explanation, we were forced to relocate. The first room we were moved into smelled strongly of grease from the kitchen below, and then we had to move yet again. Relocating twice with a 7-month-old baby, a dog, and all their belongings was exhausting and immediately took away from what was supposed to be a celebratory weekend.
The final room we stayed in was one of the brightest hotel rooms I’ve ever experienced. Light poured in around and above the doors all night, with no blackout coverage at all. Our baby woke repeatedly from the brightness, leaving us completely sleep-deprived. I have photographs showing just how bright the room was even with all lights off — it felt like daylight in the middle of the night.
The GM initially offered dinner at Shoemakers, but we had already made anniversary dinner plans elsewhere, so it didn’t address the impact. I also followed up about the lighting issue and never received a response. Eventually, after leaving a Google review and escalating through Marriott, the GM wrote back (while out for medical reasons) and promised to call me to resolve things when she returned. That call never came. At this point I would expect an alternate manager to step in to assist.
It has now been three weeks since our stay and there has been no indication that our concerns are a priority or that they will ever be meaningfully resolved.
We’ve been completely dismissed by Marriott and the Craddock Terry Hotel.
While the on-site staff, especially Bayleigh and housekeeping, were kind and professional, management has STILL failed to meaningfully address the issues or follow through on their own word. Between suspected bed bug feces, multiple relocations, sleepless nights in a glaringly bright room, and no resolution from leadership, our first anniversary stay at Craddock Terry was deeply disappointing.