REMINGTON SUITES HOTEL AND SPA

I have periodic business in Shreveport and the hotel I used to stay at has been declining. I'm so glad that searching for a replacement took me to the Remington! There is a lot to like about the hotel. The lobby is attractive with numerous sitting areas, some games, and a "market" where you can get a snack or a forgotten toiletry. The rooms are quaint and unique but well-designed and well-appointed. The bed was comfortable and the numerous pillows of various firmness but none were the pancakes that make so many hotel stays uncomfortable. My room had a comfortable armchair, a coffee maker with pods and condiments, a small refrigerator. The iron worked well and the ironing board was not the cheap, rickety one you so often find in hotels. The TV in my room had Roku built in and I was able to sign into my Netflix account and watch shows and movies from my list! (I had to remember to sign out when I was done. I suggest that the staff take advantage of Guest Mode in the Roku software to make that slightly smoother.) One of my pet peeves with hotel rooms is how dark they often are. The Remington solved this with a dimmable LED strip in a cove all around the ceiling. The table lamps provide typical spot illumination but the LED provides fantastic fill. And the color temperature is just right: at full brightness the LED still doesn't make the room feel like an office or an operating room. Genius! I can't say enough about this innovation. Every hotel should do it! On the subject of peeves, two were triggered by my stay. First, the bed is stylishly but unnecessarily high. It was marginally difficult for me (at 6' tall) to get in. If my wife had been traveling with me, I'd have had to give her a boost. Modern mattresses at stupid thick but a lower frame would help make the overall height more reasonable. The other item that I found lacking was the shower. The pipe comes out of the wall too low and the shower head is at eye level. I had to stoop to wash my hair. This is unforgivable in new construction but the Remington building was built in 1841! I can understand that they may struggle with old design decisions and that this would be hard to fix. But the rest of my visit was so good that I can easily overlook this one difficulty. One last note: don't rely on the website for an accurate description of amenities. The site says there's a fitness center but the current round of renovations made it unavailable during my stay. And while I don't remember seeing any mention of it online, there is a daily continental breakfast in the lobby.

Booked through Expedia. Checked in before check in time was over and was good overnight. Was checking out at 10:30am when the front desk person told me I had a $120 balance due. The trip was paid in full through Expedia. Ended up speaking to a manager and she told me it was on Expedia’s end and they would cover that cost because it was their responsibility. The front desk clerk said “so just let them go?” and the manager said yes we were all good. I went to load my bags into the car and that same front desk clerk came out and took a picture of my car. I went back in and asked for an itemized receipt to ensure no funny business. I was assured that all things on my end were good. A couple of hours later I get a $57.70 charge on my Amex card. I was still in the area so I went back to the hotel. A different person was at the desk and told me it was for valet parking and early check in. Both which were not true. I showed him the independent parking garage receipt that I had bought on my own and parked my own car. He was also able to see what time we checked in which was far from early. He apologized and said he had reversed the fee. Recommended next time to book directly from the Remington instead of Expedia. This whole thing has been a headache and I am no longer in the city so if I get another unauthorized charge I can’t just pop up there. That front desk clerk was very kind but the first one who took a picture of my vehicle (black male with curly Afro) caused quite the ordeal.

What a great boutique hotel in downtown Shreveport. The suite was very comfortable and nicely decorated. Beds were comfortable and very spacious room with living area, kitchenette and refrigerator. Everything was clean and the service was great. The valet had our car out front the morning we were checking out without a request. The bar was a nice comfortable setting allowing for a good visit with friends and a great bartender who checked on us several times.