The Read House Historic Inn and Suites

First, I want to give give ladies at the front desk for our stay 5 stars. They were a delight.
The bad– squeaky beds, slamming doors, smallest bathrooms on the planet and air was barely working in room.
Was it nice? It was fine. It’s older, and that’s ok. But when you can’t sleep because of all the noises, it’s an issue.

Really friendly place with Starbucks, porters strak house. so good and its downtown. Great pool with foutain and gym.

REALLY FANCY PLACE! Reminded me of the Ghostbusters hotel from the first movie where they fight Slimer. We had a neighbor that was busy getting down all night. Funny at first and then it became kind of like white noise which helped us sleep. The business center was free (which is always a plus) and when it came time to print our boarding passes, it was in and out. The view was great and the staff was helpful. Would definitely visit again.

Wow this hotel was a not a great experience. We really, really wanted to like it. The hotel is very old and historic. It could be nice if it was renovated but it hasn’t been touched in quite some time. Where to begin…
Pros:
— decent price at $ 170 per night
— dog friendly! We loved this
— 5 blocks from restaurants /​main part of downtown
— Starbucks in building!
— restaurants in the hotel
Cons:
— musty smell (old)
— humidity that doesn’t go away with the ac on
— dirty carpet
— outdated furniture
— peeling baseboards and wallpaper
— tiny bathroom

This hotel is one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed. It’s in the perfect location close to anything and everything we’ve been doing a lot of walking right from the hotel itself. The shuttle is right outside our door and it’s free! It’s easy to get to the star attractions and a direct drive straight to Rock City and Ruby Falls. It has quite an extensive history and is on the US historical registry. With Rich Black walnut veneers and carpets throughout highlighting old mail drops, mail slots, and telephone booths. The large ballrooms have sterling silver Waterford crystal chandeliers throughout the hotel.
Our stay here was truly a unique treat!

Like many historic hotels that have such gorgeous lobbies (check out the stunning wood carvings on the ceilings), they are old and the rooms leave a little to be desired. This hotel is no exception, but I was not displeased with the room having stayed in comparable places and knew what to expect. The room is a bit small and the view was of a brick wall, but it was clean and we didn’t stay in the room much anyway. I love the hotel has a Starbucks attached to it, and they have a very nice gym. It is in a great location convenient to Market, Broad and ML King streets. We were less than half a mile from a number of great restaurants and nice shops. The personnel at the registration desk and valet were very friendly and helpful. Three of us shared a room with two double beds, and at $ 67 each, I felt it was a good value and will likely return.

Historic = Old, Dirty and Small … Everyone is told that they have been upgraded to a King. Not at all what would have been expected for the rate. If I were to provide a list of cons it would just seem like I was disgruntled … I am not. It has been a lesson learned.
Pros: Close to destinations; Friendly staff

Nice service
Our room was not haunted, unlike room 311
Nice location
Has steakhouse and Starbucks.
$ 15 for valley over night
Old EVERYTHING
Nice window views
Has a pool and gym
Buffet in the morning
Historic and made during the Civil War
Great hotel.

The rooms are in need of a serious facelift. This is owned by Sheraton, not a mom-​n-​pop bed and breakfast, so why don’t they fix this place?
The furniture is dirty and the bathrooms are small with little room for your toiletries.
Beds were comfortable, but sheets, bedding and pillows were old and yellow.
The a/​c was so noisy it was hard to sleep.
The lobby, bar/​restaurant and valet parking were all fantastic. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful.
I was disappointed in my overall stay.

Had my wedding reception in the Silver Ballroom last weekend. Everything was perfect and executed exactly the way we imagined. Worked with Mr. Al Jones for months… He was a joy to work with! He made our dream day a reality. I would highly recommend the Read House as a wedding venue must! The scroll work and chandeliers throughout the room were breathtaking.
The beauty of the room is all you need. We had very little decorations. We can’t wait to see how all the pictures turned out. There are so many gorgeous areas of the hotel for wedding pictures.
We had multiple guests staying in the hotel during our wedding weekend, without any issues. The front desk was quick and friendly with check in. Even
though it was a busy weekend, the valet staff were on top of it!
My now husband and I stayed in the Presidential Suite after the reception. I never slept so soundly! The bed was so comfortable! The shower did leak onto the floor a little but that was fixed just by putting a towel down. The water pressure was great and the water temperature stayed hot.
We are already looking forward to staying in the same room on our 1^st anniversary. Thank you Read House for giving my husband and I such a memorable wedding weekend.

We snagged a fantastic, last minute rate at the Read House, which made for a fantastic experience in downtown Chattanooga. As everyone before me will say, the lobby is absolutely beautiful and has a Starbucks on site. The only reason why they’re getting four stars instead of five is because their rooms could use a little renovating. It was clean (and spacious!), but the furniture was a little dated and TV was relatively small. The parking situation is paid valet, but if you’re staying on a weekend, street parking is free at all times and it wasn’t hard at all to find a close spot.

These are the three best things a hotel concierge could say to someone who has been awake and wearily traveling since 4am.
1) Your room is ready (at 11am!)
2) We’ve upgraded you to a King suite
3) Welcome back.
I’ll never stay anywhere else in Chattanooga. This is my 5^th visit and it’s always a treat.

So does «Historic Hotel» mean rooms are sorely in need of renovation?
The 3 stars are based on the lobby and bar/​restaurant (which is pricey) improving a 2 star rating that the room I have merits.
My view:
Lobby – lovely. Stately. Historic! Couches could be newer, but that’s common in many hotels in which I have stayed. Lots of folks use them daily.
Front desk – standard at best. I’ve had much more cheerful receptionists. The impression is OK, but not one that made me feel welcome and special. I can easily suggest a property that sets a high standard in customer relations.
Sleeping room– what can I say? I was in the newer section of the hotel and it is shabby in many ways. (I’ll try to add photos. See photos around number 49 – 51.) One shows well worn carpet, one shows rip in chair, one shows 3 pieces of something that wasn’t vacuumed up. Shower is clean, granite counter top, towels are good sized and weight. And to top it off, the A/​C didn’t work. Kudos to the engineering staff member who swapped out the unit and fixed the problem in short order.
On the plus side, the fitness room and pool are nice. Well equipped fitness room with weights, weight machine, treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes.
Perhaps reflagging from Sheraton to Starwood will bring some investment in renovations. Sad to say, this «Historic Hotel» has seen its better days.

The lobby of this hotel is just beautiful. The hotel staff is very very friendly.
On to the rooms. We are staying in a junior suite. I was very disappointed to find that this very large suite doesn’t have a mini fridge. The bathroom is very tiny and the tub looks nasty. It needs to be replaced. There is very little storage space in the room. The bathroom needs shelves on the walls. There is absolutely no room for personal items, other than a little glass shelf. The toilet handles are located behind the toilet seat, so you have to move the seat to flush the toilet.
I’ve never stayed in a room this large that doesn’t include a small refrigerator. There is more than enough room for a refrigerator.
The bed is VERY comfortable and the room has so much potential. The HVAC is terrible. It is very loud and the temperature is either very hot or cold. There are no blankets in the room, so you just have to deal with the temperature changes.
The televisions are tiny and the television cabinet doesn’t close.
Still, this is a beautiful hotel that is a million times better than the Days Inn. $ 15.00 a night valet parking.

This is a historic hotel with a stunning lobby and main area. Straight up — the floors and rooms need to be updated. It isn’t that they’re dirty or seem gross, it’s just shabby, shabby, shabby in the hallways on the floors with guest rooms. The rooms themselves, while dated in terms of décor, are always clean and the beds comfortable. The last visit however, the bathroom had no exhaust, and floor became a seriously dangerous slip-​n-​slide after one quick shower. The hotel staff is always friendly, and the on-​site restaurant, the Porter, is a classic steakhouse vibe. I would like to try dinner, however it is very pricey. The breakfast is an absolute NO. For such a lovely place, i expect better than Smuckers «pancake style syrup» with the room service. The indoor pool is a nice touch, and super fun in the winter. It is a great value if you can overlook some of the cosmetic shortcomings.

Nice place.
I was attending a class over the border in Chickamauga, Georgia and Priceline’d a hotel in Chattanooga. This was part class, part vacation to celebrate finishing paramedic school (yay!).
There are some seriously great deals to be had here. I like to stay in hotels that are out of my normal price range when I travel. This is a pretty nice joint.
The lobby is gorgeous, very original to how I’m guessing the hotel was when it was new. The pool was quite nice as was the fitness center. Once you got to the floor, though, the carpet and walls could really use a bit of attention.
The room was very nice. If not for the attached sitting room with the pull-​out sofa, it would have been cramped, but with the sitting room it was spacious and comfortable. The bathroom was TINY and the toilet was made for a very, very short person (my knees were in my chin) but otherwise I was comfortable. The bed had probably the nicest mattress and pillows I’ve ever slept on in a hotel. I requested a room as far away from the elevator as possible and it was very, very quiet.
I didn’t eat in the restaurant but the room service Eggs Benedict was tasty. Nice to have a Starbucks in the lobby, too.
The location was great. Walking distance from great restaurants, the Aquarium, a nice movie theater, and most other downtown attractions. Valet parking was nice and efficient, and $ 15/​day is not bad as valet goes. Desk staff was courteous and helpful.
Will stay again.

I stayed here for a conference recently. The building is within walking distance of many great attractions and the inside is beautiful.
Pros:
–The entire staff is extremely friendly and accommodating
–The Sheraton «green option» to get $ 5/​day voucher for waiving housekeeping (can be used in Starbucks downstairs)
–Valet staff are all extremely polite and quick taking care of you
–Beds clean and comfortable (with the exception of mine which squeaked loudly with every move)
Cons:
–No complimentary coffee or breakfast in the morning. The only option is the steakhouse in the hotel and it was expensive
–No hot tub
–No refrigerator/​microwave which would be nice for an extended stay
–Limited for places within walking distance where one can purchase bottles of water/​chips and snacks (although they offer these for sale in lobby for an inflated price)
–The wifi in our room was pretty terrible
As a preferred guest, I was looking forward to the perks of upgraded room amenities and complimentary breakfast (in club lounge). However, the room we were originally assigned on the preferred floor smelled strongly of smoke. They were great about relocating us but the only room they had left was a handicap accessible on a different floor. It worked out for us just fine, but we did miss out on those amenities.

I love this place.
I’ve had some bumps with getting settled in Chattanooga but the Read House – and a couple of friends – came to the rescue several times in the last six months.
In February, I was lucky enough to stay for a week (at someone else’s expense) when my first «real» residence didn’t work out. I also got to stay on my own dime for another couple of nights and as I had recently misplaced my debit card, I wanted to pay in cash; not a problem at all AND they honored the online deal I had found.
Last night, an Atlanta friend came up to cheer me up and take care of me because I’ve been feeling poorly plus had some personal issues vexing me. As I have come to expect the staff is super nice and truly accommodating. Also– this time I found out they allow dogs (a small nonrefundable fee applies) so Luke got to come along. Among the considerations they provided happily this time were water and food bowls (the kind that fit into cutouts on a mat which cam along with them) so Luke could happily have his dinner and breakfast as usual.
Between the convenience, the pleasant atmosphere, the food at Porter’s steak house downstairs (for bfast, lunch and/​or dinner) and… you get the idea.
Did I also mention the delicious downy and comfy beds and pillows? I definitely needed the rest so that was a real treat.
I will definitely happily stay at this Starwood Property and for any amount of time!

I like the Read House. I stayed there years ago when it was a Radisson branded hotel and have fond memories of a unique room befitting a historic property. So I was puzzled to find myself in a non-​descript room, typical of any number of chain hotels. It wasn’t until I exited to a patio next to the pool that I realized I was in a newer annex, which would also explain the odd location of the elevator next to the fitness center, not in the grand lobby. I probably paid the least of anyone in the hotel that night, a Hotwire deal I was pretty sure would land me at the Read House. I’m not sure if that had any bearing on where I was placed.
The room itself was adequate — king bed, easy chair, a dresser that held the television with a long desktop for workspace. While small, it was not cramped at all. The view was less than desirable, a brick wall and ramp leading to the parking garage. The upside was that it was quiet and there wasn’t any street noise floating up to the 3^rd floor.
I do like being further up Broad St. on a tree lined street away from the crush of tourist attractions and the surrounding hotels. My impression was that the Read House is a quieter location.
There are a couple of downsides to the Read House. Valet parking is $ 15/​day, pricey among Chattanooga hotel properties, although it does come with in and out privileges. There’s also a lack of breakfast options. There’s a Starbucks in the lobby but I dashed across the side street to Nooga Noshery and brought back an omelet and oatmeal.
I called with questions a couple of times before my trip, and commend both Angeline and Steven for great customer service. But, there was a service glitch at checkout that was very annoying. Could I store my luggage after checkout and keep my car parked there, using the free downtown shuttle? Not a problem. That is until I went to valet and was told no. I was taken aback that they would contradict the front desk. It turns out valet is a contracted service, not part of the Sheraton, although that’s not obvious based on their duties. The valet later offered to get me free parking at one of their lots downtown and I was directed to Chestnut and 1^st St. I thought that was a great service recovery. Except there is no Chestnut and 1^st. I’m not sure what the mix up was, but I ended up paying for a day of parking. For the customer’s sake, everyone needs to get on the same page.
Despite the parking issue, I would stay at the Sheraton Read House again and am comfortable recommending it to others. It’s a solid 3 ½ star property that could easily be 4 stars or higher.

In the last year, I’ve stayed at this hotel a few times, and each time I really love it. The hotel is a historic hotel, and the lobby is absolutely gorgeous. You really don’t feel like you’re in a hotel when you first enter since the color of the elevators meld into the wood, and the front desk is somewhat hidden at first sight.
I don’t think the rooms are very expensive; typically they’re about $ 135/​night. I tend to get a living room and bedroom, which is nice. I don’t know if that’s every room in the hotel (because what are my chances of always being upgraded?), or maybe the $ 135 is the price for a living room and bedroom. [I book hotels through a travel agency so I don’t always pay attention to what I am getting in the rates.]
You’re in the heart of Chattanooga’s downtown, which is the safest place compared to surrounding areas. If you’re going to Warehouse Row, even though it’s only a few blocks, you should drive. There’s some sort of homeless shelter on the way, and I personally have felt uncomfortable walking past the first time. This last trip, I drove the few blocks.
I also stayed here in May, and I don’t recall if I was a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) gold member at the time. This week, when I stayed, I was offered an executive lounge room key. Breakfast is served from 6−9AM (early!), and evening hours (appetizers) are from 5−8PM. Breakfast was pretty good (see attached photo)! The eggs were fluffy, the hash browns crisp, and the bacon was cooked just right. The appetizers could use a little work, but that’s ok. Last night there were sandwich wraps, fruit & cheese plate, mini quiches, etc.
Of all the reward programs, SPG is probably the easiest to obtain elite status. It only takes ten stays to reach gold and 25 to reach platinum. SPG this past spring partnered with Delta, so now you can earn SPG points based on the dollar amount of your Delta ticket. Make sure you link your accounts!
But I digress. Of course the staff are friendly — front desk, valet guys, attendant in the executive lounge, etc. They’re so helpful and nice. I don’t sense any animosity or attitude of «I hate my job» like I do at some hotels. I’ve never had an issue checking in or out either. Both processes have always been swift.
Since it was my last week in Chattanooga indefinitely, I will miss this hotel. The entrance after dropping your car off with the valet smells heavenly! It’s probably the best SPG hotel I’ve been to in all my travels in the last year!