Great Hotel

We stayed at the Read House for two nights, October 31st and November 1st. The owners are in the process of a massive renovation. However, the lobby needs little work. It was beautiful. The rooms could use a make over, but our room was clean and comfortable. The location of the hotel is perfect. It's on the free shuttle line and just minutes to the downtown attractions. This is my second trip to Chattanooga. I stayed at the Choo Choo last time. The Read House is a much better deal (price and location). Also, staying in a haunted hotel on Halloween was fun.

We had one brief encounter with a ghost, but the entity seemed harmless. On my next visit to town, I'm planning to stay at the Read House again, post renovation. All in all, I'm a very happy customer and would recommend this hotel to anyone who can appreciate historic buildings.

Classic Hotel that is getting renovated!

Yes, the hotel was built in the 1800s, a classic hotel, and it is time to enhance it. I was just there and they are beginning a new renovation, and it will become a Classy Sheraton Hotel! The new plans look great, as they are displayed in the lobby for all to see.

I had a great time and can appreciate its historic value now, and especially when the renovation is complete!

Still a Beauty

Stayed at the Read House October 17 and 18th. It is a beautiful, historic hotel in the middle of downtown, convenient to everything!

Yes, it needs updating. We talked with the Manager and she showed us the plans for the renovation they are doing! It will be gorgeous.

Should be done in Spring of 2004. You can bet we will be back to stay there. The staff was great, the location was tops and it is on the free shuttle bus route. The hotel truly has a magic all of its own.

Major disappointment!

I would never recommend this hotel. The website is totally deceiving.

HOTEL: Everything outside the main lobby seems to be in disrepair. The "nice" restaurant (Green Room) is not operational. The Tavern was totally inadequate; both food and service were bad. Housekeeping was very slow (we came in at 3:00 pm to take a nap after sightseeing, and the room had not been touched!) ROOM: The bed was saggy and the sheets did not fit properly. The furnishings were shabby (faded, torn, etc.) I was prepared for "old," but not "grunge." I could go on and on. It's too bad, because a place like that should be kept up. They need to either renovate or close.

...and getting worse

The Read House is no longer my choice of favorite places to stay. It has been going down hill now for the past several months. With all of the shops gone, the place seems depressed and this was reflected in the employees. They claim that they are beginning renovations, but this is what I was told the last two times that I stayed there. I really think they believe that they can make it on their past reputation and continue charging a lot of money for the value. By the way, don't fall for the room description, " Jr. Suite". Without sounding sarcastic, my laundry room is bigger. There is no overhead light, only one lamp...all for $99.00 per night. (room 301). I would have felt much better if they had described it as "Really, Really Small Room" for 0nly 99.00. It's really sad what it has become. Hopefully the place will bounce back.

Showing its age but reasonable value

Stayed at the Read House in late July 2003 for two days of business. At first glance, the location seemed great -- the hotel is right downtown.

After 5:00, however, the neighborhood got quite quiet and felt a bit unsafe, with few nearby dining options. Accommodations a few blocks up the Broad St. (toward the Aquarium) seemed to be in a somewhat nicer locale. The hotel's lobby is quite vision with its dark woods and elaborate detailing; I can fully imagine the hustle and bustle of the lobby's clientele in days gone by... All the same, the hotel's decor and ambience came across as rather dated. My room, at the end of a hallway on the fifth floor, included a separate sitting area, a bedroom area, a reasonbaly sized closet, and a decent bathroom. The furniture was comfortable enough, though a bit worn; the pillows were not-so-comfy; and there appeared to be some yellowing of the walls/wallpaper. And the views from my windows were, oh... utterly unforgettable. For $99 a night (plus free breakfast bar the first morning), I believe it was a reasonable deal. Next time, though, I'm going to consider something more modern and closer to the Aquarium.

USED to be a Grand Old Hotel

Having stayed at The Read House several times before, we were surprised by our recent visit. Seems profits are more important than quality and service as cost cutting results were evident all around. Rooms packed full of kids, clogged AC filters, old worn out mattresses, moldy shower curtains, broken ice machines, skeleton staffing etc. Never had this experience before. Shows what management (or a lack thereof) can do. A poor hotel value. Go down the road to a new hotel until management gets the message.

Beautiful Old Hotel

Beautiful old hotel with couch, tv, bed, shower, and lots more. My friends and I stayed there on a field trip and we had a blast. It's really nice but could use a softer couch/pull-out bed.

We Stay Here Every Summer

We have three small rambunctious children, and we get a suite every year. The price is phenomenal, you can catch the city shuttle outside and go all over town, the staff is very polite, and it makes for an affordable family vacation (esp if you put the kids in Aquarium camp all week). The hotel is supposed to be "haunted", and there is a pool, valet parking, a gym, just don't bother to waste your money in the restaurant, it's overpriced and not very good. Be sure to order from stickyfingers barbque though, it is great. The suite has enough room for kids to run around and leave toys everywhere, and it has a convenient kitchentype counter with sink, plus you can request a refrigerator. We usually go grocery shopping first off.

Lovely place

This is a wonderful, old and charming hotel. The room was decorated tastefully, and with nice

furniture, even an armoire to house the tv. The bed was comfortable (that's a find!) too.

Wonderful old tile in the bathroom, and I loved the heavy doors with old brass knobs--just a real treat from the usual hotel chains. Check out the old brass mailbox in the lobby, and all the old paintings and cherry paneling. A great place to stay.