EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON

Stayed at this hotel an on check-in, my spouse and I who were traveling as a couple, was asked to sign a document stating that we understood the policies of the hotel. This was my third stay here where I chose my room on the app before arriving and it was changed when I arrived. Why let me pick a room if you're going to change it? The breakfast was sub-par compared to previous stays (less options, and eggs were too runny so ended up getting an omelet). Also, the price for the room has gone up quite a bit.

Positives: the hotel is directly across the street from Destiny USA (there is nothing else in the vicinity within walking distance). The night manager went above and beyond to help me find something I was looking for. The room (studio) was a decent size and clean.

Nice hotel, close to many things, but a noisy place. Major roads nearby so lots of traffic noise. Also very easy to hear people in other rooms and in the hallway. Not a place for a quiet night sleep unfortunately.

We had our Union meeting in one of the big rooms. It was very nice.

First they assigned us to a room occupied by someone else. We were trying to enter our assigned room and a large man opens the door from the inside asking us what we were doing. We were absolutely mortified.

After apologizing profusely the front desk gave us keys for the next room they assigned us that also did not work. Neither did the room after that, or the one after THAT!

After arriving 45 minutes late to our 2 hour event that we drove down from Toronto to attend, we returned to the hotel to find that our desk lamp didn't work.

In the middle of the night the fire alarm went off for about 25 minutes prompting everybody to leave the building into the parking lot. It was a false alarm.

In spite of the management offering us a late checkout and insisting that they made notes in the account, two people came by to interrupt us, one at 8:30 in the morning and again at 10:00 a.m. to ask us when we were leaving.

The absolute icing on the cake was that there was NO air conditioning. The room was extremely warm and had no air circulation. In the middle of the night at 4:30 a.m. I was trying to switch rooms. Two other rooms and neither of them had air conditioning. When I brought this to the attention of the front desk, the front desk manager with a short dark beard and glasses glibly asserted that they are part of some kind of low impact environmental program, as if to Virtue signal at me. I responded that if I wanted to participate in an eco-friendly experience I would have stayed in a log cabin, and that for $300 a night I expect air conditioning. As it stands one of the other staff informed us that the air conditioning controls are locked out by the management from the management office which means this was really just a cheap excuse to save a couple dollars at the expense of the comfort and well-being of their guests. Certainly not in the HILTON mission statement.

Finally, when we asked for a discount, given all the things that had transpired, (even other staff members who were privy to what we had been through were at the front desk advocating for us) we were told that a manager would get back to us but was unfortunately/conveniently in a meeting at that moment. We left our number and no one ever called to follow up. (Its been 8 days now) BEYOND unprofessional and embarrassing.

We will NEVER stay at another HILTON or HILTON associated property ever again. As nice as the rest of the staff was, this was a professional embarrassment. I will also be sure to inform everybody I ever encounter for the rest of my life to avoid HILTON properties while traveling, and that the reputation of their brand is at best inconsistent and certainly a suckers bet.

RESPONSE TO OWNER"S RESPONSE:

What will those 'necessary adjustments' consist of? Turning the Air conditioning back on? If you were too cheap to have it on in the first place, I doubt this review will change your mind. Learning how to properly book rooms and encode room keys? One would think that is the BARE MINIMUM for operating a hotel, like expecting a bartender to pour liquid into a glass. Coaching your front desk staff to NOT offer assanine excuses like 'we're participating in an eco-friendly program' in a transparent attempt to excuse your poor practices?

Meanwhile, the only meaningful compensation, a reduction in the $300+ charge has yet to be forthcoming. My travel companion, George Nikolakis still has neither received a follow up call nor any kind of refund or discount for the trouble we endured at the hands of your greed and ineptitude.

You are more than happy to keep our money even though you failed to provide any measure of service promised by or expected of the HILTON brand. Your words are as meaningless and empty as your promise of hospitality (and a follow up phone call) I'm not surprised; anybody in a position of authority who cowers behind the 'in a meeting' excuse clearly isn't the type to take any real responsibility.

This will be the last $300 that you and HILTON will steal from us and anyone else who reads this review.

Check in was easy and desk staff was friendly. Family was there on vacation on a Wednesday and they gave us a card for 2 complimentary free drinks. I was very impressed. Around 7pm I pulled out the couch sleeper for my 4 year old to sleep on. The mattress cover was stained with something the color of dried blood. I called the desk for a new cover, but no one ever came with it. I went down in person about 8pm to ask again. No one came. I went down again at 9pm. Kid is finally asleep in the big bed. A new desk person says "I'll get that for you" and comes back a few minutes later with a set of sheets. It took 2 hours on a Wednesday for a simple request. I can't imagine how long it would take on a busy night. I would much rather have good customer service than free drinks!