Hilton Garden Inn Santo André

I booked a month at this hotel but left after only a few nights. It was the worst Garden Inn, or Hilton property, I’ve ever stayed at. Most staff were pleasant, but they couldn’t resolve problems as a team. The breakfast was very poor. The same hot dishes appeared every day: scrambled eggs, hotdogs in tomato sauce, and couscous that didn’t look like couscous. They were often lukewarm. The machine coffee tasted instant, and there was no option for an unsweetened cappuccino. Water at breakfast tasted moldy. I asked staff to check the dispenser and they gave me a free canned water, but a couple of days later the water still tasted moldy. The gym dispensers had a “change filter” light on, and the water tasted moldy there too. I reported it, but it still wasn’t fixed two days later, so I reported it to reception again. The internet was slow. One night it was so bad I had to report it. Even when it worked, it was too slow for Wi-Fi calling, so I had to go to the lobby each time. The room phone had a lot of noise, and a technician couldn’t fix it. There were no facial tissues. Cleaning was poor, with dust on surfaces and smelly pillows. There was a minibar, but no free drinking water for elites, which I thought was a perk. Some odor also came in every morning for some reason. The payment terminal wasn’t recognized as a Hilton property. As a result, I couldn’t use Amex Hilton gift cards, didn’t earn bonuses with my Amex Hilton card, and didn’t get a quarterly statement credit on Hilton spending. I’ll need to escalate it. I sent these issues in Hilton’s post-stay survey. Wanturyr Alencar, Front Desk Supervisor, replied from an email address I couldn’t reply to and gave no contact information. Wanturyr clarified that Hilton Honors members are entitled to 2 free cans of water at check-in, which I wasn’t offered. Even if I had been offered them, that seems extremely stingy for guests staying several nights in a region where tap water isn’t potable. Wanturyr also said they were sending additional points for the problems, but after more than 2 weeks, they still hadn’t arrived. I attached a photo of the towel. I had to laugh at the handwritten Hilton on it.

I came to Santo Andre on business and moved to this hotel because it had a room available. I planned to stay for the rest of my trip, but the Wi-Fi didn’t work. They moved me to another room, with the same problem, then said they were resetting the router. When it still didn’t work, they told me it was down. They offered me a choice: go to a cheaper, more run-down hotel next door where the Wi-Fi worked, or use the lobby Wi-Fi. After one day, I moved hotels because I didn’t feel welcome.

The staff were as friendly and helpful as you could ask for. It’s a nice hotel in a very good location.

I live in USA and enjoyed my stay. The front desk team was amazing and spoke English. Ricardo, Felipe, Tatiana, and Larisaa were very helpful. Ricardo is a character who’ll make you laugh, and I enjoyed talking with him. Breakfast was good, and I thought Hilton Santo Andre was on the same level as what you get in the USA. I also want to thank Igor, the breakfast attendant, for looking after me when I wasn’t feeling well. He works every day and does everything with a smile. I wish the young kid luck in life. I’d hire 5 Igor to run my business. There’s a small park a few minutes away for walking, basketball, and lifting weights. I liked it. There’s also a free hotel shuttle guests can use around Santo Andre, up to 10 km, Monday through Friday from 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm. A few local tips: the agua de Coco guy outside the carrefour supermarket entrance is a 5-minute walk away and sells fresh coconut water for 5 reals. Amazing people work there. I also recommend the self sevice Lavanderia selava santo andre, 8 minutes from the hotel. I had a dental emergency and went to Dr. gilson at Av Artur de Queirós, 819. Santo andre. Cheap and excellent doctor who spoke English. The workout room is small, with room for about 5 people, and its ceiling needs renovation. Food quality at lunch and dinner has gone down since last year. I hope they fix it. Frango parmesan tasted better last year than this year.