Homewood Waterloo St. Jacobs

The suite layout felt a bit odd. The sink was outside the bathroom, while the tub, shower, and toilet were together in a separate room. The living room was small for four people, and the bedroom was much bigger than it needed to be. It was my first stay at this location, though I've stayed at a Hilton before. The hotel was very nice overall, and the staff were helpful and pleasant.

The biggest problem was the sealed-up feeling in the room. The windows don't open, the air felt stuffy, and the AC was so noisy it was impossible for the adults and children to sleep. It felt like being in a jar. Some guests on our floor even left their doors open at night to get fresh air. That one issue overshadowed the hotel's good points. There were other inconveniences. The hallways on every floor had a strong synthetic smell, perhaps from the carpet or wallpaper, while on the first floor the pool's chlorine smell spread across the whole level. In our kitchenette there were hardly any dishes, so cooking or reheating food wasn't possible. The room also had no shower gel, pen, or notepad. Its lighting was dim even with all the lights on, and the large TV couldn't stream from a phone, only connect by HDMI to a laptop. For four guests, there were only two chairs and a sofa, so another chair would have helped. The door locks made a loud metallic noise when they closed. Since the handles can't be pressed from outside, the doors couldn't be shut quietly, and we kept hearing bangs from other rooms at night. Breakfast was fine, but staff didn't always refill yogurt or sausages, and we had to ask a few times. The staff uniform looked like tight gym wear, which felt out of place in the breakfast area. The building has been renovated and looks new, clean, and modern inside. The beds, including the extra beds, were cozy and in good shape, housekeeping did a great job, and staff were consistently friendly and polite. The hotel has potential, but I hope management improves ventilation or lets guests open the windows.

The walking trails right behind the hotel made it easy to get outside with our dog, and the suite layout worked perfectly for us. We stayed at the Homewood Suites in St. Jacob's, and the room was spacious, clean, and very comfortable. Its rates are quite reasonable, too, and the staff were friendly and very helpful. You'd never know from looking around the lobby and rooms that it's pet-friendly. We enjoyed it enough that we're staying there again this Christmas. Merry Christmas to Homewood and the staff.

We booked months ahead for a wedding trip, but at 2PM on our check-in date we got an email saying the hotel was overbooked and a phone call saying there was a maintenance issue. The explanations conflicted. They offered to downgrade us to a studio, which wasn't suitable since we were traveling with children. We ended up staying at a different hotel. A very poor experience.