Hilton Leicester

I've visited many times over the years and found the hospitality very good. Reception were courteous, efficient and helpful, confirmed the booking and explained mealtimes. The room was spotless, including the cups, kettle, towels and sheets. Room service costs £5 extra, or you can eat breakfast and take the food back to your room for free. We were there for 3 nights and had booked dinner each evening, expecting an à la carte menu. Instead there were around 5 starters, mains like burgers, pasta, simple curry and pizza, and about 4 puddings. The food was nicely cooked, but I prefer a more upmarket dinner with steaks, chicken or pork. We ended up having dinner at the hotel just 2 nights and going elsewhere for variety.

Being near Fosse Park sounded useful, but the traffic was so bad that we'd have been better off avoiding the area. Our room itself was lovely, but there was a wedding in the wing next to reception. Bangla drums went on late, then drunk guests shouted in the corridor and banged doors until about 4.00 a.m., so we barely slept. Breakfast was buffet style, which I don't mind much, though the food quality wasn't brilliant.

We asked for a ground floor room but were told they were all full. A lift to the 2nd floor would be helpful for us elderly guests. The rooms looked like tired, scruffy early 90s spaces, with grubby carpets, outdated furniture and a lumpy bed. The fixed shower head and noisy cistern didn't help. I asked for 3 pillows and got a disdainful response before 2 finally appeared. The staff seemed utterly miserable, perhaps worried about the upcoming transition, but customers shouldn't have to bear the stress of their jobs. We expected a warm Hilton welcome, a clean, modern room, a good bathroom and bed, and excellent food, but it felt nothing like a luxury hotel. We're Hilton Honours clients and have never seen such a contradiction. At breakfast, staff only asked for our room number, with no hello, please or explanation of the setup. We knew what to do, but other guests were left to figure it out themselves. Dinner was another letdown. The calamari starter had 7 badly cooked pieces and a smear of sauce, with no salad. The Chicken Lebanese dish was tasteless and gritty, and I left nearly all of it. I was hoping the salad tonight would be better. The pizza looked okay and the nachos were above average. This Wowcher stay was already a disappointment. We've done nearly 60 and this is the worst yet. I'm surprised Wowcher put their name to it. I'll update after day 2 breakfast, but if you're in Leicester, give the place a wide berth until it's renovated.

The rooms were really unpleasant and let the place down badly. The carpets, walls and curtains were stained, there was mold in the bathroom, the furniture and fixtures were very dated, and the room stank of cigarette smoke. It didn't feel clean, and there were no finishing touches. Even basic things were missing, like hand soap and biscuits with the tea and coffee, things you'd get in budget hotels. The staff were all lovely and the food was good, which makes it a shame that the hotel hasn't been updated or maintained to Hilton standard.