Aiken Midtown Hotel

I was in town for horse business and was glad to be right next door to the Dover Saddlery. The hotel is just outside downtown Aiken, with lots of places to eat and shop nearby. Breakfast had good choices, including well-prepared eggs and bacon and two kinds of waffles. My room was clean and comfortable, with a good mattress and pillows. Extra points for the natural skin care products, with no parabens or phthalates. It met the Hampton Inn standard I expected.

The problems started before we arrived for our daughter’s wedding. We’d booked well ahead, and the day before check-in I used the Hilton app and picked a top-floor room. The front desk said the app hadn’t worked and that our selected room was unavailable because a leak from the room above had caused water damage. That explanation didn’t add up since we’d chosen the top floor. The general manager then assigned us that same room and assured me there were no mold or bed bug issues. Later I overheard staff say Morgan had actually switched our room with someone else’s, which contradicted what I’d been told. The first-floor room we got was a poor place to spend the week. The bed sagged, the walls were marked, and the couch was stained. Our window looked straight onto the pool gate, close enough to touch if I opened it, so there was no privacy. With the hotel full in summer, noise from the pool was constant. We’d hoped for a clean, quiet, comfortable home away from home for the wedding, but this room fell well short. We went straight back to the desk, but were told they were overbooked and had no other rooms. The general manager agreed to refund my points for the first two nights, so I had to move to a Tru by Hilton 30 minutes away in the meantime. Because of the last-minute change, it cost another 45,000 Hilton Honors points and wiped out the fifth-night-free benefit I’d get for booking five consecutive nights. When I returned, the desk had no record of it and initially wanted me to book again. They eventually let me check in, saying they’d sort it out the next day. That evening, while I was at my daughter’s rehearsal dinner, Morgan called and insisted I rebook with more points. I explained the general manager had already resolved this and I wasn’t paying twice. The next day, Morgan apologized and admitted she’d reassigned my original room to another guest. She offered 10,000 points, but as a Hilton Diamond member I was frustrated that my loyalty status seemed to count for nothing, especially after my room was deliberately given away. Getting those 10,000 points took several follow-up calls. It felt like they hoped I’d give up. I finally received them yesterday, after calling again the day before. This was a frustrating stay, handled poorly and far below what I expect from a Hilton property. I hope the location improves its accountability and training. This is a shortened account, since everything that happened would take a lot more to explain. The CSR told the rewards line it was our fault we had to cancel part of the stay.

The hotel is older but clean and a bit worn. Breakfast was fair, about what you’d expect at a Hampton Inn, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I stayed one night while visiting family in Aiken.

They have decent facilities, including breakfast and a weight room, but everything feels old. It’s a good Hampton location, and they’re building a new one soon. For the high nightly rate, though, it didn’t feel worth it.