Hilton Garden Inn Albany/SUNY Area

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn/SUNY with family in late October and early November 2025. The college nearby wasn't a problem, and parking was free. This was my first Hilton stay, and I'd come back to this one. The lobby is spacious, nicely decorated, and has plenty of places to sit. Staff greeted us when we arrived and got us our keys. Since I'd downloaded the app beforehand, I also had a digital key for the kids' room. The app's chat feature never got back to me, though, so I ended up calling the hotel a few days later. We used a luggage cart, and the room was warm when we came in from the cold. It was roomy, but strangely dim despite having several lights. Our connecting room worked well, and when we asked for more washcloths, someone brought them up within minutes. We found several strands of hair on one bed. I told the front desk as we headed out that evening, and the bedding had been changed by the time we returned. The beds were comfortable, but the bathroom was small, especially the tub and shower. The hotel has a restaurant serving food for an extra charge, though I didn't try it, and there's also a convenience store. I can't comment on the restaurant.

The stay itself was good, but I'd skip the paid breakfast. It cost $15 for a basic continental spread, and most of the food seemed processed. The French toast we tried was processed, barely warm, and tasted stale. The pancakes were pasty, like mix and water, and seemed to have no baking powder. The egg was the only thing made fresh, and it was adequate. Calling items freshly made and charging restaurant prices felt misleading.

The staff were friendly, especially the young man who checked us in. He had a great personality. We were disappointed, though, to find out the pool and Jacuzzi advertised on the website were gone after renovations, and the site hadn't been updated. On Saturday morning we were even handed a dinner menu for the in-house restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner from 5 pm. But when my husband and I tried to order that night, the front desk said there was no Saturday dinner service.

It was below 4 degrees outside, and we had just come in wanting something hot. Karen from F&B suggested the tomato basil bisque, and we were so glad we listened. Both of us thought it was the best tomato basil bisque soup we'd ever had. We thanked Chef Thomas for the cooking, and Karen for making dinner such a memorable one.