Hilton Garden Inn Dallas-Allen

The room was comfortable and quiet, and the beds were nice. The hotel itself was clean and pleasant, but I wouldn't pay for the breakfast again. At $16 each, the food was worse than breakfasts I've had at budget motels. They had a silver tray of microwaved frozen pancakes, hard as rocks and inedible, instead of a DIY waffle maker. The rest was the sort of basic continental food you'd expect anywhere. With three of us, it cost $50 before tip, bringing our one-night stay to about $200. The two Dasani bottles in the room came with a sign saying they were free for members and $3 each otherwise, which was odd. We stayed in the area another night, less than a mile up the interstate at Hilton Homewood Suites. The rooms were even nicer there, the food was fresher and tasted better, and we paid less overall. This hotel is fine to stay at, but I'd plan on breakfast somewhere else or bring food.

The hotel was clean, up to date, and everything worked. We were on the 6th floor, and the beds were comfortable with a great shower. I also had no trouble connecting my Roku over HDMI or using our travel wireless router. The TV can be controlled through the phone app. We were in town for a Friday/Saturday event in McKinney, and the location was convenient, right beside award-winning restaurant Two Rows with easy access to the Marriott Convention Center. Using the app to check in before arrival and get keyless entry meant we could go straight to the room. I recommend using that feature. When I did speak with the front desk after the event, the interaction was quick and positive. I'd highly recommend staying here.

The bed was scratchy and uncomfortable, and the pillows were flat, flimsy, and offered no support. Luckily I'd brought my own. A decent night's sleep is the bare minimum a hotel should provide. For $180 a night, this felt like a budget motel. The shower curtain was ripped and stained, and the toilet shifted when I sat down, with a piece visibly missing from the base. Very unsettling. As a conference overflow hotel charging this much, I expected a clean, safe, comfortable room. This stay was none of those things. They need to make serious updates. The quality isn't worth the price, and I won't stay here again.

At the contract stage, a 24% service charge suddenly appeared, including on outside catering fees. Before that, Hilton Garden Inn had given us pricing without mentioning this charge and said the services were covered by the outside catering fees. We tried to book an event there, but the catering and sales team were not upfront and kept us in the dark until the contract. Please read the fine print. I usually don't, and I'm glad I did this time. I wouldn't work with this place.