Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta North/Alpharetta

The beds were comfortable, we had enough toiletries, and parking was good in a safe area with office buildings and a few restaurants across the street. But our two-night soccer tournament stay had a lot of problems. Check-in took ages because the system was down. The clerk was nice, but called our room at 11:30 p.m. and woke us to ask if we had our keys. Someone else in our group had to wait until the next day for keys, and another had guests knock because they’d been assigned the same room. We couldn’t get the Wi-Fi working. One guest’s door lock stopped working, and even management couldn’t get into the room with all their belongings inside. They were told maintenance would come Monday, though it was Saturday, and had to call corporate for help. A day-shift desk attendant was rude to several guests. Rooms weren’t serviced, so people had to go to the desk for towels and coffee pod refills. One of our dresser drawers also kept opening on its own.

I won’t book here again. I only chose this hotel because my favorite, the Doubletree, was sold out for Valentine’s Day. My reservation was canceled that day without a phone call, and the email said my card had been declined. I booked through booking.com, had a card saved on file, and always choose pay later. Keyonna kept trying to charge the card, then canceled before check-in time. When I called, she said they were sold out. I was already on my way, so I booked again through booking.com, where I saw four rooms available, and contacted them about what had happened. They apologized, said I wouldn’t be charged, and confirmed my new booking. They had to contact Hilton about the first reservation and spoke with Keyonna, who said she couldn’t accommodate me. There were then two rooms showing on booking.com. If the hotel was sold out, why weren’t the rooms taken off the site? The Doubletree had done that. I feel she lied about everything, including saying there were no rooms and that she’d called me.

The staff were overwhelmed, but they helped me find a room that matched what I’d paid for, even though it wasn’t where I wanted to be in the hotel. The network was down for my whole stay, and the app couldn’t confirm the room I’d checked into. Because of the technical problems, I ended up on a lower floor near the elevator and never got a room key. Inside, my only issue was a shower handle with a jagged crack. The hotel is very convenient for my office, so I’ll try it again. I’d rate it much lower if I judged only by this first stay, but I hope next time goes better and earns five stars.

We had a great visit, despite the low ratings others have left. It’s a quiet location with attentive, friendly staff and a solid breakfast. There’s also a great Mexican restaurant within walking distance.