DoubleTree by Hilton Buffalo-Amherst

As a Hilton Gold member, I found this unacceptable. Cleanliness and customer service were the main problems. There was dust on the nightstands and around the TV, the sheets weren’t even tucked in, and I found a booger on my pillow. I called the front desk, but nobody came to address it. When I went down to ask for a replacement pillow, a staff member was yelling at another guest. The staff were generally unfriendly. I also asked them to refill the lemon water, and although they said they’d get someone, nobody ever did. Hilton hotels are usually pretty good, but this one needs to improve.

We couldn’t get anyone to answer when I called after checkout to complain. For a DoubleTree, this was an embarrassment, and I wouldn’t spend my money here again. The room was disgusting as soon as we walked in, with sticky floors and filth everywhere. Check-in was fine and the front desk staff were great, but we were exhausted after the Bills game and this was the last room that could fit five people, so we didn’t try to move. Breakfast was good the next morning. Then I saw housekeeping staff using a lint roller on the floors instead of cleaning properly, and talking badly about front desk employees in front of guests. That was completely unprofessional. The dirty room, poor cleaning, and staff behavior were not worth the price.

Amanda mentioned at check-in that the room I’d chosen might be noisy, so she moved us to another one. She also told us the water would be shut off from 1 to 4 each day. That was fine since we weren’t planning to spend time in the hotel, and we always had nice hot water, never lukewarm. The staff were amazing. I saw the terrible reviews and decided to check the place out myself. Construction is underway, as the Hilton app and signs around the property say. The hotel is dated, which explains the work. The room and bathroom may not look brand new and spotless, but they weren’t dirty, and I saw no sign of insects or poor care. In my opinion, if you want a good deal and can handle a few minor inconveniences, it’s comfortable enough for sleeping and can save you a few bucks.

I stayed one night, and the staff were rude. At 8 AM someone knocked on my door to ask when I was leaving, even though I’d paid to stay until checkout. The worst part happened as I was getting ready to leave: my vehicle had been vandalized. They were doing some kind of contracting work on the other side of the building, and a piece of plywood was leaning against my vehicle. It was badly scratched, and the driver’s side mirror was damaged. I told the front desk, but the woman there was rude and didn’t seem to care. She just gave me someone else’s number to call. I was told Manager Cynthia Reyes was the only person I could speak with. This happened on a Saturday; I called and emailed her, left messages, and got no response. Once someone at the hotel answered and said Cynthia wouldn’t be available until Wednesday. I called five days later, on Wednesday, and still couldn’t get an answer despite leaving more messages. Don’t spend money here. Stay somewhere else if you don’t want your vehicle damaged or to be treated like trash.