Graduate by Hilton Ann Arbor

The best part of a 45-minute hassle was the service from three dedicated gentlemen working valet and the man at the desk, Ben, I believe. They were amazing and went above and beyond. The room, though, hadn't been cleaned properly. It was small and stuffy, with hair in the shower, an odor from the drain, a dirty floor and sink, crumbs apparently swept under the rug and furniture, and hair all through the dark-colored sheets. I had asked the cleaning staff for a rag and supplies so I could clean it myself, but it was clearly beyond that. We turned around and found another hotel. We'd hoped to enjoy the beautiful artwork and architecture, but being out of town and facing this was really frustrating. We couldn't get that day's stay refunded because of the cancellation cutoff, though we did get the rest of the week refunded, including the outrageous security deposit. The location is also a drawback: parking choices are limited unless you valet, and finding your own spot could mean a 10-25 minute walk because of traffic, shops, and schools nearby. Several people told us this happens a lot, so think twice before booking here. We ended up finding a beautiful hotel.

I had such an uplifting conversation with Eric, an employee at Graduate Ann Arbor. He was professional, warm, personable, and genuinely helpful. He listened carefully and seemed focused on making our stay as positive as possible. When I meet customer service people like him, I wonder what in their lives or training made them so naturally good at it. He's terrific, and I wanted to share that. We'll be visiting next month!

We enjoyed our stay and would come back. The front desk, valet, and restaurant staff were engaging and pleasant, and went a little beyond what you'd expect. The front desk handled a few requests well, and I really felt they cared about making the visit easy and enjoyable. The Graduate Ann Arbor is a charming older historic building with renovated rooms and a playful decor that nods to University of Michigan history. It's limited service, with valet, luggage help, an on-site restaurant, gym, and pleasant public spaces. There's no room service, spa, or pool. Parking is scarce in Ann Arbor, so valet or a private garage is a must. My daughter and I had a queen suite with two queen beds and a small extra room with a couch and another TV. It was clean, though the bathroom was small, as you'd expect in a historic building. We noticed some wear on the wall in the sitting room. The rooms are a little compact, so consider a larger option like the queen suite if you want more space to relax. It's satisfactory overall, though it isn't a five-star hotel.

The room and location were lovely, and the front desk staff were warm. It's a shame the lost-and-found experience took so much away from an otherwise good stay. I accidentally left my personal pillow in the room when we changed rooms mid-stay. Over the next two days I went to the front desk five or six times, but nobody followed up. Each time I was given a vague line about how housekeeping was difficult to reach. It's strange to hear that at a hotel. The pillow was large and obvious, and should have been in a room staff cleaned and turned over, so having to chase it down so much was odd. At checkout, I also left a pair of silver hoop earrings behind. I called right away while heading to the airport and was told to file a ticket through IleftMyStuff.com. I submitted it immediately, but several weeks have passed with no reply.