Hilton Appleton Paper Valley

The location near the Fox Valley Expo Center is the only reason I might come back. Our family was there for a weekend event, and the room became extremely hot after a power outage knocked out the air conditioning. Nobody told us what was happening. Setting the thermostat to 68 made no difference, and neither did lowering it to 60. I called the desk and was told the engineer was busy, with no estimated arrival time. Two hours later I called again, but the man I spoke with had no update. The engineer arrived half an hour after that, explained the outage had caused the problem, and agreed the room was hot. He fixed it, though it took a few more hours for the room to cool down. The bathroom was cramped, there was no toilet paper stocked, and I had to call the desk for a roll. Customer service was poor, and the stay didn’t feel comfortable or welcoming. This place could be much better, and it doesn’t meet Hilton’s standards.

The event team helped us plan every detail for our corporate gathering, and they did a great job. We had 25 people, and everyone was pleased with the clean, modern rooms. The conference space was impressive too, and the catered Mexican food was outstanding. There’s plenty here, including a restaurant, bar, pool, and fitness area. The hotel sits in the center of town, with several venues within walking distance. For a corporate event in Appleton, I highly recommend booking here.

I’d give this no stars if I could. Management tried to enter a paying guest’s room without warning over a non-vulgar sign in the window. If they wanted it taken down, they could simply have called the room. An unannounced attempt to come in felt like a violation of my privacy and rights. I’ll tell people this is a place where you can feel unsafe and violated in a room you paid for.

The rooms were tidy, the staff we met were nice, and being connected to the convention center is a big convenience. That’s the main reason I’d stay again, and only if I needed frequent access to the center during an event. Quiet matters to me at a hotel, and our room’s thin hallway door let conversations carry right in. One group even set up lawn chairs outside our door to chat, when the main floor is made for gathering. The front desk sent someone up, which was appreciated, but it happened again the second night. Girls ran and yelled in the hallway during the day and until 10 p.m., and kids were doing the same in the stairwell. I contacted the desk. It’s not the hotel’s fault that some guests are inconsiderate, but it should have clear rules about quiet, running, and leaving belongings out of the hall, and tell guests about them when they book. What could have been a nice stay ended up aggravating, upsetting, and not restful.