Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Lewiston Riverwatch

For Bates’ graduation, this hotel worked out really well. It was excellent and only a short drive from campus. Gibson was especially great, even finding me DAWN soap to get a stain out. The whole staff was phenomenal. I’d highly recommend it to anyone passing through the Lewiston / Auburn area.

I left very disappointed. The hotel costs more than places that are better, and parking was strangely limited, or at least there wasn’t much reasonable parking. I chose it because the photos clearly showed a hot tub, which my wife finds helpful for sinus headaches. We were on vacation, and I thought she could use it. But the tub had been removed, with a floor put over it, and the photos hadn’t been updated. The front desk didn’t seem to care and blamed third parties for outdated photos, even though they were the hotel’s own Google Maps photos. They’re also responsible for updating amenity lists elsewhere. The rooms have shallow tubs that you can’t really bathe in. The water was only tepid, and the microwave was a roughly 700W mini one that couldn’t even boil water when I tried to heat some. Hilton feels like a Potemkin village now.

Jackie Mo checked my sister and me in this past weekend, and she was so friendly, helpful, and funny that we felt welcome right away. The room was extra clean and the beds were really comfortable. We appreciated the coffee, tea, and lemon lavender ice water. The food at the bar was decent, and the waitstaff were very nice. It was a positive stay, and I’ll definitely come back when I visit my son at Bates. :)

The chocolate cake was terrific, though the rest of the buffet dinner was just okay: salad, carrots, roasted potato, cheese tortelini, chicken breast or pork loin, and bread. The tables were beautifully set for the dinner function, but packed too tightly, with little elbow room for 10 people at a table. It was a budget buffet for close to 200 guests, and I appreciate the hotel’s efforts. Thank you.