Hampton Inn Batavia

The rooms were clean, but the front desk needs more capable people. We’d booked online through our app, but no one was there when we arrived, so we rang the bell. A woman with bright red hair eventually came out. She seemed either high or like we’d woken her, and was struggling to check us in. She left to look for her glasses, and by then we told her to give us any room with a king bed. She kept complaining she had too much work, then finally assigned us a room. It had two double beds instead. We weren’t going back downstairs to deal with her again.

I’ve stayed at this Hampton Inn for about 20 years and had been very happy with it until last week. The room was comfortable, but it felt like they’d cut back on the basics: no tissues, fewer trash baskets, no paper pads, and cheap wall-mounted toiletries. The parking lot was coated in ice, like it hadn’t been plowed and the melted snow had frozen again. The midweek, off-season price booked directly with the hotel was outrageous. There are plenty of other hotels in Batavia, so you’d think the competition would bring prices down. On my return the next weekend, I booked a more luxurious Marriott closer to Buffalo airport for $40 less.

I’ve stayed here many times and have been a Hilton Honors member for years, usually choosing Hilton. This visit on the first day was below standard, and it’ll be my last booking here. The first room’s bed had been slept in and wasn’t made or cleaned. In the second room, the beds were made but still dirty, with dried snot and hair on a pillow. We bring our own pillows, so I set all of them aside. There was no toilet paper, so I had to go back down for some. The tub had peeling pieces, rust, and hair by the drain, and the no-slip mat stuck to the bottom looked nasty. As a nurse, I can only think about the bacteria trapped underneath. The stools should have wheels, but instead they’d been tossed in the corner rather than fixed. The pool is always a toss-up as to whether it’ll be working. It is right now, so we’ll see about checking it out tomorrow. Breakfast is usually pretty good, and I’m hoping it doesn’t disappoint in the morning. I included pictures of the issues.

The bathroom tub had long black hairs in it and across the counter and walls when I arrived. I’d booked a room with a tub because I was doing outdoor work during a very cold week, but I didn’t want to clean a hotel bathroom myself, so I didn’t use it. The room was freezing, and the thermostat was dead, with no remote or other way to control the HVAC. The entire third floor smelled like something had gone bad, from the elevator to my room. There were dated light fixtures that hummed loudly, and a switch that seemed to control only the microwave outlet. I usually stay at Hilton properties for work because they tend to meet my expectations, but this was my first disappointing Hilton stay. I won’t return and will tell our construction crew and subcontractors to avoid it. Last time I was in the area for work, the Brockport Hampton Inn was much more pleasant. I’ll go back there, even with a 30-minute drive to the site instead of two minutes. That drive is worth it to avoid these subpar standards. The cleaning lady did leave a card asking for a tip, though.