Homewood Suites by Hilton Belmont

Lina at the front desk made a real difference for us. We weren't hotel guests, just using the car charging facility, but she checked on us, made sure we were comfortable, and treated us with warmth and a genuine smile. When you're tired and struggling, that kindness means a lot. It was heartening to see someone so thoughtful. Thank you, Lina, for going above and beyond.

The room had a bad smell, no windows to open, and air that felt so stagnant everyone felt sick. We asked to move, but the only option offered was much higher in the building, even though we'd requested a ground-floor room. After we bought food to cook, we found the cooking utensils were broken and unusable. Staff did nothing about these problems. They also charged us for a room on a night we couldn't make it because of an emergency. Getting help was difficult throughout. No one was at the front desk for a long time when we needed to check in. We'd asked for extra towels before arriving, but they weren't there. When we finally found someone, she seemed annoyed about the request, left her friend in the lounge to get towels, and was gone for at least 20 minutes. She came back with just one large towel and two hand towels for three people staying two days. They added a $40 parking fee to the bill, which felt like a rip-off since the parking is directly below the hotel, at the first-floor level. Phone service was no better. It was hard to get anyone to answer, and if they did, we could be on hold or on the phone for an hour. The manager's name sounded like Pyle to me, though I'm sure I may be hearing it wrong. The staff seemed stretched thin across the whole property, and I don't think that setup is working. Some staff acted as if they couldn't understand or hear us, including when we called. It came across like they were pretending not to hear so they wouldn't have to help. People were rude, disrespectful, and hateful toward us as guests, and intentionally ignored us or refused to help. For a place in upscale Belmont, close to SF, I expected basic common-sense service. They don't seem to care about guests' time or money.

The room was nice and the kitchen had everything I needed, but the front desk service was rude. I asked for extra pillows because of my medical situation, and the guy responded dismissively that it was “too much.” I was surprised, since I'd never had that kind of response at other hotels when asking for pillows. It felt unprofessional.

The price was good value, and the whole process, from picking a room through checkout, went smoothly. The room was clean, updated, and comfortable, with a very comfortable bed. It met our needs well.