Hilton Garden Inn Bristol

The breakfast bowls were lovely and delicious, and the server seemed friendlier when she brought them over. But I found a piece of plastic in mine and couldn’t tell her, since she didn’t return after clearing my daughter’s dishes and was busy cashing out the drawer. We stopped during a road trip after having a good stay here a couple of years earlier. Check-in was a pleasure thanks to the young front desk clerk, around 5:50 p.m. on 12/12. We got a pet-friendly room, paid the $75 non-refundable pet fee, and were told breakfast ran from 6-10 a.m. The room was quiet, with no light coming through under the door, though it stayed a bit cool even after we turned up the thermostat. The beds were so firm that my lower back hurt in the morning. We were worn out from the drive and slept until it seemed safe to get back on the road, while still leaving time for breakfast. I took the dog out, and we planned to take turns getting food because she can’t be left alone in the room. My teenage daughter went first around 9:35-9:40 a.m. and came back to say breakfast was table service, not the self-serve buffet we’d expected. We hurried upstairs for the car keys so the dog could wait in the car with the remote start keeping her warm in the chilly weather. We got to the breakfast area at 9:49. The server seemed impatient that we’d arrived then, even though it was still within the advertised hours. She immediately said she was about to stop serving and asked if we knew what we wanted. We hadn’t sat down yet, so we didn’t. After we checked the menu and chose quickly, we heard someone from the kitchen loudly complain that there was always somebody who waited until the last minute. It felt rude and unprofessional. We were late in the window, but we’d already tried to get food earlier. Breakfast was supposed to be included with our room because of our Hilton Honors level. We chose Greek yogurt and fruit bowls to be considerate and avoid anything that took longer to cook. I was initially willing to overlook the uncomfortable bed and back pain because the hotel seemed nice. Some other employees, especially housekeeping, were friendly and kind. At checkout, though, the man at the front desk seemed indifferent, took our keys, and didn’t ask how the stay was. The breakfast staff’s impatient or rude attitudes will make me think twice before returning. We’ve stayed at many Hilton properties, and this kind of behavior hasn’t been typical.

The $75 a night charge for a pup seems steep compared with other hotels. Still, Cracker Barrel is right next door, which is handy. I stayed overnight while passing through and found it a decent hotel. The room was clean, the bed softer than I like, and the shower had plenty of hot water. The clerks were okay, though nobody recognized me as a Hilton member.

There’s a small shop in the lobby with a decent range of food and drinks, and the lobby bar serves food fairly late, I believe until 10:00 p.m. each night. The pool is small but does the job. This Hilton Garden Inn is ordinary, nothing special, though its spot just off I-81 is convenient. We found the rooms clean and comfortable.

The lobby fragrance was much too strong. A coworker staying there at the same time felt the same way, and it gave both of us an immediate headache, so we skipped breakfast and didn’t sit in the lobby. That’s why I wouldn’t stay here again, though I’d recommend it with a warning about the air freshener. I was there for five days recently. The room was decent, but worn in places, with stains on the bedroom and bathroom walls and a very dirty bathroom fan. The front desk staff were friendly and helpful when I needed to extend my stay a couple of times.