Homewood Suites by Hilton Brownsville

The hallways were dirty, the room's A/C units were very loud, and the whole property felt neglected. That was especially disappointing for our wedding weekend, August 7-11, after we'd stayed here before without problems and expected the same quality. We checked in Thursday, August 7. The room wasn't cleaned Friday, Saturday, our wedding day, or Sunday, even though we asked the front desk repeatedly. They said they had other priorities and would send someone, but each time we came back to an untouched room. By Sunday the trash was overflowing, there were no clean towels, and the room badly needed attention. Someone finally came only after another trip downstairs and a wait. We also tried to do laundry while the room was being cleaned. They said we needed quarters and wouldn't take a card, so we went upstairs for cash. When we came back, they said they didn't have change after all. We spent a lot on an important trip and were left with a very uncomfortable, disappointing stay. I expected better.

The laundry setup was my biggest frustration during more than 80 nights here over six months. There are only four washer and dryer sets for this huge hotel, and each wash or dry costs $1.50. The two machines on the left keep taking quarters, and you can't add time to them because they don't work properly. Dryer cycles are only 30 minutes, so heavy work clothes don't dry in one go. For a business stay costing over $1,000 a week, you'd think laundry would be free. Most rooms are nice, but a good number have serious water damage, stay damp, and smell moldy. The hallways have water damage too, so fans have to run constantly.

They have renovation plans on display, but my stay was bad enough that I won't return even after the work is done. The lobby looks nice and updated when you walk in, while the rooms are in poor condition. We had rooms on both the first and third floors, and neither was in good shape. For what we paid, the room was extremely expensive. The furniture was torn, the old windows were so worn and weathered that all I could see was smudging, one bed sagged into a visible U shape, and the hallway smelled stale and dirty.

Lisa made the place feel like home and kept going out of her way to help us. It's truly a gem, and one of the best places I've stayed. I'll be back.