Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh/Cary

The location near offices is the only real upside. I stayed five days, and no one came to clean the room, even though I’d requested it 24 hours ahead. Apparently they only clean after guests leave. There was a cockroach in the room, dust all over the cabinet doors, and paint was coming off the hangers in a room that had been renovated. The property is very old, and you can feel that as soon as you enter. My daughter had a persistent cough and fever while we were there, and stopped coughing once we left. The service was poor, and breakfast was the same stale, limited food every day. Even two-star hotels offer better options. The staff showed no courtesy to guests. This is one of the worst Hilton hotels I’ve stayed at.

The hotel was nice and quiet, and we had no issues during the stay. The digital key setup, though, seemed more trouble than it was worth. Check-in was at 3, and we were supposed to get an email then saying the room was ready so we could skip the desk. By 3:10 nothing had arrived, so we checked in normally. The email and key didn’t show up until 3:37. Using it means taking out the phone, opening the app, and selecting the digital key, while a room key is simpler. Still, we enjoyed our visit.

Breakfast was decent, with the usual hot and cold basics. The fresh juice stations and real ceramic coffee cups were the nicest part of the stay. But when I tried to get online afterward, the WiFi didn’t recognize my Hilton Rewards membership. I went back to the desk to have another associate add my phone number to the reservation. She seemed reluctant, and apparently entered it incorrectly, since I still couldn’t connect. I used my own hotspot instead and doubt the stay will be credited to my account. Then a fire alarm started blaring while I was working. I had a meeting within the hour, so I packed up and left rather than wait. It was painfully loud, and my ears were still ringing ten hours later. The biggest letdown was the front desk service. Both associates seemed disengaged, scrolling on their phones until a guest came over. Requests brought eye rolls and heavy sighs. Guests shouldn’t feel like a burden. The building looks impressive, but the service fell short. This was my first stay at Homewood Suites in Cary. From the outside it looked grand, and the lobby had a beautiful staircase, large fireplace, and dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. That first impression didn’t last. At check-in, the associate rolled her eyes, and the exchange felt cold. I was given a wheelchair-accessible room, which surprised me, but I was tired and only staying one night, so I didn’t question it. The room felt sparse and poorly maintained. The sheets didn’t fit the mattress properly, and the old mattress felt like it swallowed me. There was nowhere to hang a jacket or put a suitcase properly, and no bedroom trash can, just a tiny one in the bathroom. A large gap under the door let bright hallway light fill the room all night. If you like sleeping with a nightlight, that’s what you get. The property looked better from the outside than it felt once inside. I also had a hard time getting the stay credited through WiFi, and left early because of the alarm.

The room seemed okay, though I didn’t try the kitchen appliances. One front desk woman was really nice, and the location was useful. Those are the only reasons I’m giving two stars. The place and rooms are very dated, with construction going on. The fitness room wasn’t open, both elevators looked like they were falling apart inside, and the hallway smelled funky. My room wasn’t cleaned unless I went out of my way to request specific days. The shower pressure was poor, someone had left an old soap bar in it, and the detergent used on the linens made my skin break out. During construction the water was shut off, then brown liquid came out of the sink. The fire alarm also went off twice during my stay. Breakfast was low to mid tier.