Hampton Inn Phoenix/Chandler

We stayed part of the night for a nearby hot air balloon fest, and things were decently good until breakfast. My family and I encountered an employee named rose who was snarky and unprofessional about everything my kids and I did. There were lots of families eating, but she seemed especially focused on us, a Hispanic family. This kind of reaction isn’t new for me, especially these days, but I want other people to know about rose, the “breakfast helper,” particularly if you’re a person of color.

I booked through Hotels.com, thinking this was the other hotel across town, so that part was my mistake. But they charged $15 a day for parking, which feels lousy when you’re already spending almost $1,000 on a stay. Our first room had a leaking showerhead and dirty towels on the floor. In the second room there was no shade to block the light at night. I checked out right away and went to the other Hampton Inn across town, which is much nicer and far superior. The front desk staff were friendly and helpful, and these problems weren’t their fault. Management needs to work with housekeeping and maintenance to fix them. You shouldn’t have to pay to park, either.

For what it cost, this stay wasn’t worth it. The bathroom was dirty: there was orange soap scum around the bottom of the shower, and it came off when I scrubbed it, so I don’t know why it hadn’t been cleaned. The walls were dirty too. My room door didn’t close properly, and every time housekeeping came in, they left it open. I returned to find the room unsecured. The pillows were awful, and breakfast was just okay, about what I’d expect from the hotel. The people working there were kind and helpful, and I liked the coffee and the convenient location for where I needed to be in AZ. I wouldn’t recommend it and would try somewhere else next time, unless there was a deal and the price was lower.

My room, 613, was missing an entire curtain. The rooms seem to have automatic curtains, but this one was completely broken off. When I asked about changing rooms, the front desk guy offered me a blanket to cover the window. How was the room cleaned and handed over to me in that state? He said another room would be available Friday, though I’d arrived Wednesday night, and gave me a reservation without canceling the original room. I was charged $2355. When I noticed the charge, the front desk customer service didn’t help at all. Don’t stay here. The other Hilton across the way is a better option.