Homewood Suites by Hilton St. Louis-Chesterfield

I had an early 4:50 am checkout for a work trip and knew I'd leave something behind. I did, an $800 camera I'd worked hard to buy. At the airport, with only four minutes before my flight, I called and spoke with Jewel. Her shift was ending in just 20 minutes, but she immediately went to retrieve the camera herself before it could be lost with housekeeping, then gave it to the manager so it would be safely returned to me. Her care, quick thinking, and dedication were above and beyond. People like Jewel make a hotel stay outstanding. Thank you for going the extra mile, literally!

The room was clean, the stay was enjoyable, and we spent time at the Outlet mall and Main Event. I booked a suite for my son and a few friends for his birthday. The location was especially handy, with Schnucks within walking distance. The boys were looking forward to using the outdoor pool, but it was closed even though it was early October and the weather was still nice. Next time I'll look for a suite with an indoor pool. The exercise room was also smaller than I expected, about the size of a closet, with only an elliptical and a few hand weights.

The latter part of my stay was fine after I changed rooms, but the service overall fell below expectations. The first room had debris left by the previous guest and a sticky floor from dried liquid. The kitchen pans and cutlery were so disgusting that I felt nauseous for days; I bought disposable items, pans, and bowls and practically cleaned the room myself. I didn't feel comfortable eating hotel food after that. The next morning, there was no hot water in the bathroom. Both room phones were dead, and the customer service number on the website said the line was inactive, so I had to take a cold shower. Later I found the air conditioning wasn't working. I reported it to guest services on my way out, hoping it would be fixed by the time I returned, but the room was still hot. I called again, and Tech Support came around 5pm. The unit was broken, so I had to move rooms. Guest services didn't apologize or help with the move. A kind Technician offered to bring up a luggage cart, but I had to load and push it myself at 7pm to a room some distance away. When I described what had happened to a woman who said she was the head of housekeeping, she barely let me finish before saying I'd reported it the previous day and she could only help if I let the team. She seemed rushed and showed no empathy. At the front desk, the lady with dreads came across as impatient and unprofessional in her body language. Another staff member was consistently warm, apologized, and offered to look up sister Hilton hotels if I wanted to try somewhere else for the Hilton experience. She said she might speak with her manager about possible compensation, but someone in the office behind reception interrupted, and she shut the door to speak with them, leaving me standing there. I booked based on reviews, but the experience in that first room was poor. The rest of my stay at Hilton Frontenac was much better: they gave excellent service, checked on me daily, and had a commendable shuttle bus.

The rooms really do look like the photos. I spent two nights here over the weekend and found the front desk employees very kind and welcoming. Hospitality staff can have to deal with rude guests, which must be hard, but people here were lovely. I liked that the room felt like a one-bedroom apartment. It had a stove, microwave, full-size refrigerator, and two flat-screen TVs, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The bathroom was nice, with the sink and full-length mirror outside it. There's a traditional luxury stovetop if you want to cook, or you can shop nearby. Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, restaurants, and stores are down the street in Chesterfield Missouri, and Schnucks is right across from the hotel, easy to reach on foot or by car. I'd say see the hotel for yourself and decide how you feel about it. Reviews can vary because some people are hard to please and others aren't, so a low rating alone doesn't tell you what your own experience will be.