Hampton Inn St. Louis - Columbia

My widowed friend booked a room at this Columbia, Illinois hotel for a homeless couple because she wanted to help them during a spell of really cold weather. She was told to put a credit card on file for $80 in essentials and that the money would be returned within a week of checkout. The couple said they never received snacks, and my friend still hasn’t gotten her $80 back. She paid for four nights. When she asked for an itemized receipt, they said they couldn’t provide one. A woman at the desk told her today to ask her bank to get the money back. This is so sad. Please beware.

The pool being closed for renovation was a big letdown, especially since we had an eight-year-old with us who was excited to use it. We weren’t told about the closure until after booking, and they didn’t lower the rate. Breakfast was mediocre too, with runny oatmeal, dry omelets that looked like they’d been made the day before, and strange sausage. The rooms are showing wear, including worn, soiled carpet and loose plumbing fixtures. The heating and cooling controls were confusing, and the instructions on the unit’s placard didn’t match how it worked. It’s okay for a night or two, but I wouldn’t suggest staying longer.

The heating and cooling was awful. I’d set the wall control to 71, then the room would heat to 78 before dropping to 65. It made sleeping difficult, and I can only imagine what that does to utility costs. Breakfast was another disappointment. On several mornings the oatmeal was basically water with an oat flavor. The lobby pantry had almost no snacks and not a single diet drink. CVS is across the way, which helped, but it was still inconvenient. A lot of small issues add up to make this one of the worst Hampton Inns I’ve stayed in. I’ve had Diamond status for two years and stayed at plenty. This place needs management with experience and competence.

The staff were all very kind, and breakfast service was fine, though the selection was small. The rest of the stay was rough. There was a party in another room until 1 a.m., and later I woke up to someone vomiting. With no soundproofing, we heard it all as if it were happening in our room. The AC controls barely worked, and our room smelled moldy. The bathroom looked like it had been remodeled in a hurry and badly, possibly to cover up mold.