DoubleTree by Hilton Columbus

After a few hours of rest, we canceled our reservation and moved to another Hilton nearby. Our shoes stuck to the room floor, making sticky suction sounds as we walked. We didn’t want to go barefoot or even wear socks. The TV had an unknown sticky smear and didn’t look clean, and the windowsill was covered in dead bugs and tobacco. The room wasn’t the one we booked either, it had two doubles instead of a king, and there were no other rooms available. We’d reserved three nights and four days but left after just nine hours. The area felt sketchy, and we had to be buzzed into the lobby, although reception and key pickup went fine. The attendant or manager said she couldn’t refund our points and told us to contact Hilton Honors, which kept us from using the points we’d earned on our next stay. As a Hilton Honors member, I found this one of my more disappointing stays. The property we moved to was amazing.

The bathroom was never cleaned, the toilet paper wasn’t replenished, and when towels were replaced they were left on dirty linen instead of in the bathroom. Housekeeping only took out the trash and replaced towels. The beds weren’t made and the linens weren’t changed. I expected top tier service as a Hilton Honors member, but this wasn’t the Hilton standard I’m used to, and I wouldn’t recommend booking here. We booked this for my best friend’s birthday surprise, and the water never got hot. When I first complained, I was told, “It depends on the time of day.” After traveling all day from another state, cold showers were not what we wanted, and we had them all weekend. I complained again at the front desk, got put on hold, and was then told she’d written it down. There was no explanation or accommodation.

The front desk staff were kind and understanding when I asked to switch rooms, and they helped me do it. But the replacement was just as bad as the first. There was hair and grime on the floors and between the sheets, sticky patches, stains, crumbs on the desk and nightstand, and dried urine in several spots on the toilet seat. The mirrors had a cloudy film, too. I took photos because I was honestly nervous about complaining without proof, though they still don't show how dirty it felt in person. I've stayed in hotels all over for work, often, and this was the worst by far. I've seen similar complaints in other reviews, so this seems ongoing. It's a shame the staff have to deal with it. Please fix the cleaning.

The people were nice, but the cleanliness was awful. I travel for work nearly every week, sometimes staying in two hotels, and this was the dirtiest Doubletree I've been in, possibly the dirtiest hotel. The lobby and desk area were filthy. My first room had debris all over the floor and a dirty toilet and shower, so I asked to move. The second was somewhat better, but the floor still felt sticky, the bathroom floor behind the door had hair and dirt, and I found two different-looking hairs in the shower. There was also a capsule of some kind of medication on the couch. If the room had been cleaned, someone should have found it. I checked the bed carefully and didn't see signs of bed bugs, but I'll wash everything in hot water when I get home. I wore flip-flops all the time because I couldn't stand my feet touching the floor, and even showered in them. The gym looked clean at a glance, but the wipes were dry, so I couldn't wipe down the equipment. The water was empty, with a full jug left outside the door. I was too uneasy to eat breakfast, since the rooms made me worry about the kitchen too. I'm very disappointed and won't return. I'm shocked Hilton allows this, because it puts the brand at risk.