Hilton Garden Inn Westchester Dobbs Ferry, NY

The breakfast was a letdown. The breakfast bar wasn't open, and my wife was told the only bread left for her eggs and toast was whole wheat. They'd run out of potatoes too, with no discount for the missing side. She ordered eggs over easy and they came undercooked. My breakfast sandwich tasted bland and lukewarm, and was clearly microwaved. With just one other table occupied, the food still took ages. Oddly, the restaurant did have 2% milk, though the lobby coffee station had run out. That coffee station looked neglected in the morning. There was one container of regular coffee, barely hot, with a filthy top. First we found cups but no lids and just one pitcher of 2% milk. When I went back for another cup, there were lids but no cups. They brought cups, then the milk ran out. Staff offered oat or almond milk instead. We were in town to move our daughter into an apartment. We'd stayed several times at the Hilton Garden in Providence RI and expected a similar standard here, but were disappointed. In the room next to ours, a man was shouting his replies to what I think was a speakerphone call around 10 pm. It took two calls to the desk before anyone acted. When I called again 15 minutes later because he was still shouting, I was told they'd called his room and he hadn't answered. I had to identify which room it was. I assume someone eventually went up, or he ended the call. I'm not sure I'd stay here again.

Monique at the front desk made sure I was comfortable and arranged a late checkout so I could sleep in. She also put me in the quiet part of the hotel, as I'd asked. Later I saw her escorting a mother with three young children to their room. The hotel was clean, and I really appreciate people like Monique who help with a smile.

The staff are still the best part of the place. The front desk people are amazing, kind, helpful, and always upbeat. The lobby looks nice too, and the location is really convenient. We love staying here and come often, so it's been disappointing to watch the rooms decline over the past five years. Nearly every armchair we've seen is ripped, and the bedspreads have pulls and look old. In the parking garage, you can expect to see and smell people smoking pot. I hope they put a little more into the rooms.

The good parts were a comfortable bed, a clean, adequate gym, and a convenient location. It's really the only choice in Dobbs Ferry, which worked well for us. Still, getting a change to my reservation sorted out took five calls, and the front desk was consistently crowded with a line. It felt understaffed. Both rooms had broken blinds that we had to tie up by hand in a messy, inconvenient way. One room's shower floor was damaged. The rest was fine. Breakfast wasn't included in our rate, and it didn't look particularly appealing anyway, so we went to Starbucks downstairs.