Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax

This Garden Inn was a poor Hilton stay for me. Check-in was a little slow because of my digital key, and there was barely a greeting at the desk. The lobby seating looked nice, but the 24/7 bistro had a limited selection. Parking was free and open when I arrived, though the spaces were narrow and leftover snow made them feel tighter. The hotel is near business and residential areas, a small shopping center, and other shopping, though it’s away from the airport. My room felt dead when I walked in. There was no welcome message on the TV, and a marijuana smell seemed to be coming from the next room. Pink streaky mold covered the ceilings. There was hair in the walk-in area and stains behind the toilet, and I could hear other guests through the shower vent. The rooms are small, around 400 square feet or less, and stacked close together. Neighboring guests coughing and their TV were loud enough that I kept earplugs in the whole stay. The bed was the one decent part of the room. The sheets were okay, and the mattress seemed fairly new, had no stains, and wasn’t worn enough to bother me while sleeping. The bedding was average, though moving the sheets quickly made static sparks, which was a strange light show. I was overcharged, and only got a receipt after asking. Usually my Hilton stays are processed and the charges updated, but here I’m still waiting on slow staff to correct the account. Avoid.

We gave this place a second try after a terrible first visit, but tonight was no better. I found a stain on the toilet seat that came off when I wiped it. The pillows smell bad, and the linens feel cheap. This hotel doesn’t seem to make cleanliness a priority. On our first stay, the room was dirty and the linens and bed skirt had red stains that looked like blood. The front desk suggested it might be spaghetti sauce or chocolate, which didn’t excuse leaving it in a room that should have been cleaned. We changed rooms, and the manager called the next day to give us a refund. Even for a quick night before an early airport trip, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

We enjoyed staying in Fairfax for a couple of extra days while my husband was in Washington DC for work. The hotel is well placed, with plenty of nearby dining options, walking trails, and sidewalks. The staff, from reception to the dining room waiters, were friendly and welcoming, and our room was very clean. The only thing I’d change is the air conditioning. You can’t set a temperature and have it stay there, so the room got a little warm at night before the system cycled back on. The hallways also didn’t seem to have air conditioning, though that wasn’t a big deal since we didn’t spend much time there. We’d definitely stay again.

I’ve stayed here often for work and usually have good experiences. It’s near Planet Fitness and centrally located for my job sites, so it’s been my first choice in the area. This time, though, my room hadn’t been cleaned. I dropped my bags off, went to the gym, and only noticed the mess when I came back to shower. There was hair all over the bathroom floor, sink, and shower, plus a pair of dirty men’s boxers in the corner. I told the front desk, and they moved me promptly to a clean upgraded room. It wasn’t ideal and made me question the cleaning process, but they handled it quickly. I haven’t had trouble on previous visits, so hopefully this was a one-off.