Hampton Inn Fort Payne

I had to stay because every hotel in Fort Payne, AL was sold out, and the room was so unpleasant I walked around a local Lowe’s until it closed just to avoid being there. I travel frequently for work and have stayed in plenty of hotels, but this was easily one of the five dirtiest rooms I’ve encountered. Hilton usually takes pride in cleanliness and service, and this location had neither. There was a strong mildew smell as soon as I entered, a visibly dirty work desk, and black hairs throughout the bathroom. Getting ready for work the next morning made me feel dirtier than ever. The shower curtain had black mold all over it, there was pubic hair in the tub, and the hair dryer left black residue on my hand when I tried to use it. The front desk offered only, “Sorry sir, we are full, but I can have someone spray air freshener in the room.” Air freshener doesn’t fix a lack of basic cleanliness. Before my meeting, I found an early-opening breakfast spot, The Spot Coffee Shop, and sat there for two hours rather than stay in the room. I’m a big review person and strongly discourage anyone from staying here. Hilton needs to investigate the property. There’s a very nice hotel next door, but it was sold out too.

We booked two rooms. One was great and both otherwise seemed clean, with mattresses and sheets that were lower quality but fine. The other had enough noticeable mold or mildew in its bathroom that we stopped using it, kept the door shut, and showered in the other room instead. We ran the bathroom fan the whole stay. If they address the mold, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a middle-of-the-road hotel.

The room was clean and there weren’t any bugs, which is probably the main thing. Still, I’ll try somewhere else next time. I was on the first floor, and whenever the rooms above us showered, the drain pipes in the walls made a racket. At first I thought people were pushing luggage carts with square wheels up and down the hall, but that wasn’t it. Breakfast was okay. If you really like a good breakfast, I’d go to the nearby Waffle House or Huddle House.

The room was clean and the bed was comfortable, up to Hampton quality. But at 8 in the morning, the breakfast area had no food, and the muffins they did have out looked like they’d come straight from the freezer. Every chair at the tables had spots all over the seat. They were so disgusting, who’d want to sit there? A little upholstery cleaner would do. I’ve stayed at a lot of Hampton Inn properties, and for $160 a night I expected the lobby to look clean. It’s the customer’s first impression.