TRU by Hilton Fort Walton Beach, FL

We paid more than $500 for two nights at Tru by Hilton in Fort Walton Beach, and this was one of the worst hotel experiences we’ve had. Traveling with our children on a family vacation, we arrived to find visible hair in the shower and a dirty bathroom. After a long drive, we were told to wait or switch rooms instead of having the problem properly fixed. Staff were rude, dismissive, and unhelpful throughout the stay. We had to keep going back and forth for basic things like towels, pillows, and blankets. Housekeeping was disorganized, too. Even though we’d agreed on a specific time for cleaning, a staff member later yelled at us in the hallway and aggressively asked why we hadn’t had the room cleaned earlier. We were calm and peaceful with our kids, but staff called the police on us. At checkout, we were transparent and agreed to pay for extra time. We were complying and leaving when staff escalated things and called the police anyway. It was humiliating and traumatic for our children. We also faced several comments and behaviors that felt discriminatory toward our family size. They started this after they had our money. The whole stay was unacceptable, unprofessional, and deeply disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone traveling with family. Zero stars.

The sausage and cheese omelets were a bright spot, and I usually stay at Home 2 Suites without having experiences like this. I’m disabled, and my first Hilton visit after reaching Silver status was a frustrating one. I’d reserved a King accessible room with a tub. A Hilton message on the morning of 26 April said room 103 was assigned and that a digital key would arrive once it was ready. Just before I arrived, another message listed room 404(?). At check-in I explained I needed the accessible room with a tub and had initially been assigned 103. I was told it wasn’t available and offered a room on the second floor instead. It was room 201, which wasn’t accessible. I was exhausted from hauling my things in from the car and didn’t ask again. Without grab bars, using the toilet was a challenge. The shower drain cover wasn’t secured and came off while I was showering, which felt unsafe. There was no coffee in the room, so at 4:30 AM on 27 April I went to the lobby. I poured coffee into a small personal container to avoid burns, but didn’t notice it wasn’t steaming. Back upstairs I found it was room temperature. There was no microwave in the room, so I went back down. Someone said more coffee was being made and showed me the shared lobby microwave, which was only an inch or so above the floor. Even people without disabilities must find it hard to use at that height. I struggled just to warm a cup.

The breakfast had a lot to choose from: steel-cut oats, hard-boiled eggs, cooked items, fresh fruit, pancakes, and berry toppings. It was excellent, and the whole stay was great. We were there for one night on our way to 30a, the first stop on my wife’s retirement celebration trip. I mentioned the occasion to the staff, and they surprised us with colorful inflated balloons on the bed, a happy retirement page, and treats. That was more than they needed to do, and it meant a lot. I’m really grateful to the hotel and staff for going the extra mile without being asked. People don’t do that much anymore, and we noticed. Thank you.

We liked the lounge areas. The rooms were small and poorly lit, though, and we were told to go get fresh towels from the laundry without knowing where it was.