Homewood Suites by Hilton Gainesville

We had two adults and five kids, three of them teenagers, and everyone slept comfortably in the clean, enjoyable room. Finding space for all of us in one room saved us about two or three hundred bucks, since we usually need to book two rooms. The pool was clean, though those little black bugs are everywhere right now because it's their season. We'll book here again for the trip home. We're picky, and our kids are spoiled rotten, so we're quick to criticize things. Not sure why this place doesn't have five stars.

We had a really good experience with everyone, from check-in through check-out. We even got complimentary beer, wine and food at a happy hour the hotel hosted before our concert. I booked through a third party and had several problems trying to change the dates, including a random last-minute cancellation. The manager, Michael, personally talked me through it all and made sure I still got the original rate I'd booked. I honestly haven't had such a good hotel experience in years. Highly recommend!

The bed was comfortable, and the AC and fan worked well. The rest of the suite felt old and out of date, from the TV and interior to the kitchen appliances. The tub and bathroom weren't very clean, with far too much hair in the tub. I have a video. Some dishes in the drawers were dirty, so I had to wash them again. The dresser and TV were placed diagonally off the wall and in the middle of the walkway, or at least that's how it seemed. Wifi barely connected after multiple tries, so I was better off using my data. There were even stray hairs on the bed. The manager lady came across as passive-aggressive and unfriendly, and I had trouble checking in here even though I'd done the exact same thing elsewhere without a problem. Other staff were very friendly and welcoming. I checked out on October 28. When I took my key card to the front office, the Asian lady manager I'd had problems with before didn't say good morning or thank you. She was absolutely rude and unfriendly. If this is who the company wants representing it as manager, I'll tell people not to come here. Customer service matters, and hers was awful for no reason. I won't return to this Gainesville location, though it'll do for now.

I booked through Expedia and had to change my reservation after a problem came up. The hotel told me cancellation would cost $535. Expedia contacted them, and when I said to keep the reservation and I'd make it work, Expedia confirmed it would stay active. But when I got to the hotel, they had canceled it. Expedia still showed it as active, and the hotel said the cancellation was a miscommunication and there was nothing they could do. That mix-up cost me an extra $900 on top of what I was supposed to pay, because I had to use another hotel down the street. I don't understand why I'm responsible for their miscommunication. I'd like someone to contact me about this, or I'll escalate to corporate and the BBB. This is unacceptable, and I shouldn't have to pay for “mikes” miscommunication.