Hampton Inn & Suites Arundel Mills/Baltimore

The gym was the one letdown for me. I work out every morning, and on day one there were no cups by the water dispenser or sanitizing wipes. I mentioned it at the front desk and was told housekeeping would handle it. The next morning, nothing had been restocked, so I asked for water and used coffee cups instead. Wipes came back on the third day, but the water cups never did for the rest of the week. It may seem minor, but it matters if you use the gym regularly. The rest of the stay was great: the rooms were spacious and clean, room service was wonderful, and breakfast was good. The hotel is also in a great spot, within walking distance of a big mall, the casino, and plenty of places to eat.

After 25 years of hotel travel, this was the worst stay I can remember. I’ve never written a negative review before, but the service here was so poor that one star for customer service feels generous. I stayed four nights, and there were several problems beyond the coffee. The hotel felt dated. The bathrooms smelled like sewer, the furniture was stained, the carpet needed replacing, and breakfast was awful. One night the fire alarm went off at 4:40 AM. Two fire trucks came, stayed around 15 minutes, and left. I assume it was a false alarm, but the alarm in my room didn’t work. The room phone didn’t work either, with no dial tone. The coffee issue started on my first morning, when none was out at 7:30. I saw a kitchen worker behind the doors on her phone and left her alone. At the desk, the woman working, whose initials are MK, seemed irritated that I’d asked. I had meetings, so I left to get coffee elsewhere. The next morning, two men ahead of me were also looking for coffee, and both dispensers were empty again. When I politely complained to MK, she said they had tried to get me coffee the day before but I’d left. I was taken aback. I explained that I had to go to meetings and that my complaint was about there being no coffee two mornings in a row. This is a Hilton property, so I expected coffee to be available or at least an apology and an effort to provide it. MK became defensive and snarky, spoke over me, and told me to stop talking over her when I tried to explain that the way she was treating a customer was the problem. I said a manager should at least hear the complaint. She got louder and belligerent, and other guests saw the exchange. I asked for management and was given a name. When I returned that evening, a man at the desk went to get Michelle, then came back to say she couldn’t meet with me. I left my name, email, and phone number. Later, someone who turned out to be a kitchen worker emailed me as though she were the assistant manager. She admitted she was the person I’d seen on her phone, and said she’d tried to call my room but the phones weren’t working. I told her the problem was MK’s attitude and disrespect, not coffee, and asked for the manager to contact me. She focused on the coffee instead. Management still hasn’t contacted me, which says a lot about their customer service and concern for the brand. I’ve been a loyal customer, but I won’t return. The staff need coaching or different roles, and the owners should know this hotel doesn’t meet Hilton’s minimum standards. I expect I’ll get a canned response. There are better places in the area.

My son began coughing and wheezing during our stay. My husband, who is a certified mold expert, said there was black mold throughout the hotel, including the AC vents and the bathroom caulking. He felt it was so bad the place needed to be torn down and rebuilt. The hotel acted as though it wasn’t a serious issue. This place is falling apart, and I wouldn’t spend money here.

The beds were ridiculously comfortable, and breakfast was great. Our room was ready early, and both the room and hotel were clean. We were in Columbia to see friends, and the location was hard to beat. I’d definitely recommend it.