Home2 Suites By Hilton Harrisburg East

The staff were friendly, but we won't stay here again with our young kids. There are other places nearby, and families should think twice before booking this one. The room wasn't ready until 4:30, even though check-in was meant to start at 3. After hours in the car with the kids, waiting in the lobby was frustrating. The lobby bathrooms had no changing table, so my wife had to change our baby's diaper on the dirty floor while we waited. There weren't any high chairs either, which made breakfast with little ones a lap affair. That's hard to square with the hotel's family-friendly image.

I can't recommend this hotel, especially for women or anyone traveling alone. I rely on basic privacy and security, and both were compromised more than once. Two days after the first incident, I came back from work to find housekeeping had left my door wide open. I had no idea how long it had been that way, leaving my belongings and safety exposed. Earlier, while I was just out of the shower and completely undressed, a vendor suddenly opened my room door. I had to scramble beneath the sheets. That was terrifying and should never happen. These repeated access failures, along with the lack of communication and accountability, are deeply concerning.

The staff were helpful and the front desk person was kind and apologetic, but I wouldn't recommend this place. My second room was spacious and bug-free, yet it had pubic hair on the bathroom floor and two very thick toenails on the carpet by the pullout couch. That made this a zero-for-two stay for me. The first room had such a suffocating cologne smell that I wondered if someone had used it to cover cigarette smoke. The bathroom did have a faint cigarette odor, and over 16 hours I found six bugs. They seemed harmless, but still, there were bugs. I know hotel cleaners are often overworked and underpaid, and guests can leave a mess. Nobody's perfect, but after traveling a lot for work, this was still a bad experience.

Ms. Betsy at the front desk made this stay memorable. She was warm and positive every time we saw her, and went out of her way to make sure my girlfriend and I were okay. We were visiting from another state, and her kindness meant a lot. We were on vacation because I have a serious illness and rarely get to do nice things together, so the care we felt at Home2Suites helped in more ways than one. Her customer service is the kind that makes us want to keep choosing the chain. We had come from South Jersey, driving more than two hours to see the Night Lights Lantern Festival. The building is new, beautiful, and well located near major roads, a gas station, and restaurants. Staff welcomed us, the room was lovely with everything new, and it was quiet enough that nobody bothered us. We felt safe and looked after. There were a few bugs on the window and behind the TV in our first room. The front desk moved us, and the manager explained that bugs nearby might be trying to get inside as the weather got colder, and that they were working on it. The new room was fine. On our way out, we saw the Orkin man treating the building, so they followed through. We had a fun festival trip, and we'll remember Ms. Betsy as part of it. I'd come back.