Hampton Inn By Hilton Hastings

The women working there were really sweet with my very anxious dog, but the room itself was pretty rough. There was hair around the bathroom, so, being severely immunocompromised, I cleaned it with my own supplies before using it. The window curtain was broken and held up with Dollar Tree chip clips, and the showerheads need a vinegar soak for hard-water buildup. Water sprayed everywhere and left the floor soaked. We’d stopped to get real sleep after a long trip with our dog, but someone vacuumed the hallway hours before checkout. It seemed like they were right outside our door for over an hour, though they probably weren’t, lol.

We slept well, and the late checkout we requested was honored without housekeeping waking us. The issue was the thin, dark-haired woman at the desk when we checked in. Her tone felt aggressive, and she wouldn’t approve late checkout until my husband mentioned his rewards status. She also tried to charge for his service animal and asked for paperwork. My husband reminded her that, per HIPPA, he only has to state the dog’s trained task. As a retired corporate trainer for a worldwide company, I’d recommend customer service training so she can be more welcoming. She charged a pet fee anyway, calling it incidentals, which felt dishonest and unacceptable. Thankfully, the morning clerk, Daniel, fixed the bill, so Kaylee’s mishap didn’t have to be escalated. I hope someone addresses how deceitful and unethical her actions were.

The desk clerk seemed unhappy to see us and stayed unfriendly throughout our visit. We’d booked on the return drive from Wisconsin because Kearney hotels were full, and our confirmation showed a $50 pet fee. At check-in they demanded $100 and made us fill out and sign a form, something we’ve never had to do at another hotel. They changed it back to $50 after I showed them the website. The clerk told me which door to use, then stood there watching as our luggage fell off the only cart, a weird half-size grocery-cart thing. I wasn’t smoking or doing anything else, and couldn’t tell why she was there, perhaps to check we only had one dog. I’m not sure they like Asians; the whole interaction felt cold. Next time we go to Wisconsin, we’ll drive through Kansas to avoid Nebraska. I wouldn’t stay here again even for free.

The room was great and the location convenient. I’m just out $15 because I put cash on my room key for the bar and nobody told me it was use-it-or-lose-it. Now I know for next time, but consider this a warning to other guests.