Doubletree by Hilton Hilton Head Island

We tried to stay upbeat and enjoy the lead-up to Super Bowl 60, and the trip was memorable because we made the most of it. The hotel itself had several shortcomings, though. The suite with a balcony we booked turned out to be a standard two-bedroom layout, with the balcony directly over the pavilion roof. Trees blocked most of the advertised ocean glimpses, and the room had a slight but noticeable unpleasant odor. Check-in was around 5:00 PM and took about 15 minutes. The staff member said he’d been in the bathroom. I understand people have personal needs, but it felt unprofessional when check-in is a main responsibility. Having more staff at busy times could improve things. Amenities were mediocre at best, and the TV stopped working midway through the stay. The so-called room service meant calling the downstairs restaurant and then picking up the food ourselves. I don’t usually complain, but what the hotel promised didn’t match what we got.

Angela was wonderful at check-in, professional, courteous, and happy to answer our questions. The fireplace and balcony room was lovely, and we absolutely loved having a Lavazza espresso machine with those lovely Lavazza espresso and Lungo cups. Our stay couldn’t have been better, and we’d recommend the location. The only disappointment was the fireplace. We expected gas or something that looked like a real fire, but it was basically a heater with artificial lighting. The lobby one was artificial too, but at least it looked like logs and flickering flames. Maybe we just didn’t figure out the right buttons, lol!

The beach is about a 10-minute walk across the street, and the clean, unheated pool made swimming enjoyable. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and professional. Sarah, Arthur, and Angela were helpful throughout the stay. Arthur went out of his way to make sure we were looked after, from parking to hauling our things up to the room, and made sure we’d be comfortable. Updated: Monifa was also extremely kind and helpful at checkout. I really appreciated her assistance and smile!

The bed, pillows, and TV were great, and the room was clean. But this didn’t live up to the Hilton name. As a former builder, I noticed a lot of unfinished renovation work that looked like it had been left that way for some time. We stayed in room 512. The paint was pitted, some drywall hadn’t been patched properly, and the tile lacked bullnose edges or a finished look. There was no lamp or light by the windows for nighttime. The only switch for the entrance light was by the door, so I had to turn on a desk lamp, then go back to the door to turn off the entrance light. Parking was absolutely horrible: about 12-15 spaces out front, around 6 on the side, and another 20-25 down a dimly lit alley. The whole place just didn’t feel Hilton quality.