Home2 Suites by Hilton at the Galleria

The premium suites with balconies are mostly nice, and I love sitting outside on the balcony. There’s a small convenience store underneath, restaurants all around, and a CVS across the street. They provide plenty of conveniences that make a stay easier, and I like the place enough to come back. I do have three complaints. The showers are very slippery and smell moldy. The carpets need steam cleaning because they turn your feet black. And although the room is supposed to be accessible, the bathroom is incredibly tiny. A wheelchair user wouldn’t be able to get into the bathroom or shower. Those things need improving.

The elevator situation was the biggest drawback of our five weeks here. Usually only one of the three was running, so waits got long and the car stayed packed. They were constantly being worked on. Two elevators worked about 40% of the time, which was manageable, but with better reliability I’d have given the hotel five stars. We were staying here with our two kids and two dogs while water damage at home was being repaired in the fall. Despite the circumstances, it turned into a pretty good experience. The suite was clean and roomy, staff were welcoming, and we liked the restaurant and bar, the food and drinks, and the included breakfast. There’s a gym, free laundry, and a roomy turf spot for quick dog breaks. Hermann Park and the Rice University loop are close by for nice walks and runs. We did have room maintenance problems that took a few days to sort out. They were eventually fixed, and apparently started when the upstairs neighbors installed a portable showerhead they weren’t allowed to have. We chose cleaning every other day. Thanks to Carlos and Byron at the desk, Daniel in the restaurant and bar, and Jack on engineering for being so helpful. I’d recommend staying here.

The hotel is conveniently placed, with a food mart right next door and places like Mod Pizza, Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet, SmashBurger, and Chipotle across the street. The lobby is on the first floor, parking is on two and three, and rooms run from four through eight. Staff were friendly and accommodating, and the bartender was especially charming. There’s plenty of road and freeway noise, even from the eighth floor, especially on weekends. The AC gets nice and cold, the shower has hot water and strong pressure, and the fridge and freezer are apartment-sized. There’s also a dishwasher and microwave. Housekeeping came every other day. I had to ask the desk for more coffee pods since there were only two, which is just enough for one morning for me. Some rooms have upgraded Keurigs, but mine didn’t. The hotel scent was overpowering and smelled to me like cheap body spray. The cleaning products bothered me too; that was the least pleasant part of the stay.

Checkout was easy and pleasant thanks to Destiny Martinez. She was sweet and attentive, and her warm, genuinely helpful manner made the whole process feel smooth. Her service left me with a really positive memory, and she deserves five stars.