Hampton Inn Johnson City

The digital key worked perfectly, and the lobby market was handy, with plenty of items including alcohol. Those were the bright spots in a pretty mixed stay at the Hampton Inn in Johnson City. Our room smelled strongly and unpleasantly, something like mildew, sour milk, or dirty laundry. The room listing said king bed and whirlpool tub, but the bathroom only had a walk-in shower. The TV was smaller than I’d expect at a Hilton and couldn’t stream services like Netflix or Hulu, and the bedside USB ports didn’t work. Breakfast was basic, and the hot food was fair at best. The French vanilla creamer dispenser was broken on both mornings I went down, so it didn’t seem to be getting much attention. The property needs work on maintenance, cleanliness, and making sure room descriptions are accurate if it’s going to meet the usual Hampton Inn and Hilton expectations.

What stood out most was General Manager Michael Samuels being there each morning, walking around the dining room and checking that guests were happy. He was attentive, friendly, and easy to talk to, and his leadership was clear in how staff and customers responded to him. Our kids even looked forward to seeing him. We’d come to Hampton Inn in Johnson City, TN to visit family over Thanksgiving, after traveling all day from Florida with three little kids. Michael’s kindness meant a lot to us. We asked for his card so we could thank him properly, and we’re very grateful.

The staff were kind and helpful, but I can’t understand the positive reviews when the rooms are this nasty. Our first room smelled strongly of sewage, and the second reeked of cigarette smoke. At $160 a night, I expected better. This was my first bad stay at a Hilton.

The front desk staff were okay, but the road noise on the odd-numbered room side was deafening, and the carpet by the elevator was a trip hazard. The breakfast area furniture was so worn it seemed impossible to clean. Coffee was cold, oatmeal had several inches of water on top until I stirred it, and the microwave turntable had a puddle on it. After her shift, the breakfast employee sat in the lobby for a long time arguing with someone about providing an apartment reference to a third party. I stayed two nights. The first room had a horrible sewer gas smell, which staff blamed on the toilet water level. It was gag-inducing in the morning. The hotel felt run down and in need of renovation, perhaps even closure while work is done. I’ve stayed at many Hampton Inns during years of work travel and never had a problem before. Avoid this location. More than a month later, nobody from the hotel or Hilton had contacted me.