Hampton Inn Kansas City/Downtown Financial District

We were handed keys to a room that already had someone in it. Walking through that door was a serious privacy and safety failure, and there’s no excuse for it. When I returned to the desk, the employee showed no urgency or real concern and offered excuses instead of an apology. The room system shows whether rooms are occupied or ready, so this felt like negligence. Later, I spotted a $122 charge on my card that I hadn't authorized. When I called, Tom, the manager, was rude and dismissive, as if asking about an unauthorized charge was an annoyance. Between that, the occupied room, and the staff response, this was unacceptable from beginning to end. It was a security risk as well as bad service. I plan to dispute the charge and take the matter to corporate. If safety, privacy, and your money matter to you, stay elsewhere.

The location worked well for me: it’s on the edge of town, my office was a couple miles away, and there were several good restaurants within walking distance. I felt safe on my own. What made the visit, though, was the team. They kept the common areas clean and stocked, checked in on me, and offered ideas for things to do and places to eat. At 2:30 a.m., when I felt uneasy walking to my car before a flight, the young man at the desk came outside and watched until I was in the car. 10/10 for the service.

We returned to our room and found the bathroom mirror had come off the wall and shattered across the floor. My husband and I were shaken, and the thought of our kids being there made it seem like it could have been catastrophic. It still leaves me uneasy. The manager’s first response was that the hotel was full and she couldn’t move us. She agreed the weekend should be comped and the room needed serious cleaning, but gave no apology. Someone came up, yet tiny shards remained, including around the same toilet paper roll, towels, and hand soap that had been there while the glass shattered. They said maintenance wasn’t available that late, only the front desk worker. The next morning, I asked Hugo to have the room cleaned again. He asked how we had caused the mirror to fall, which felt like an absurd accusation. He was rude and didn’t apologize. We checked our account and found the manager had not comped the room. She was unavailable, and Hugo said he couldn’t do anything without her. He said he’d send someone to clean again, but after we were out for the day, we came back to an untouched room with glass still on the floor. When we went back downstairs, he said nobody was there to clean and offered to find us a Swiffer so we could do it ourselves. He couldn’t find one. At checkout the manager had comped only one night, and again she couldn’t be reached. Three other couples staying at the hotel witnessed what happened. Corporate still hasn’t contacted us, which is unbelievable. I hope they’re checking the rooms so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

It was a nice stay, and the rooms are quite nice, but the January price seemed high for a month when there wasn’t much happening in the city. Breakfast was just okay, and the city’s taxes are incredibly steep. I know at least three comparable hotels that are nicer, cost less, and include more perks.