Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk

The room’s condition and the way the staff handled problems made this a miserable stay. There was hair in the shower and on the bathroom floor, mildew around the tub, a loud toilet and almost no shower pressure. When I called the front desk, the woman with long brownish hair seemed completely unconcerned and offered no fix, then asked if that was all. The young man and woman at the desk were both unprofessional. They didn’t greet me at check-in or afterward, and when I asked how breakfast worked, I felt like a bother. Basic courtesy would have gone a long way. At 6 a.m. the heater made a loud noise that woke me, then water started draining onto the floor. I called again and got a long sigh from the same woman and a promise to call maintenance, with no apology. I had to get dressed and leave bed so maintenance could deal with it. When I checked out, she said she hoped I enjoyed my stay. I told her a loud heater and running water during the night didn’t make for a great stay, and she said she’d never heard of that happening. That response is part of the problem at a hotel that could be great but has plenty of other issues. The website advertised a buffet breakfast, but I was told to order through the machine by the desk. The bar and lounge were closed by 9 p.m. on Friday, so I had to leave the hotel to wander around a town I didn’t know. The hotel’s location doesn’t fit the people working here. I won’t return.

The location is great and the lobby is beautiful, but the room didn’t make for a comfortable night. We were staying overnight before a week in a rental house with friends, since the drive was long. Our one-bedroom suite had a sofa bed in the living room for our son, and it was the worst one he’s slept on in all our travels. The floor would have been more comfortable. The king bed was okay and had decent pillows, but the duvet had no cover and looked like it hadn’t been washed in a while. The white polyester bedspread was dirty, scratchy and ugly. There was just one coffee pod and two cups in a room meant for four. It feels like the great location may be helping them get bookings, but the guest experience wasn’t great.

This was the first night and morning of a three-night stay, but my husband won’t bring his crew back. He’s a Hilton diamond member who travels for work and often books several rooms for multiple nights. He reserved four rooms for three nights with oceanfront views, but when the crew arrived, none had that view. Staff said they save those rooms for longer stays and that they hadn’t booked long enough. After he unpacked, he spotted a roach on the wall and showed a photo to the man at the desk. The response was, “Oh, it’s just a bug, what do you want me to do about it?” He asked for another room, then had to pack everything himself and carry it back to the lobby before they’d move him. In the morning, they asked about the free breakfast and were told they could choose either points or breakfast, using his phone, but then were told it was too late and he should have chosen before checking in. The front desk staff’s attitudes made every issue worse. He spends a lot at Hilton and stays often, and has never been told that. That was all in the first night and morning.

Wallace at the front desk was pleasant and happy to help. The room was clean and comfortable, though I’d bring my own pillows next time since these were just okay. The oceanfront balcony was excellent, and the pier is well worth a walk. Great spot, and getting in and out was easy.