Hilton Garden Inn Lafayette/Cajundome

A big event was going on at the venue across the street, and the hotel was full of kids running through the halls, screaming and slamming doors. Neither the hotel nor the parents did anything to keep the noise down. By 11 p.m. I’d had enough and left for a Marriott. I’m done with Hilton after years of traveling for work and booking them by default. This place was a disaster. I saw your reply, so here’s one suggestion and another point. As I was leaving at 11 p.m., I spoke with one child’s parents in the hallway. They tried to excuse the behavior, as parents do, but said it had been even worse last year. You know this annual event is coming, yet you didn’t bring in more security or do anything to manage it. You didn’t communicate with the guests either. That’s on the hotel. I’ve been a Hilton Diamond member for several years. I know it probably means nothing to you, since Hilton is the worst hotel chain for rewarding loyal customers. I canceled my Hilton credit card and all future reservations. I travel a lot and have been very loyal to Hilton, probably staying with another brand only five times in the last 20 years. I’m abandoning the brand over its wildly inconsistent stays, and this hotel’s incompetence is a brutal example. HGI wouldn’t succeed without business travelers, but you don’t seem to understand that. I know this may mean nothing to you, but if writing this stops one person from booking, it was worth it.

My son-in-law made the reservation for me, so it wasn’t connected to my Hilton Honors membership and didn’t appear in my app. I called, and Bruce answered at the Lafayette location. He listened carefully, and after a quick conversation he added my membership to the reservation so the electronic key could be sent while I was on the way. The hotel is in a safe part of Lafayette, near the center of everything, with plenty of parking. The building and landscaping looked flawless when I drove up. Inside, the lobby, lounge, front desk, cafe and bar were bright and very clean, with carts available. It all gave me the impression that the manager and staff work well together. Bruce greeted me with a smile at check-in, quickly checked my ID for the electronic key and asked if I needed anything before I went to my room. I chose the back of the sixth floor, which probably has the best view of downtown Lafayette without being in a plane. The room looked freshly refurbished and was clean throughout. If you’re driving in from out of town, take it slow on the old narrow streets and watch for potholes. Thanks to the manager and staff for a friendly, safe and clean Hilton stay.

The grounds were tidy and the staff were friendly. The room itself was clean but dated, and the thermostat seemed off. The AC would cool things until we were freezing, shut down, then stay off until it got warm enough that we wanted to throw off the sheets. Then it would come on and freeze us again. At least it worked at all. The coffee was there, but the room’s bottled water cost $2, so we’d have had to brew it with faucet water. We skipped coffee. I didn’t use the lounge or bar, though they looked adequate from a distance. The location is handy for the Cajun Dome and close to lots of restaurants and shops. Safe travels, friends.

The room, 208, smelled like a wet dog, and I probably should’ve asked to move. It seemed like there might be a mold or water problem in that room. At more than $150 for the night, I expected better.