Hilton Garden Inn Lake Mary

The weekend had been a perfect wedding, and the hotel planner had been great, but this experience still hurts to talk about. We'd booked a room block across from our wedding venue, plus bridal and groom suites. During the weekend, several guests said their doors didn't close or lock properly. We used one room to store wedding items, including an expensive special edition Disney Star Wars Darth Maul Lightsaber I gave my husband for our wedding day and used in a photo shoot. It went missing. We filed a police report the morning after the wedding. Later that week, while we were on our honeymoon, the investigator called to say the hotel's district manager refused to comply with a subpoena for the security footage, so the investigation couldn't continue. In hindsight, there were some sketchy people sitting in cars in the lot for hours. The district manager's unwillingness to cooperate is what upset us most.

The shower and bed both had hair left from the previous guest, which brought down my rating. The staff were kind and helpful with rides and restaurant ideas, though, and Tasha at the bar is wonderful. It's a quiet, pleasant neighborhood with lots of restaurants nearby.

It felt welcoming, and I really enjoyed my stay. The hotel was clean, spacious, and had lots of amenities and parking. I especially liked the body wash and lotion, they felt therapeutic. Breakfast isn't included, which was a bummer.

The rooms are spacious, and I really liked the remote controlled blinds. Breakfast was the letdown. It's the same kind of buffet I get free at a Hampton Inn, so I don't see why I'd pay for it here. I spend 300 nights a year in Hilton Hotels and still can't understand why Hilton Gardens charges for a below-par breakfast.