DoubleTree by Hilton Laredo

The Christmas decorations made the lobby and restaurant look really pretty, but our room was a different story. Its blinds didn’t work, so I rolled them up as far as I could and held them with a binder clip. The room was already dark, and without daylight it would’ve been miserable. I work remotely and spend a lot of time in the room. After we’d been there all week, a front desk clerk approached me and said dogs weren’t allowed. I explained that our dog was a service animal and that we’d already been there all week. She backed off a little but still wanted to know who had checked us in. Nobody had, because we used the app as Diamond members. We’ve stayed at a Hilton almost a third of this year. Everyone else has been super friendly and accommodating.

The renovated interior looked nicer than some other hotels I’ve tried in the area, but I’d rather feel safe than have new light fixtures. The neighborhood is crowded and not great, with nothing interesting nearby. I only noticed maybe two or three exterior security cameras. The parking garage gate is always open, yet they charge $10 and post a sign saying to park at your own risk. There’s a fire department next door, and I heard it respond two or three times during the day and night. Highway traffic is easy to hear, and the windows don’t block sound. I could even hear a man across the street hammering on a roof. Skip the downstairs restaurant too, it charges five-star prices for three-star service.

La Tapiz is open to everyone, so it’s a lovely place to eat as well as stay. I loved the classy, welcoming atmosphere and the great service. Definitely one of the best spots in Laredo, and I highly recommend it.

The staff were nice, attentive, and the breakfast was good. Still, I was deeply disappointed with how our booking turned out. A few colleagues and I booked rooms for a couple of months at a special business rate directly with Hilton. The day after I checked in, I was told the rate would go up because the Double Tree was hosting a federal and military contract, and that I’d have to leave if I didn’t accept the higher rate. General manager Terry Hix said there had been a system fault when we booked and that we shouldn’t have been eligible for the special rate. He also said my company would more than likely pay, but it wouldn’t pay the increased rate. We had to repack and move hotels. There were ants and other bugs in my room too. The refrigerator didn’t work until they fixed it on my last night, and the room got hot because the A/C reset to 75 degrees when I left, then took a while to cool back to my preferred temperature.