Tru By Hilton Albany Airport, NY

I came in very late after a long flight, and the two employees working in the early hours were so helpful. The people here are caring, and Tru Hilton clearly takes time choosing its support staff. The shuttle was clean, the driver was nice, the hotel entrance was landscaped, and the hotel staff were amazing. I wish I’d had time to use the indoor pool.

I liked this hotel when it first opened about four years ago, but my latest visit was a real disappointment. I’ve stayed at Tru hotels around the country, including this one back then, and the property seems to have deteriorated in both condition and management. At check-in, the shower soap dispenser was empty, and the shower door was missing a seal, so water puddled on the floor. The outside of the door had mold and mildew. Housekeeping came only once during my six-day stay. I asked in person at the front desk on day five, but no one came. The common areas, including the gym, looked worn and dirty. One treadmill was marked out of order, and the other stopped working while I was using it. I had to unplug it, and exposed wires and circuit boards made it look like a possible electrical hazard. The gym scale had paint splattered on it, as if walls had been touched up without moving it or covering the floor. A free-weight kettle bell was missing, the hand sanitizer dispenser didn’t work, and some shelves looked very dirty. There was also dog crap left in one of the elevators all day. The place just didn’t seem well kept.

The place looks clean, but every time I come, the beds seem to be improperly cleaned. I can smell body odor and see residue left by the previous guest. Housekeeping needs to do a better job changing the linens. The cleanliness is really lazy, and the sheets are only part of the problem. It took me until my eighth visit to finally say something. Even when I ask to switch rooms, the others aren’t any better. As a woman, I shouldn’t have to sleep in a bed that smells like sweaty old men.

Being close to ALB airport is about the only good thing here. My fiancee and I thought the rooms were gross: there was a big clump of hair near the pillow that wasn’t ours, and the sheets had several large holes. The hand soap in the bathroom was completely empty as well. None of this was a dealbreaker, but at $250+ a night, it was disappointing. Management should do a better job checking housekeeping quality and replacing worn bed linens.