Hilton Garden Inn San Antonio/Live Oak, TX

I really liked the firmer, feather-free pillows, and the room was comfortable and clean with plenty of lighting. A few things in the room didn't work and took a while to get repaired. The area isn't pedestrian friendly, apart from a few places to eat, and there's no shopping within walking distance. I'd stay here again.

The people are why I keep coming back to the Live Oak Hilton Garden Inn. Crystal and the bar team, Tommy, Brian, Edward, and others, make the place feel relaxed, familiar, and welcoming. At check-in, Luckey, truly “the voice of the Hilton brand,” Jackie, Christopher, and the rest of the front desk team make me feel like family. Housekeeping keeps the rooms and common areas fresh, clean, and comfortable. The restaurant is another reason I return. Chef Amy's food rivals and honestly beats the surrounding chain restaurants. Rick makes perfect omelets, and Tabari's steaks are good enough to keep me from eating elsewhere. The conference center upgrades are easy to notice, and feel like a welcome modernization from its earlier look. This is a place where people care, and it shows in the details. Highly recommended.

We booked an adjoining room after arriving and realizing our king room was smaller than expected. Then I got locked out of the adjoining room when its door closed behind me. I still had my key, but the main entrance's security latch was engaged. At the front desk, the young man said he couldn't help. I went back to our connected room to see if there was another way in, then asked the clerk again. Twice he said, “I'm just the front desk clerk.” I asked whether maintenance was on site or if I could borrow a tool to bypass the latch and get to my room and belongings. He refused. He said this had happened before with parents and kids and he'd helped, but they got mad, so he wasn't doing it again. I asked if I had permission to try to get into my own room as long as I didn't damage anything. “Go for it,” he said, and handed me a ballpoint pen. With my husband's help and YouTube videos, I eventually used cardboard to release the latch and my key to get back in. It took 35 minutes. During the trip, two of our Anker 4-port multi-chargers disappeared, one from each room. At checkout I looked under the beds for them and found a bottle of lotion, straws, a large blue pill, and assorted trash. It had clearly been a long time since anyone cleaned under there.

I expected more from a Hilton. This is the worst Hilton I've stayed at. The rooms are clean, but also not clean, with random blood? stains and mold. The beds are old and lumpy. It seems the housekeepers can only do so much, and the problems are bigger than what they can handle.