Spark by Hilton Lockport

The receptionist wouldn't look at the Booking.com confirmations, bank statements, or receipts on my phone. We were local and had booked two rooms for New Year's Eve so our kids could use the pool. I'd paid upfront and had all the confirmation emails, and she could see on the computer that I'd booked two rooms. Still, she said only one was paid for, told me she was going by her system, and basically said it was my problem. She was extremely rude. I asked to speak to someone else, and she replied, “Nope, just me!” I ended up paying for another room and another deposit. I was charged twice, and after seeing other reviews, it seems this may be a recurring issue. Maybe even a scam? Completely unacceptable. I'll dispute the extra charge, never stay here again, and recommend that nobody stay at a Hilton hotel.

I was charged by both Hotels.com and the hotel at check-in, plus there was a security deposit. When I showed the manager my credit card statement, she still told me to call Hotels.com because she couldn't see the charge on her computer and said there was nothing she could do. She took no responsibility for it. The rest of the stay was just as frustrating. I arrived around 1 a.m. and was told they were out of room keys, so staff had to let me into my room every time I came back. After a long trip, I ran the water for 20 minutes and still couldn't get hot water. The next morning, I told a housekeeper, who said, “Sorry, I just work here. You’ll have to go to the front desk.” The clerk said she had to move me, so I packed everything. The new room wasn't on the main floor plan. When I went back to ask, she casually explained it was in a separate wing, which she hadn't mentioned before. I've stayed in hundreds of hotels, and this was the most disorganized, dismissive, frustrating experience I've had. Save yourself the trouble and stay somewhere else.

The hotel is huge, and I really liked it. I rented a clean, modern room for two days. The problem was the repeated pressure to leave before checkout, even though checkout wasn't until noon. Housekeeping knocked from 9:30 a.m. onward while I was on a video call with my employer. I heard the housekeeper tell someone else that all she could hear was “blah blah blah.” It gave me anxiety.

The staff are friendly, but management is a joke and nowhere to be found. There's no coffee maker, microwave, or mini fridge in the rooms. Breakfast is very limited and has no hot food. The pool is out of service, and you don't find out until you arrive. Avoid this place at all costs.