Homewood Suites by Hilton Hartford Manchester

I travel to this part of Connecticuit often, and this is a solid place to start, especially for the price. I'm firmly in the love-it category, though I can see how people might either love or hate it. The room isn't the most spacious, but it makes good use of its space. The free breakfast is good, though not always the best. I also like that it's right across from the mall, where I always go to buy retro games. Great hotel, no doubt.

The bedding and room were excellent, but breakfast was a different story. When the hotel is sold out, the staff can't keep up with demand. We had to wait for plates, coffee, eggs, and sausage.

This was the worst stay I've had, and I wouldn't recommend the hotel. We booked three days and two nights but left after two days and one night. The front desk was rude from the start, and the woman there wouldn't let me check in until late. She was unprofessional, then gave us a room right above the reception desk and laughed about it. Around 5pm the next day, my two children and I were in the pool when they sent a maintenance worker to handle the chemicals, even though maintenance wasn't due until 8PM. Nobody warned us or told me to get out. I only realized what was happening when the chlorine hit my eyes. Both children got sick, and our eyes burned for hours. Reception didn't care at all. It felt like they might have done it on purpose, since my kids and I were the only ones still in the pool.

The decor is awful. I'm writing this in the dark, staring at the most unsettling “photographs” on the walls. The service and the electrical panels were terrible too, Paris Hilton herself should hear about it, unless this place has a super spooky ghost. When I arrived, the room lights didn't work. The front desk told me to go to the breaker box and reset the switches. I did, but hours later, while I was sitting in bed, the breaker flipped again and half the switches wouldn't stay on. I called again and was told maintenance had left for the night, so I had to move rooms at midnight on Christmas, alone with my dog. Half the switches in that room didn't work either. Incredibly frustrating, and management was no help.