Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center

We had a beautiful stay at Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center. The golf course view was amazing, and our spacious, clean rooms were nicely decorated with comfortable beds. Dinner was good across the different dishes we ordered, the drinks were good too, and service at the restaurant and bar was good. The front desk was another story. On arrival, a man was helping someone while a woman sat at her computer, apparently talking to someone. She didn't look up, so we waited for him. He was kind and helpful, but she kept talking throughout. When another guest lined up behind us, he asked her who she was talking to, and she replied, "if I only knew." She wasn't on the phone or helping anyone, and the guest behind us waited until we were finished. Later I asked her about the water Hilton members usually get. She asked our level and said not everyone gets free water, then made it clear I was interrupting her with silly questions. I said we were Diamond members, and she told me they were out of free water. Why ask our level if there wasn't any? She seemed to have no interest in helping or interacting with anyone. She was annoyed with us again when we tried the self-checkout kiosk. Maybe hospitality isn't the right job for her.

The location is great, but this place needs a total renovation, new management, and trustworthy staff. We booked a wedding block and rooms for the night before and the night of our wedding. My wife and I have a profile full of honest reviews and plenty of five-star ratings, and I had intended to let our bad stay go. Then my mother told me only last week that the expensive diamond wristband my father gave her for their 50th anniversary was missing. She left it in the room, went back within two hours, and it was already gone. We're certain it was there. When they raised it with the staff, the staff acted like she was crazy and had lost it. Now to the room: I booked a junior suite, but the AC never worked. We complained within the first ten minutes, yet maintenance took hours to come and said it was working normally. Normal meant 76 degrees in June. We sweated each night, and on the second night they brought a box fan because I kept complaining, just blowing warm air around. The manager was generally rude and mean in her replies, acting as if we were making things up and the hotel was perfect. The room smelled moldy, and its tiny bathroom was the same size as a regular room's, even though this room cost three times as much. The rooms are outdated and need a serious facelift; the lobby and common areas feel and smell old too. I got a beer at the bar in a warm mug, so the beer was warm. They didn't even have Sweetwater, an Atlanta staple. After hearing about the wristband and how management treated my parents, I can't let this go. If they'd addressed the AC and called my mom about the bracelet instead of letting it disappear, they could have made customers for life.

We followed the rules and respected the property, but after checkout the hotel charged us a smoking/vaping fee. Nobody smoked or vaped in our room during the stay. Their only explanation was a generic automated report based on an “air quality sensor,” with no staff witness, odor complaint, physical evidence, or anything else. They say there was one isolated event over multiple days, yet treated that as enough to decide we broke the rules. If the sensors are accurate, why no repeated alerts, housekeeping complaints, or follow-up issues? Because we didn't smoke. It feels like a revenue stream dressed up as policy enforcement. Guests could apparently be charged hundreds of dollars based on an algorithm, with no actual proof required. Customer service showed little interest in hearing us out and just pointed to the automated system as if technology can't make mistakes. A very disappointing way to treat paying guests. There are too many hotels to stay somewhere that assumes you're guilty first and asks questions later.

The place is nice, though parking in the hotel lot costs extra each day. Breakfast isn’t included. You can get the buffet at the restaurant, but I’d probably eat at one of the nearby local places instead.