Hampton Inn Marion

The staff were great, friendly, and helpful. Check-in took seconds, and I wish the staff at more hotels were like that. My criticism isn’t aimed at them. The hotel looked a little dated outside the room, but nothing terrible at first. Inside, though, there was a strong musty smell, like wet towels left out for days. It seemed to come from the carpet, chairs, and air conditioner. The chairs were especially bad: stained, deteriorating, and smelly, like something you might find next to a college dumpster. The bed was clean and comfortable, the room fairly quiet, and I did get a decent night’s sleep. Several restaurants were an easy walk away, so food wasn’t an issue. I’d suggest waiting until there are “Newly Renovated” signs before staying. This Hampton Inn Marion fell well short of the standard I’ve found at other Hilton properties.

You can tell this used to be a nice hotel, but it’s become very run down and needs major work to meet normal hotel standards. I wanted to give it a fair chance. Our room was okay, with some mold and mildew in the shower, though not a terrible amount. The breakfast area was worse: gnats were all over the pastries and bread. When staff were told, they seemed to already know about it but left the food out anyway. It’s no longer affiliated with the Hilton/Hampton brand, and that showed.

The location was good, and the staff were pleasant and helpful. The room was clean, but a lot needed fixing. The toilet didn’t work right and the sink wouldn’t drain. The tub was stuck on shower, so a child couldn’t take a bath. Some lamp bulbs were missing, tape was holding the remote’s battery cover on, and the ice maker on our floor was broken. The pool was closed, though I’d been warned about that. I mention it because I’d also read a review from three months earlier saying the pool was closed. The hotel really needs updating.

There was moldy caulk beneath the bathroom sink faucet, which I noticed as we were leaving and reported to the front desk. That’s an unacceptable cleanliness problem, and I hope it gets addressed right away. There was also a distinct chlorine smell on the first floor, since the indoor pool is closed for maintenance. Otherwise, this older hotel was convenient for an overnight stop. The beds were clean and comfortable, and we liked having the option to run the fan all night for noise control. The hot breakfast was typical and decent. We found a very good Thai restaurant nearby, just a three-minute drive away. We usually like Hampton Inns for their consistent comfort and cleanliness.