Hilton Vacation Club Varsity Club South Bend, IN

The hotel looked clean, but I had a safety incident in the parking lot one evening while traveling for work. Around dusk, after parking by the side of the building, I saw a man near a car. As I headed toward the side entrance, he ran at me and said he needed to be let in because his key “wasn’t working.” I felt unsafe and told him to use the front entrance, then went back to my car. I tried to report it at the front desk, but no staff member was there. Staff could have watched the lobby cameras and checked whether he was a registered guest. I called police and filed a report. I also emailed management asking them to preserve and review the footage, but never heard back. For the rest of my stay, the same man’s vehicle kept parking near mine in the evenings, and I saw him going in and out through the side doors. Later, my boyfriend and I checked that side of the building and found no working camera covering it. The camera had been unplugged and removed, with its cords hanging visibly. I have a photo of it. There were also several times when marijuana/THC smelled strong in the side parking lot and in the hallway near guest rooms. At checkout, the manager asked about my stay. I said I was disappointed there had been no follow-up about the safety issue I reported. I was told the property was short staffed and management had been covering the desk, though during my week and a half there I rarely saw management at the desk. After a police report and a safety concern, I still received no response. Working cameras, regular front desk coverage, and a professional follow-up should be basic expectations. I hope the hotel addresses these gaps and responds better to guest safety concerns.