Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View

We had a great stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View from Sep 24 - Sep 27. The customer service was top-notch. Everyone we dealt with was helpful and kind. When we asked for extra pillows, towels, and cups after reaching our room, they arrived within five minutes. On the first day and night, I noticed a slight dog-like smell and wondered if it was the bedspread. I left housekeeping a note and a tip asking them to change it along with the sheets. Before leaving to run errands, I told the front desk I'd be out a while so the room could be cleaned. They called housekeeping right away and asked them to do it immediately. When I got back, the desk gave me an envelope with a thoughtful note saying the smell was probably from recently changed carpets, but they'd changed all the bed linens just in case and used carpet deodorizer. There was also a $10 Starbucks gift card, which wasn't necessary but was appreciated. The room had been cleaned as promised and smelled fresh. The local pizza place wouldn't deliver when we called, and the front desk person couldn't get them to deliver either when she called for us. She did give us a discount on food from the hotel's mini-store, even though it wasn't Hampton Inn's fault. She also pointed me to the printer by the copy stand and offered to walk me through printing a few maps from email. I figured it out myself. The room was clean, the microwave, fridge, and TV all worked, parking was adequate, and we had no noise problems. Coffee, hot tea, and sugar-free hot chocolate are available almost 24/7. Breakfast is free every day from 6am - 10am, with the basics. During our three days we saw an egg dish like scrambled eggs or an omelet, bacon, sausage, or ham, roasted potatoes, French toast sticks, oatmeal, yogurt, three kinds of dry cereal, bananas, apples, waffles with toppings, bagels, toast bread, Danishes, scones, muffins, and juices. A couple of small tips: the toilet paper holder is behind the toilet and awkward to reach, so I moved the spare roll into the drawer under the sink on the left, where the hair dryer and extra paper are kept. The small hand soap didn't rinse cleanly, so I used the shower gel instead. One fun local find: walk south on Moffett for a few blocks and there's a little fussgängerzone, a pedestrian area with restaurants, a few shops, lots of outdoor seating, and a permanent ping-pong table anyone can use. If I travel to this area again, I'll book this hotel.

I arrived around midnight and found nobody at the front desk, so I let myself in through the side door with my digital key. A man I assumed was another guest was sitting in the dark lobby on his phone. I didn't think much of it until I tried to leave through the front door. He snapped his fingers at me to stop me, then said he worked there when I asked. He kept talking on his phone. The location is great for catching the CalTrain, and there's no shortage of restaurants and shops nearby. The young woman who showed up the next day was much friendlier and more accommodating.

The friendly staff, good coffee, and nice sofa bed were positives, and breakfast was nice. The location was great too. A few things could be better: the room was advertised as a suite but wasn't one, the bathroom needs renewal, the refrigerator was noisy, cleaning came every other day, and the wi-fi was so-so. Overall, satisfactory.

My own stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Mountainview was terrific, and I can highly recommend it. I also saw Karen handle another customer's service issue with real patience and politeness. She was incredibly helpful, and management should thank her for a job well done. Signed, fat & bald.