Hilton Garden Inn North Little Rock

The place itself was attractive and clean, and the staff were really nice. What caught me off guard was the $20 nightly charge to park in an outdoor lot with no fence and very little lighting, plus there’s no complimentary breakfast. I wish I’d checked those details before booking. I would’ve picked another Hilton.

The breakfast was good, and the hotel looked clean and appealing. Most of all, the staff were kind and helpful. The room change was the letdown: for some reason, they didn’t have the room I’d reserved, so we were “upgraded” to a two-queen suite, room 208. Its front area, just off the hallway, was gloomy, with no tables and only a footstool and a small counter holding a 32-inch TV. We sat there for a while, but it felt depressing. I couldn’t tell if they used it for storage when the hotel wasn’t full. The bedroom section was fine, with plenty of counter space. I also couldn’t find a way to leave feedback on Hilton’s website.

We really liked the view of McCain Mall and were glad to be in the area where we met. The breakfasts were excellent, and the bartender and grill Chef were marvelous. One of us did get sick from the flatbread pizza, though.

I liked the usual Hilton luxury, though two things stood out. Booking a room without breakfast knocked $20 off the rate. But they charged $10 to park in an empty lot. I can understand parking fees downtown, where space is tight, but this hotel isn’t in the most (ahem) stellar part of town.