Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando Theme Parks

I’m raising my rating because Carla at the front desk followed up after my review, listened, apologized, and offered fair compensation. I didn’t agree with every explanation, but I appreciated her professionalism and effort. The stay still had issues, though her response made a real difference. We waited over an hour in the lobby before I asked again and learned our room had been ready all along. The suite AC didn’t work, leaving the living area nearly unusable. I reported it at 6:30 a.m. and was told it was handled, but nothing had been entered, and hours later the room was still over 78 degrees with nobody having checked. Maintenance only came after I pushed again. At the time there was no apology or compensation, just excuses. For the price, I expected much better.

We paid to stay here and still had to pay $27 to park, an unreasonable charge. I’ve never run into that before. Maybe it’s normal around Florida, but it shouldn’t be close to what they’d charge for damages. I rarely write reviews unless something goes badly, and this was the worst hotel experience I’ve had. In room 203, there were two large stains on the bedroom floor right by the door, one white and one yellow and white. The walls were covered in stains, with screws and scratches too. The loose bedroom outlet nearly came out of the wall when I picked up my phone. The front desk ladies told me I shouldn’t jump to conclusions about what the stains were. I’ll leave the photos. A proper cleaning should include the walls, surfaces, appliances, and floors, with vacuuming, steaming stains, mopping, and wiping chairs. Beds should be clean, bathrooms clean, and there shouldn’t be mold. After travel and a day at the park, my boyfriend and I just wanted a long shower. While rinsing my hair, I saw what looked like black mold across the tub ceiling and called him in to look. Between that and what looked like bodily fluids on the carpet, it felt unsanitary and like a health hazard. We went out for a while, then came back and couldn’t stand the room. At the lobby I was again told not to assume things, and that the cleaners should use a steam cleaner. They moved us to another room, but it still had a white stain on the chair, white stains on the couch, an apparently unwiped fridge, and disgusting walls. We went from one queen bed to two full beds, but otherwise the room was exactly the same. They called it an upgrade by comparing the current rate to the rate we paid around the booking date. Rates change every day, and that was their mistake, not mine.

The location was convenient, with easy access to the convention center, freeways, and parks without being right on the freeway. I used the pool and fitness areas every day, and both were well kept. There’s also a basketball court, which I saw other guests enjoying, though I didn’t use it. The ice machine was down the hall and had plenty of ice, and extra trash and recycling bins were near the elevators. Keep in mind parking has a daily fee. Our suite had a king bed, pullout sofa bed, dresser, desk and chair, table with seating, and a kitchen with dishes, cabinets, microwave, and a large fridge with freezer. The bathroom was roomy enough for two people’s toiletries, with a full shower and tub and towel shelves above the toilet. Cleaning was offered every other day, and I could have requested more if needed.

I expected more from a Hilton-branded hotel. We stayed for an extended period and reported damaged items to the front desk so we wouldn’t be held responsible, but nothing was repaired while we were there. A lot of the walls had scuffs and marks. Some wear is understandable, but there was grime that could have been wiped away, including around the electrical outlets. The cabinet drawers were unusable and their shelves still had food on them. There was hair on a door trim, the bathroom fan didn’t work, and other marks around the room needed routine cleaning. These were mostly overlooked details, but cleanliness and attention to detail are part of what I expect from this brand.