Hampton Inn Pittsburgh University/Medical Center

For Anthrocon 2025, we couldn’t get a room near the convention center, so we took a chance on this hotel and were pleasantly surprised. It was quiet, though I can’t tell if that was good soundproofing or just everyone being considerate. Our room was clean and well cared for, with a comfortable bed, large TV, nice carpets, good closet space, an iron and board, coffee maker, microwave, and a curved shower curtain rod that gave us extra room. The water temperature was great and the included toiletries were appreciated. We usually skip housekeeping since there are just two adults, but one morning I asked a housekeeper for fresh towels and garbage pickup after a last-minute crafting mess. She was happy to help and even left an extra garbage bag, a small sign she was paying attention. Breakfast had plenty to choose from: fruit, yogurt, waffles you make yourself, cereal, sausage, bacon, scrambled and hard boiled eggs, and juice. The decorated lobby was a nice place to eat. Driving in and out was easy, parking seemed plentiful, and the DLCC was under 10 minutes away. The app made check-in simple, let us use our phones as room keys, and made checkout easy. If you’re going to the con without a suit and don’t need to keep going back to your room, it’s a good option at a reasonable rate.

We’d had this trip and hotel booked for months, but about 75% of our group waited six hours after arrival for their rooms. The manager lost control, punched the glass door and shattered it, then left the one other employee to handle everything. That was completely unprofessional. Our room smelled awful, musty and like feet, and something seemed wrong with the vents. Turning on the heat made the smell worse, like a burning curling iron. The tub and shower bottom also had a strange dirty, gritty buildup. Breakfast wasn’t bad, but there are better hotels nearby. Save your money and your health and stay somewhere else.

Several rooms seemed to have the same odd smell from the moment we entered ours. Maybe it’s mold in the vents, but I can’t say for sure. Cleanliness was questionable, and the pillows were a little too soft. The manager punched the glass door during a meltdown after many guests didn’t get their rooms on time, which looked like serious anger and frustration issues. The food was okay, not awful, and the hallways smelled fine. There are better hotels in the area.

We spent about a week here after I had a procedure at the nearby hospital. The staff were attentive and caring, and kept the room tidy and the towels fresh even though we didn’t want full housekeeping. Breakfast was run well, and the buffet stayed clean and stocked even when busy. There were drinks and snacks in the lobby, though the choices were quite limited. We brought our dog and they were accommodating, with a dog station outside, but you have to walk a way to reach grass.