Homewood Suites by Hilton Kalamazoo-Portage

The room had stains on the floor, dust on the headboard, and hair on the bed. I took photos before and after my stay because I was concerned about my deposit after the issue with the balloons. This happened on my son’s birthday. I’d called the day before because I’d forgotten to include my children and niece on the reservation when booking. Steve told me it wouldn’t be a problem if the children weren’t listed. During the stay, a staff member saw my balloons and came over. I explained they were only for photos and that I’d take them back to the car. She said parties weren’t allowed. I said it wasn’t a party, but she insisted that having other children there “sounded like a party.” I have four children and my niece with me. Her manner was rude and dismissive. Soon after, a woman of a different race came in with several “Happy Birthday” balloons and wasn’t questioned or approached. That felt unfair and discriminatory. I was very disappointed. I’ll keep staying at Hilton properties, but not this hotel.

Ms. Lovely went out of her way to help me with something I needed, and I really appreciated it. She was amazing. That’s the kind of customer service the Hilton family is known for!

The pool and hot tub were nice, and the staff were friendly. They even arranged an upgrade, and the location is convenient. But my room was unacceptably dirty. There was moldy caulking and stains in the bathtub, long hairs on the shower wall, and thick dust on the toilet paper holder, with stains on the wallpaper beside it. The nightstand and living room table felt sticky, the refrigerator top was filthy, and the bathroom light had stains and cobwebs. The sink backsplash looked like it had beard trimmings on it. Fresh paint outside and nice staff don’t make up for this. For a Hilton-branded hotel, the room fell far below what I expected. I can’t see how it was inspected and considered ready. The reviews make it seem like this may not be an isolated problem. If mediocre housekeeping is fine with you, then book here!

Before this happened, I would have recommended this place for its great service and room layout. But after they failed to make things right, they lost my business and respect. I came to relax at a quiet time after recovering from surgery at home and grieving my dad’s passing. The young woman who checked me in was nice, but there was confusion about how many nights I’d booked. No one told me my belongings had been removed from the room, and some personal items are missing. I spoke to the general manager and assistant manager as I was leaving, and neither apologized. I was told “people” do this sort of thing, but I don’t know what that means. No one had notified me, and they were rude instead of apologetic. I’ll have to take this further to recover the cost of my losses after people touched and removed my things and never returned them.