Hampton Inn Princeton

Getting to the hotel from the highway is a little odd, but it was quiet and away from the main roads. The staff welcomed us right in, made check-in pleasant, and walked us through the hotel and amenities in detail. They let us bring our two dogs and gave us a room chosen to disturb other guests as little as possible. The room was clean, beds were comfortable, and breakfast had a good selection for a hotel. I’ll be back.

I travel often and have stayed at this location several times. Anthony and the whole team go above and beyond every time. I first met Anthony when he was helping a bus of our greatest generation get settled for the night. It must have been hectic for everyone there, but they all kept smiling. That same care has continued on every visit.

I needed emergency shelter because my home had no heat and the temperature was dropping fast, with a -5 wind chill. Although I’ve been a Hilton Honors member for a long time, this was an urgent stay. Hilton/Princeton accommodated me, and Anthony at the front desk greeted me kindly and listened to my troubles while staying professional. Breakfast the next morning was delicious, and the staff were very friendly. It made for a warm, delightful temporary stay.

Small problems added up to a sub-par stay, and the details matter. I booked a day early on the Hampton Inn app so I could get a room near the side entrance and unload my car quickly. When I arrived, the digital key didn’t work. The desk clerk said the system had been broken for a while, but nobody had warned me, so I had to haul my bags across the hotel for a card key. The security deadbolt in the room wouldn’t fully engage, a fault that should have been caught during room preparation and made me question how seriously safety is taken. The room had just one garbage can, so trash had to be stacked around it, and the bathtub in room 104 had a nasty body-fluid-colored stain. My daughter wouldn’t even step into the shower. I stay at many Hampton Inns across the US, and this was one of the worst. It felt like a sign of declining quality across the properties.