Watt Hotel Rahway, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

I accidentally made a same-day booking through Expedia, and at check-in I explained that it was meant for a later date and asked what I should do. The front desk told me to pay the hotel and said Expedia would refund the reservation. But when I checked with the desk the next morning, they said cancellations weren’t allowed within 24 hours. That directly contradicted what I’d been told the day before. It was frustrating and misleading. The hotel needs to communicate more clearly so guests aren’t left in this position.

The staff were kind, but the hotel itself was awful. My room smelled old, the walls had cracks, the paint was chipped, and there was dirt along the baseboards. The shower floor was badly chipped too, and the pipes knocked loudly every morning. I have photos of the damage. This was the worst Hilton I’ve stayed at, and definitely the worst Tapestry collection property. I wouldn’t come back or recommend spending your money here.

The rooms were below average for a Hilton, and the place felt more like a motel. I won’t stay again, and I’d tell people to spend their time and money somewhere cleaner and nicer. I’d booked two rooms with two queen beds online and called the day before to confirm. When we arrived, one booking had been canceled for some unexplained reason, and the hotel was full. The room they gave me was supposed to have two queens, but it had one king bed and was ADA accessible. They blamed a discrepancy in the information from the website, which I found hard to believe. Then they charged me for another room, calling it a discounted rate to make up for the inconvenience.

I left a night early and moved to another hotel. I don’t give one-star reviews lightly, but this stay was a serious failure in cleanliness and guest care. There were multiple pubic hairs in the shower, and even after I told management the first night, housekeeping didn’t remove them. Long dark hairs were wrapped inside the bath towels, I found hair behind the sink while brushing my teeth, and nail clippings were still on the floor after the room had been tended to. It made me wonder whether rooms are inspected before guests arrive. This fell far short of the cleanliness I expect at a Hilton property. I’d requested through the app to stay away from the train side, but my room was changed. By the time I arrived, the hotel was full, so I was stuck in the room I’d tried to avoid. Cold air poured in through the window, and even with the heater turned all the way up, the room was still difficult to keep comfortable. The Assistant Manager (Janyia) came across as surprisingly unprofessional. Hilton Honors customer service contacted her and said housekeeping would deal with my concerns right away. I waited, but that didn’t happen. When I called to ask when they’d come, I was told no housekeeping staff were available. The conflicting information made an already bad experience worse. As a loyal guest, I’m used to better from Hilton. The cleanliness problems and dismissive service seem to point to issues beyond the front-line staff, and I hope senior management takes them seriously. Rooms in this condition shouldn’t be offered to paying guests.