Hyatt Place Richmond/Arboretum

This is still my go-to hotel, even though parking costs $9, which is the one downside. I’m here for work every couple of weeks and am really happy with it. The location is peaceful and quiet, the rooms are consistently clean and comfortable, and I always enjoy the free breakfast. The front desk team is helpful every time, both in person and on the phone.

The bed in our room was pretty worn out. Check-in also took a while because nobody was at the front desk for some time. Later, the fire alarm went off, and the staff didn’t seem prepared to deal with it. The place was clean, and the staff were nice.

The room was clean, with lots of fluffy, soft pillows and a comfortable bed. The bathroom was clean too, and had plenty of washcloths and towels in different sizes. Breakfast was a welcome extra at the end of my stay. I came here after leaving another hotel I’d booked online, tired and frustrated and just wanting a clean room. The woman who checked me in was pleasant and helpful, got me a room quickly, and even her lighthearted conversation was much needed after what I’d dealt with elsewhere. They saved my trip.

Later I went looking for the bar the hotel says it has. There was a space for one, but no bottles, bartender, or posted hours, and nobody in the lobby to ask. The bar was just one more part of an experience that put me off staying here again, or probably at another Hyatt. I was with a veteran who’d just had surgery at the VA Hospital and needed to be back there at 7 in the morning, so we chose Hyatt arboretum to stay nearby. The one-night total came to $144. I understood the rate was higher than some hotels because of the name, which was part of why I picked it. Then I was told there’d be another $9 for overnight parking. It’s outside the city, off Midlothian turnpike, with a huge lot and only six cars there. Charging for parking under those circumstances really annoyed me.