Homewood Suites by Hilton Jackson-Ridgeland

The staff were friendly, and the area is great with plenty of other options. The room was decent, but we’d stayed here a year ago and the hotel seemed much less maintained this time. The marijuana smell was extremely strong and toxic. We arrived too late last night to do anything, which was unfortunate. Is this where we are now as a society, with it reeking in parking lots, on people’s clothes, and now in hotels?

The two-bedroom layout seemed ideal for our group of four adults, a toddler, and an infant, but the condition of the unit and some service problems left us disappointed. For a rate above $250 a night, we expected more from a Hilton property. We’ve been Hilton Gold members for years, and I work in hospitality and guest experiences, so appearance and function matter to me. We’ll probably go back to Home2Suites, where we consistently get larger, more practical units and a better stay. Check-in was quick and the receptionist was polite. The furniture was newer, the room was quiet, and the bedrooms had ceiling fans, though the living room didn’t. We were first sent to a room that was already occupied, so all six of us had to haul our luggage back to the desk and move. When we asked for water, we got only two bottles for all of us, and the room phone couldn’t reach the front desk despite several attempts. There were lots of problems in the unit: the entry was too tight for the luggage trolley, the second bathroom door didn’t work properly, and the whole three-room unit had just one thermostat. A motion-sensor kitchen light kept waking our child. Some floor tiles were loose or broken, outlet finishes looked sloppy, and the entry door had to be slammed shut. There was no trash can in the toilet room. Only one ice machine served the hotel, in a different section. Breakfast ended at 9 AM, too early for most travelers and hard for us to make use of. One bedroom had no fire detector, and the renovation work looked poorly finished, with paint splattered around and utilities installed improperly. Hilton has benefits, but this hotel needs to clean up and meet the brand’s basic standards.

Tre had my room ready when I checked in late, and the exercise room was clean and set up well. It even has a Peloton, plus personal TVs you can watch while working out. Breakfast was top notch, with fresh fruit, a traditional American spread, and waffles you make yourself. I’ve been a Hilton Diamond member for seven years and expect good service. I’d highly recommend this hotel.

From a distance the room looked okay, but up close it felt unfinished and poorly maintained. I wouldn’t stay here again unless they invest in serious cleaning and repairs. The property has potential, but the details made the room feel below standard. My window looked right onto a roof covered in trash and broken pieces. Inside, the outlets and towel bars were mounted unusually high, the closet door hung crooked and wouldn’t shut, and parts of the ceiling fan were loose. In the bathroom, the shower soap holder had been moved and reattached, leaving the old holes exposed. The soap dispensers were off the wall with empty screw holes showing, and the towel bar by the sink was badly attached to the cabinet. Dust filled the bathroom and AC vents, paint was smeared messily over outlets and switches, and the doors were cracking with dust gathered around them. The lobby and common areas seemed fine at first glance, but the closer I looked, the worse things got. It was a total “Monet.”