Spark by Hilton Rochester University Area

After a long, miserable day of travel, I arrived late at night to a spotless room, which was a huge relief. I’ve stayed at Hilton hotels at least 80 nights a year, and this hotel was central to the places I needed to visit for work that week. Spark is a basic Hilton brand and usually unremarkable, but the staff here made this stay stand out. The hotel only recently became a Spark, so some details are still being sorted out. There wasn’t a desk chair in my room, and chairs were on order. The front desk staff were very accommodating when I asked about it and said they’d take care of it. Then I ran into Sara outside. She knew me by name and brought a chair from their own office straight to my room. Travel is hard, and kind, friendly people like this make it easier. This will be my hotel whenever I’m in the area. Thank you!

The staff have all been friendly and helpful, and the rooms are clean with comfortable beds. But there’s no microwave in the room, and that feels like a really cheap place to cut back. Even Motel 6 has them. 😢😂 I’ve got a room here during the week and have only been booking one week at a time, though I’ll be in the area for at least a month. Once my current reservation ends, I’ll switch to somewhere with a microwave. This has become my least favorite Hilton brand. They haven’t taken guests’ needs into account, and I think the missing microwave will cost them business.

Mariela in housekeeping deserves a shout-out for helping make the stay clean and comfortable. The front desk staff were also super friendly. My only small issue was that the door took some effort to close. The room itself was simple and well organized, and the location is convenient if you’re visiting someone at RIT, about an easy 10-minute drive away.

There’s no pool or hot tub, but they do have a fitness area and a banquet room. The lobby has a microwave, and Wi-Fi is included, with an option to pay for an upgrade. Staff were friendly, and our room was clean, dusted, and had everything in place. I did notice what looked like water damage on the ceiling above the tub. Breakfast is served every morning with a parfait area, coffee, juice, cereal, oatmeal, bagels, and muffins. Sandwiches are available to buy too.