Hilton Sacramento Arden West

The rooms were quiet, though dated, and the evening staff smiled whenever I passed them. The front desk check-in clerk, on the other hand, wasn’t friendly. Service was hit or miss, and an automated kiosk might have handled check-in better. Don’t let the grand entrance fool you. For the price, there are much better places if all you need is a two-star hotel. Hilton also adds a $15 parking charge, and coffee choices are limited to the downstairs restaurant. Hilton should put out a coffee bar in the morning and train staff to be friendlier.

Nothing fancy here, just a pretty normal place. It feels dated, maybe built in the '70s, and there’s no bathroom exhaust fan. The TVs, mini fridge, and microwave are good, though. That’s usually all you need.

The gym was a highlight: a decent size and equipped with what you need, more effort than most hotels put into their fitness rooms. The location is convenient for restaurants and the mall, but I wouldn’t walk there. Check-in was quick, easy, and friendly, and I had no trouble with hot water. I was comfortable enough with the highway noise that I didn’t use the foam earplugs provided in the bathroom. The rest was a mixed bag, and I wouldn’t stay again. The lobby looks nice but has a gloomy, jumbled layout, and the hotel is very dated. I’d read mixed reviews before booking, including reports of vehicle break-ins, and then saw two myself. There are many homeless people in the area and some cut through the parking lot, which might explain the break-ins. The hotel charges for parking and gives you a placard, but the arm gates at the entrances and exits weren’t being used. The elevator needs a keycard, but one card opens access to every floor, so someone can ride along and select a floor without a card. Its inspection was out of date, and the temporary permit was expired. In the room I noticed ugly carpet, a popcorn ceiling, a very small bathroom, and dried urine on the toilet seat. It was a chilly, overcast day in the low 40s, but the air conditioning was on. Switching it to heat did nothing, and even turning it off left the room cold. The blanket was very thin, and by morning the pillows felt like bags of concrete mix. The bathroom light switch was odd and only worked with just the right pressure and placement, though maybe that was just my room. I almost canceled a few days before the reservation because I thought it might be a poor choice, but gave it a chance. Here we are.

The restaurant had just two servers trying to handle everything, so I do understand they were stretched thin. Still, the service needs work. At breakfast, the server asked several times what bread I wanted, then my food came quickly. The phone rang often and got little attention. Someone asked if I wanted hot sauce while the server was away answering it, but I never got the sauce or a follow-up. I also had to wait for another server to print the right bill after receiving the wrong one. They said I could still charge it to my room, though the restaurant system seemed to be malfunctioning. It would’ve been nice to get water, finish eating, and get my check without these hassles. The trouble had started with the bathroom door. Check-in was smooth, but the door was loose and kept sticking. I reported it to the front desk agent that night, and they seemed annoyed. They said they fixed it while I was out for dinner, but the lock got stuck the next morning while I was inside. When I reported it again, staff still seemed bothered. Later, I asked a deli employee where breakfast was while they were fixing product; she pointed me in the right direction with a frustrated look. I shouldn’t feel like I’m doing something wrong just to get basic things sorted.