DoubleTree by Hilton St. Louis Forest Park

The location next to the cancer center is useful while I’m receiving treatment, and the young man working 3-11 pm was incredibly sweet and helpful. My coworkers here were not like him. The bedding was never changed during my third stay, despite three requests. First there were no sheets on the cart. Next I was told to call the front desk and ask night housekeeping, but no one was there, and workers are often outside smoking. On the third try, morning housekeeping said they needed to check with the front desk. I checked out with the same bedding. We slept under one plain sheet and put the blanket on the floor. The first visit was bad too. I had to change rooms because the tub was filthy, and the second room had white stains on the couch. I was exhausted from treatment and didn’t move again, but wouldn’t even let my dog sleep on it. Housekeeping is terribly loud, chatting and on their phones about personal things. We heard one woman’s whole conversation about her son being in trouble at school. Checkout is at 12, yet housekeeping knocked three times that morning. First to remind me of checkout, then to say down the hall, “oh they’re still here,” then to check again. If I’m paying almost 2k for my stay, let me stay until checkout time. Funny that they could come by to hurry me out and clean, but never change the bedding. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel unless being near the hospital is essential.

I was staying while my girlfriend was having surgery at Barnes, and the staff did make things easy and seamless. They were helpful, but dealt with me like a product on an assembly line, never looking up from the computer or showing much kindness. The third floor had some sort of leak, and the wall outside my room was moldy and smelled awful from the cleanup and work, which was happening at 8 pm for some reason. For two nights, it cost $355, and that isn’t justified by the hotel’s standard. Charging guests for breakfast is ridiculous. It’s good enough for a shower and a place to sleep, but basically a Super 8 with a Hilton price tag.

The hallway to the hospital smelled like cinnamon apples, but it didn’t make the experience any less shameful. My wife and I are seniors on a fixed income, and we saved for six months to stay at this DoubleTree during medical testing at Barnes-Jewish and celebrate our anniversary. We expected professional hospitality from a Hilton brand. Instead, added costs pushed us to leave a day early. Breakfast was $14 per person, parking cost extra, and the tap water was cloudy and smelled like stagnant lake water. We felt forced to use the bottled water in the room, but it had no price tag, another fee waiting to happen. The “free” Wi-Fi was only 2Mbps, with an upcharge for usable internet. A lobby vending machine charged $5 for a “latte” that was just six ounces of steamed milk. Those unexpected charges maxed out our credit card on the first day. We realized we wouldn’t have money left to eat if we stayed the second night. We explained that we were seniors with mobility issues, four hours from home, but management wouldn’t refund that night. It felt like we were told to stay and starve or leave and lose our money. We drove home exhausted and empty-handed rather than be treated like open wallets during a vulnerable medical week. Hilton failed us. Truly shameful.

During a stressful hospital visit, the friendly, caring staff and clean, comfortable room made this a peaceful place to stay. Barnes Hospital is easy to get to from the hotel, which made visiting loved ones simple. Fresh linens helped us rest, and the free warm cookies after a long day were a small comfort that lifted our spirits. A perfect place if you’re visiting or supporting someone at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Highly recommend.