Homewood Suites by Hilton Toledo Downtown

The suite felt wonderfully roomy, which was especially helpful with our dog along. Everyone on staff we met was friendly and helpful, and valet parking was a nice option at a reasonable price. We stopped here for one quick night on our Thanksgiving drive between PA and IL, a route I’ve been taking for 25 years. I’d stay again and give myself more time to see the area. It looks like there’s plenty to explore.

The in-room kitchen was really useful, and all the appliances worked as they should. At first glance the room looked great, and housekeeping had fluffed everything up nicely. After settling in, though, we noticed the couch had a chair, and the furniture felt more like cardboard than actual cushioning. Breakfast was the biggest letdown. There were no waffles or sausage, and no scrambled eggs until Sunday. The fresh fruit on Saturday was unripe, and both mornings they served shredded pork tacos. We were here for a cheer competition, along with lots of other families, and many kids and parents were disappointed to find no waffles, bacon, sausage, or eggs. The orange juice tasted spoiled, and its container looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. The apple juice looked strange too, and kids joked it was jello. When we asked the manager about eggs or bacon on Sunday, he said they never serve bacon or sausage, sometimes offer scrambled eggs, and always have shredded pork and chicken tacos. My photos make the food look better than it was. If we come back for this competition, I’d try Hilton Garden Inn for the hot breakfast we want, though it costs extra. Being connected to the hotel was super convenient.

We were in town for a youth wrestling tournament at the Glass City Center. Homewood Suites Toledo had a noon checkout, so we took our luggage to the car in the morning but left our coats, a few small things, and food in our YETI coolers for one last stop. At 11:50, my husband went back to the room and found it open with housekeeping inside. Our things were buried in the trash and linen carts. The person there didn’t speak English. We managed to dig out some coats, but other belongings were gone, including our child’s nice winter vest. That’s unacceptable, and we won’t stay there again.

The river and brightly colored bridges looked great from room 1136. I’m not local, so I couldn’t tell whether the view faced south or west, but the photos show it. I was there for New Year’s Eve. Checking in on the app was quick, but I still had to stop at the front desk for key cards, so I’m not sure what the app was for. At Assembly in the lobby, I had two Makers Old Fashioned cocktails, both great and made just right. The oysters were disappointing, though, and tasted watered down. Oysters should be kept dry and refrigerated before shucking, not left in water.