The Founders Inn and Spa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Our four-night booking was for Feb 13th-16th, and the stay was disappointing. There were stains on the room sofa and hair on the floor outside the shower. The heat wasn’t working right, with the thermostat at 65 degrees. Guest Services didn’t answer after 30 rings. When we called from an outside number, someone picked up quickly. Maintenance arrived quickly too and said they knew about the issue and had fixed it, with heat expected within 30 minutes. It never came, and we slept under our overcoats. The thermostat read 62 degrees in the morning. We checked out and canceled the remaining days. The front desk staff were kind, apologized, and credited the stay. We moved to Crown Pointe Hotel and received excellent, warm service.

The room smelled strongly of marijuana. We told staff and asked to move. They said they were sold out except for two single-queen rooms in another building, so we gave up our king room to get away from the odor. The replacement room wasn’t much better: the AC and heat were so loud we couldn’t sleep with them on. My boss had a separate room and problems of his own. His sheets were disgusting, so he called for replacements. When he came back, folded sheets had been left at the end of the bed, on top of the dirty ones. He had to strip the bed himself and remake it with the “clean” sheets. His refrigerator didn’t work either, though they did replace it. The floors throughout the hotel looked filthy, as if they hadn’t been vacuumed in weeks. All three rooms we’d been in were disgusting. It’s concerning that cleaning staff marked them ready for guests. The man I spoke with after finding the marijuana-smelling room seemed not to care and suggested we stay there since no king rooms remained. He wasn’t apologetic and didn’t offer to lower the rate for the downgrade. We don’t recommend staying here unless cleanliness doesn’t matter to you. We won’t return, and I don’t feel comfortable or safe staying here tonight. The place is dark and creepy, with hardly any lights in the parking lot. There’s apparently a possum living outside the building door that runs off when someone comes out. This is NOT the Hilton we know. We’ve stayed exclusively at Hilton hotels for years. From the outside, the place looks impressive and sounds lovely, but it isn’t at all.

Our families and guests kept telling us how beautiful the venue was and how delicious the cocktail hour and reception food tasted. Brock and I loved how caring and attentive the staff were throughout our wedding weekend at the Founders Inn. The spa was wonderful too, with great service and incredible massages. A huge thank you to Krystinia for coordinating with us for months and helping bring our vision and special day to life. The chefs and whole staff were friendly and excited for us, the food was absolutely delicious, and the service was unmatched. What an incredible venue. Thanks for such a memorable weekend!

The grounds are beautiful, and the hotel was decorated for Christmas inside and out. We happened to stay during the Regent University Christmas Village, so traffic and parking were a nightmare. That’s a location issue, though, and I don’t hold it against the hotel. The rooms are generally small, which fits the colonial feel, but the bed was comfortable. This time the bathroom let things down: the toilet was munchkin-sized, the water pressure was lousy, and all the amenity bottles were empty. We heard the same complaint from others. We’ll keep staying here because it’s a good value. Next time I’ll check the bathroom supplies before getting in the shower.