DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel West Palm Beach Airport

The room was the weak point for me: it was noisy, the bathroom was tiny and felt old and dingy, and there was no way to stream on the TV. You have to shut the bathroom door to use the toilet comfortably. I did like the soap and shampoo dispensers, though. The lobby and food were good, and all the staff interactions were great, especially with the shuttle drivers. Still, this kind of hotel felt very expensive.

The one bright spot was the friendly front desk staff, plus the complimentary cookie at check-in. The fitness center equipment all worked, and the pool looked clean. Beyond that, the stay was a mess. I’ve used dozens of Hampton Inns for work and expected more from a higher-tier Double Tree in the Hilton family, but this place was outdated, poorly kept, and dirtier than any Hampton I’ve stayed at. Even the older Hampton properties at least seem to have housekeeping trying to keep things clean. I didn’t see that effort here. My room was filthy, and the AC was close to failing. It ran almost constantly, as loud as a taxiing 737, and blew air so dry and dirty that it irritated my sinuses, kept me awake, and used up the tissues. I’ve slept better with less congestion in a 120-year-old basement. The toilet flushed in a slow trickle and refilled loudly about once an hour, though it still worked. The alarm clock was eight minutes slow, a small thing, but it didn’t help my impression of the housekeeping. The hotel sits right by the highway, and the road noise was bad. I know they can’t move the building, but thicker walls would help. The AC was the only thing louder than the traffic, as it struggled to keep the room at 70 degrees on a 69-degree night. I didn’t eat at the restaurant, but my coworker said the burger gave him indigestion. I was also disappointed to find breakfast wasn’t included, and parking costs $10 a night, unlike at a Hampton Inn. It all felt like a step down. Be warned, after that cookie and the friendly desk staff, things went downhill.

A hot cookie at the end of the day is worth remembering. The onsite bar was a nice place to wind down, and Ken was bartending. We also used the free shuttle downtown, thanks to Wendell, and the hotel offers airport service if you arrange it ahead. The staff were friendly, especially the breakfast crew led by Greg, who were attentive and welcoming. The buffet was delicious. Our room was spacious, and the beds were comfortable. The AC was a little noisy, though. There’s also a pool and exercise room that looked fine, but we didn’t have time to use them. It’s a convenient place to stay when visiting West Palm.

We landed around 10:30 at night and the complimentary airport shuttle wasn’t running. The front desk staff were very nice, and the lobby looked pretty, but there wasn’t a cookie at check-in or check-out even when I asked. Our bed was comfortable, though the room smelled musty, so I used the coffee packets to try to cover the odor. Several things were broken, including the ice bucket handle, shower curtain, and luggage rack. Room 314 faced the highway and was noisy.