Hampton Inn & Suites Williamsburg-Central

The pool is heated to about 90 degrees, the hot tub was warm, and breakfast had lots of choices: eggs, sausage, potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, and a waffle bar. Coffee was better than average and available in the lobby all day. Parking is right outside, and my room was huge, bigger than some Manhattan hotel bathrooms. Still, the beds were atrocious. Replacing them would make this a four-star stay. My showerhead was broken, and I couldn’t keep the HVAC fan running for white noise, even though the controls said it was on. I overheard two other guests in the elevator say they’d both slept terribly, so it wasn’t just me. I hate giving three stars, and this isn’t a bad hotel exactly, but it’s about on par with a Comfort Inn. Other Hampton Inns I’ve stayed at were better. I might come back, but I’d look elsewhere first.

Our fourth-floor room was spacious, very clean, and surprisingly quiet. It had a fridge and microwave. The lobby and breakfast room were being renovated, so the standard Hampton Inn breakfast, which was just okay, was served in a meeting room. The front desk representative handled our walk-in reservation easily and was friendly and professional. She was there again when we checked out the next morning. We were dropping our daughter at W&M. One thing missing from the room was a proper desk. There was only an office chair and a small round table, and we would have liked a desk with built-in plugs, chargers, and a light. We’ll stay at this Hampton Inn again when we visit our daughter.

The hotel is quiet, conveniently located off the turnpike, and very close to Busch gardens. It’s currently undergoing renovations, but the service was beyond exceptional. Tina recognized my Hilton honors status when my family and I checked in and offered us water. She was warm and friendly, and every time we crossed paths she was happy to chat. We never felt like an inconvenience. I’ve stayed at Hilton Grand Vacation clubs, and the service Tina provided was better than what I experienced there. She represents the kind of service all Hiltons should have. Good help is hard to find, and the team is lucky to have her. I truly hope she gets the recognition she deserves.

The place is clean and generally nice, but the breakfast has steadily gone downhill since my first stay last year. When one particular front desk employee is working mornings, breakfast is never fully set up by 6 am as it’s supposed to be. Sometimes I can’t even get coffee because she hasn’t put the supplies out. There’s cereal but no milk, and bowls for shredded cheese or brown sugar are missing or empty. For a Hilton breakfast, it’s gone completely to shit. I wouldn’t recommend it anymore.