Spark by Hilton Winston-Salem University

Brittany was the standout, so happy and informative, which is something you don’t see much in customer service these days. The room was cute and clean, with a very comfy bed, and I slept well. Breakfast was decent, with bagels, yogurt, oatmeal, oranges, and apples, and it was all organized and clean. There was a nice little tea and coffee area too. Mint tea on a rainy day was a treat. I took off a star because construction in the lobby made it hard to walk around and open doors, even though it wasn’t noisy. The pool was closed for part of my stay, but I didn’t end up using it.

The room was basic but functional and clean, and the location seemed safe. They take care of the property. The rates were higher than average for the area, though, and the service left me disappointed. I paid for four nights through booking.com. At check-in they said in-state residents had to pay a $50 deposit, which I did. Twelve hours later, my account showed $150. The manager said it went up to $150 because I was an in-state resident, which made no sense since that was why they’d asked for $50 in the first place. I let it go and checked out Friday without any other issues. Over the weekend, the original $50 came back. I called Wednesday about the rest, and Manager Ruben said the new employee who checked me in had pressed the deposit button three times. He said he’d release the money right away. By Friday I still hadn’t received it, and Ruben said the hotel had released everything and my bank was holding it. It’s now Tuesday, two weeks after my checkout on the 15th. I checked with my bank, and Spark By Hilton still has a $100 hold on my account. Neither the hotel nor its online support has resolved this. After past stays at Hilton brand hotels, I’m severely disappointed with Spark and strongly discourage anyone from staying here.

We’re Hilton Honors members and travel fairly often, but we won’t return to Spark Hotel by Hilton Winston-Salem University. On Friday, August 22, 2025, we arrived with a reservation for a king bed and were told door lock problems meant no king room was available. They offered two queen beds at the same price, which we accepted. The problem came afterward: they said guests would be charged an extra $50 in case they left the room trashed, and refunded if they didn’t. No one mentioned this when we booked, and they gave us no criteria for what counted as trashed. After a 12-hour trip, we didn’t want to hunt for another room, so we paid. They wouldn’t give us a receipt, but the extra $50 was charged to our card. We’ve never been charged an amount like that just in case we trash a room. It also makes us wonder why anyone would stay at a hotel whose guests supposedly trash the rooms. I hope Hilton addresses this. One star.

The room itself was fine, but the pool was pretty dirty. We were there for about twelve hours, and during that time my credit card was stolen and used for a purchase in Texas. My daughter also had cash taken from her purse. The only time our purses were out of sight was in our locked room while we were at the pool. I contacted management, Reuben, as soon as I found out. He said he’d review the security footage, speak to staff, and call me back. Four days have passed and I haven’t heard anything. Stay at your own risk. I definitely do not recommend it.