Hampton Inn Minneapolis/St. Paul-Woodbury

The hotel and hallways look beautiful and are quite clean, but the rooms are pretty beat up. All the lampshades were cracked, and there was a pile of some dark, tar-like stuff beneath the bedside table. The room smelled heavily deodorized at first, then once that smell faded it reeked of mildew. Something like a coat rack was barely attached to the wall, with screws missing. I kept thinking it would fall off.

The desk and breakfast staff were great, but the facilities were run down. The outside door locks, office equipment, and exercise equipment weren’t working, and the veneer was peeling off the room furniture. The problem here is management and the maintenance supervisor, not the staff.

The fridge only works if you open and close it every three hours, according to the front desk. My food spoiled twice because of it. The outside doors wouldn’t read my key cards, and half the fitness room equipment was out of order. There’s just one ice machine, on the first floor. This is a disgrace to the Hilton name. I’m a diamond member and won’t return to this location.

The carpets felt greasy, there were stains on the wall that I couldn’t identify, and the tub drain was broken. The beds were clean enough, and usually a place to sleep is all I need, but the way our complaint was handled has me extremely irritated. I’m a rewards member, and Hampton’s 100% satisfaction guarantee was mentioned without anyone making an effort to help. I’ll be rethinking my loyalty to Hilton and telling people to treat this as “buyer beware,” not “satisfaction guaranteed.” We booked five nights, and on the first night, walking back to our room with our young children, I noticed a strong marijuana smell in the hallway. It seemed like someone was actively smoking in a room, probably one of two doors down, rather than just passing by after smoking. Staff came up, smelled it, agreed that someone was smoking marijuana, then said they’d “spray the hallway” and talk to their manager. Later, the same staff member told me nothing more could be done. My concern was about the children being exposed through the shared vent system, not just the smell. I noticed it again the second night. I complained by email during the stay, then through chat, but only got told it would be passed to the manager. Nobody offered another solution. I usually stay with Hilton or Hampton, despite not being wealthy, and book hotels several nights at a time around one to three times a year for work, to visit home, or for vacation. I’ve never had an experience like this at any location, and was shocked by the customer service. After the hotel complaints, I was referred to Hilton customer service. They offered 20,000 rewards points. When I declined and asked for a refund for just the two nights with the smoke smell, they got agitated or angry and refused to help. They opened a “case” with the hotel, then said they couldn’t issue a refund and only the hotel could. First I was told I’d hear back in 48 hours, then the email said 72. I heard nothing from Hilton or Hampton until I emailed again four or five days later. They said they were investigating, sent 5,000 rewards points, and dismissed me again. I’ve never complained at another Hilton hotel, but this experience has made me question my loyalty.