Hilton Garden Inn Wooster

We haven’t stayed overnight ourselves, but guests of ours have and were happy with their accommodations. We often meet at the Hilton Garden Inn for Saturday breakfast, since the buffet is nice and we enjoy the restaurant associates. It’s easy to get to, just off the 250 by-pass near the OARDC and the Ohio State Agricultural School. The staff are friendly and accommodating, and the recent remodeling has left the place bright and clean.

The room itself was clean, but there were several other issues, including a few smaller pushbacks. The biggest one started before we arrived: I called the morning of check-in to ask for a crib or pack and play for my two-year-old. Other Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn locations I’ve stayed at had them, but the front desk man told me to bring my own or go buy one. We bought one since we’d been on the road the day before and hadn’t brought ours. Not a great first impression, given what we’d come to expect from Hilton. On Saturday night, a guest in the lobby asked to have the fireplace turned on because the room was cool. A front desk clerk yelled at him, saying it was maintenance’s job, then turned on the outside fireplace and wanted everyone to go outdoors. While arguing with him, she called local police and said he had called her names. She also threatened to throw everyone in the lobby out, even though most of us had nothing to do with it. The officers arrived, saw how hostile she was, and left about 10-20 minutes later after deciding she was overreacting. If you’re looking for a welcoming, accommodating place, take this into account.

We travel a lot, and this was our worst hotel experience. We paid for breakfast, but most of the menu wasn’t included. We also asked about using the meeting room and were simply told no, without an explanation. Then trying to turn on the gas fireplace in the lobby led to a staff member yelling and escalating things by calling the police. The customer service was atrocious and disrespectful. We wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The quiet was what I appreciated most. We ate at the restaurant twice during our week-long stay and loved it both times. It’s a little-known spot in town, with a chef making an excellent, limited menu that still has something for everyone. It wasn’t crowded or noisy, and the chef and staff went out of their way to make sure we were happy. The hotel itself was a delight too, with spacious, clean rooms, friendly and helpful staff, and a fairly new, well-maintained property. It sits at the edge of town beside corn fields in the heart of Amish country.