Hilton Garden Inn Albany Airport

Front desk needs a personality

Waited ALMOST FOUR HOURS to get checked into room. Twenty people in lobby waiting that long. System down and obviously no back up plan. Absolutely ridiculous!

This is a hard review to write because circumstances beyond the control of the front desk on the evening of June 22nd could easily make this a very negative review. We arrived around 9 pm, at almost the exact moment that the computer system at the hotel shut down. We were given a free drink, and we ate at the hotel's restaurant while we waited, expecting that everything would be up and running. Unfortunately, it was not. Since they had no way of knowing which rooms were occupied, and since the front desk people were reassured that the "fix" was on the way, we were in limbo for a few hours. People who were trying to check in were rude -- and swearing -- and leaving in a huff. The front desk handled it with grace and dignity, even when provoked by angry customers. My husband and I decided to "hunker down," so to speak. He grabbed a pillow and took a nap on the floor; I read my book waiting for word on our room. They ended up running around the hotel literally checking for empty rooms. We finally got our room at 1 am (needed to be away by 6 am for a flight). The two people at the front desk had been there since 8 am. We were so impressed by how well they handled the disgruntled in the group, especially those who thought they should have been doing more. As it was, the computer system was still out when we checked out the next morning. Nothing was their fault -- and as customers we felt like we were treated as well as could be considering the situation.

First let me say that I stay at Hilton hotels whenever I travel...and it is a lot since my grown children are all in different States. The hotel was nice, clean upon arrival. When it was time for bed, my granddaughter and I were in one bed and my daughter was to sleep in the other double bed. When she pulled the duvet down...there was no flat sheet. Just the fitted sheet. She called down to the front desk and asked for a fitted sheet. It took well over an hour for it to arrive. My daughter made the bed and got in. And then felt something square between the fitted sheet and the mattress. When she un-made the entire bed...she found a bar of soap (not a bar of soap the hotel provides...this was yellow and brown with an initial carved in it). SO apparently, the bed linens were NEVER CHANGED from the last guest that stayed in this room. My daughter was so grossed out that she wrapped herself in the clean flat sheet and used a towel on top of her pillow in order to sleep. We conveyed this to the front desk upon check out. They apologized and paid for 2 breakfasts. Just doesn't make up for the lack of cleanliness and no sleep. Showers the next morning couldn't come fast enough!

Convenient to Albany airport. Friendly, accommodating staff. Staff helped facilitate electronic business meeting / conference call upon arrival. Would book here again in a heartbeat.