Hilton Hotel Review

I have stayed at two different Hilton hotels in the past month due to my husband's work travel.  I have to say that overall, I am very disappointed.  Hilton hotels seem to pay attention to counters in the bathrooms, but neglect the tub/shower areas.  Service varies, of course, as do amenities.  That said, I have no desire to ever stay in a Hilton again.

First stop - Hilton, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Thankfully, I didn't have many expectations at this hotel.  The price was reasonable and it was in North Dakota.  The lobby was very nice, breakfast was reasonably priced and decent and they had free wi-fi.  This was an okay hotel.  My main complaint here was the bathroom.  The sink was great, the free shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap and mouthwash ( a nice touch) was Neutrogena and pretty nice.  The shower - ugh.  The shower head had very little water flow or pressure. (Think of taking a shower with less pressure than produced by a water bubbler.)  This was coupled by the cool temperature of the water.  Then, and this was the part that really got under my skin, I there was the tub.  It didn't drain properly, and had a rough plaster bubble on the bottom.  The repair work was dreadful.  It was larger than both feet when standing on it and had an uncomfortable give to it.  If my tub at home needed to be repaired as badly as that one, I would replace it.  Apparently not the Hilton hotels.  I assumed this was because of the location.  Lower expectations in North Dakota.  I was wrong.

Next stop - Hilton Anaheim, California.
This hotel was expensive. (over $200 a night after "resort fees" and taxes).  The lobby was stunning.  The rooms looked decent.  Nothing too special, though the beds were quite lovely for hotel beds.  But again, the bathroom - ugh.  Poor water pressure, cool water temps, and a disgusting tub.  Brown discoloration marred the bottom of this already "by the hour motel" quality tub.  I was immediately thankful we hadn't brought the kids with us because I would not have wanted them to bathe in that tub.  Gross!  Then the tissue box was nearly empty (and was completely empty by morning).  Please people, they change the color of the tissue for a reason.  Put in a new box or at least leave a new box next to it!  Then came the shock of a lack of amenities.  I admit, I didn't scrutinize the website for the hotel.  It was booked through a conference and I expected the basics (coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, wi-fi and a fitness room).  Not so.  There was a coffee maker, but no refrigerator or microwave present.  Big bummer, but not a total show stopper.  Then the fitness center.  You had to pay by the day.  The did have their bundle deal, however.  For a mere $15/person/day you could have access to the fitness center as well as wi-fi (yes, you have to pay for wi-fi here.)  Not going to happen.  An already over priced hotel wanted me to pay to access wi-fi and their gym.  Please.  There was also the $6 bottles of water in our room for our convenience.  We wondered if we would find a charge on our bill for using their coffee maker and tripled checked it for a price tag before using it.  Then we looked at the breakfast prices.  Outrageous.  For a mere $7 you could order 2 eggs any way you wanted them.  Feeling like toast - only $4 more for 2 slices.  Wow.  They did have the convenience of a Starbucks in the lobby.  Thank goodness, we thought... until we saw the prices.  a tall coffee (normally $1.50) $2.95.  Apparently there is a surcharge for being associated with the HIlton.  I  thought I'd find a redeeming quality in the concierge service.  After all, for $200 a night, they could at least offer directions and a city map.  Um. no.  They had a rather useless map of the surrounding 6 streets or so.  When I asked for directions to a grocery store or Trader Joe's, she asked if I was walking or driving.  I replied walking and she replied that both would be too far to walk.  Ugh.  I had to find a Target to get decent directions.  By the way - not too far to walk.  Rather pleasant, actually.

Bottom line - both experiences at Hilton hotels were disappointing.  I've found more convenience, comfort and yes - luxury (think bathrooms) at cheaper hotel chains like the Best Western and Comfort Inns. 
Hiltons overcharge and underdeliver.