| rev:text
| - I'm a frequent traveler, and my brand loyalty generally leads me to hotels within the Hilton family. So, when I figured out I'd be in Pittsburgh this weekend, I started searching the city for inexpensive rooms at Hilton (and other) brand locations. It turned out that Pittsburgh hosted the commencement ceremony for the University of Pittsburgh and a National Rifle Association convention this weekend, and all the hotels in the city had raised their prices through the roof. Fortunately, I found this Hampton Inn location (it's part of the Hilton family) out in the 'burbs on the correct side of the city (my business this weekend is mostly in Pittsburgh's east end), and it was under my $150/night threshold for suburban mid-tier hotel stays.
I hadn't stayed at a Hampton Inn in the past and, assuming it would obviously be lower in the corporate hierarchy than Hilton Garden Inn, was very surprised at the quality of the hotel. The rooms are well-appointed and very clean, the beds are much more comfortable than at Hilton Garden Inn locations, the staff is very nice, and the complimentary tea, coffee, and hot chocolate were more than welcome. I didn't try the complimentary breakfast, but I heard it was pretty good and had enough variety to be repeatable.
The highlight of the stay, however, was one particular graveyard shift employee, who was a very sweet and interesting lady who would chat with my girlfriend and me for a while late at night. I've never met a more friendly or enjoyable hotel desk worker, and she really brightened up an otherwise fairly stressful trip to Pittsburgh.
|