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| - For the record, Hampton Inns are typically 3-star venues for me. They are fairly no-frills places to stay with clean rooms, free self-serve institutional breakfast offerings, free wi-fi, and generally quite affordable. Because they are part of the Hilton Honors brand portfolio of which I am a loyal member, I stay in several of these each year. I have stayed in this particular property about 6 times in my life and each time my stay has been consistent.
This one gets a ratings bump up from me for a couple of reasons. I have always had employee encounters here that are a bit above and beyond. Nothing patronizing or gratuitous but simply things that you don't expect from a no-frills place such as providing me with extra amenities or hustling to clean my room during the day when they realize that I am coming back early from a canceled work engagement. Those little things are typical from high-end hotels that have concierges and even butlers who are trained to pick up on customer cues and I have experienced them in luxury properties. But from a Hampton Inn? That is unbelievable to me.
Also, I usually get an upgrade to a suite. Full disclosure is that I am the highest tier "Honors Diamond" loyalty member so I doubt that upgrades are the norm for everyone. But the suite here is great for my purposes and includes a kitchen with a large refrigerator, a dining counter, a sofa living room area and a separate bedroom and bathroom. Hard to believe that I get this at a Hampton Inn price point. Add to that parking spots reserved for Honors Diamond members and I feel like I have the run of the house!
Ok, I'll admit that sometimes it is nice to stay in a place with a spa or a butler but when I am traveling alone on business, this checks all the boxes I need for a comfortable, affordable, and somewhat personalized experience.
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