SpringHill Suites by Marriott Milpitas Silicon Valley — Attraction in Milpitas

We chose this hotel over the Courtyard Milpitas that I also stayed in recently because this one had a free breakfast option and seemed to have nicer amenities... big mistake on my part. ||First, we drove 8.5 hours from Vegas in scorching temps well over 108° most of the way, and as we drug our tired, hot selves happily to check in,  we were greeted by the most unfriendly, bored and clearly annoyed front desk agent. She rushed us through everything and showed absolutely no friendliness but was sure to shove the sign stating that we had to pay $15 a night for parking at us and that sign, of course,  stated all parking must be paid through a QR code because...it's Silicon Valley, I guess. I'm not super thrilled about the fee, but it was noted online before I booked, so I was OK with it until I realized that MOST of the parking is set up for electric cars. I guess that's what you're actually paying for because there is no other reason to have paid parking at this hotel. This is literally next to a series of apartment houses, and the only adjoining business seemed to have is own plentiful parking available. If you show up with a gas-powered car, expect to find parking only in the back of the building, because...shame on us. I would blame it again on where the hotel is located but as I stated earlier,  I stayed at the Courtyard 5 miles from here a few months ago that has a smaller lot and actual other businesses around it and parking was free. Again, my mistake. |The room was a typical cold business hotel model. Dark, with no overhead lighting, so don't expect to see much if you're old like me and need less cave-like lighting. Also, we had 4 people staying in the room with only 2 keys given to us, and you had to leave one key in the wall to operate the lights...I kid you not. So, it was either bother crabby pants at the front desk or share one available key. |The bathroom had two towels in the room total - for four people. No bath rug, even.  Seriously. Luckily, we were able to "borrow" towels from the non-working spa.|That's right, the spa didn't have working jets, so instead, we just dangled our legs in the sad, hot soup-water and pretended we were enjoying our stay. |Breakfast had hot "delights" like turkey sausage (vomit emoji) and "cage-free" scrambled eggs.  There were also biscuits and gravy, but I wasn't sure what meat was used for that sausage, so I skipped it. ALL the jelly provided was low-sugar. I suppose I should be grateful for such healthy wares, but honestly, I'm on vacation, and my fat, Midwestern behind would have loved some normal crispy pork bacon and full-sugar treats. I did ask my banana for permission to eat it so as not to anger anyone who was worried about the treatment of my fruit beforehand. Otherwise, there were the usual toast options, yogurt, and juice, but I don't recommend the coffee unless you're preparing for a colonoscopy. |There is one smoking bench for people who still gasp smoke cigarettes, but it's conveniently set right next to a wall of wildflower bushes that the bees swarm around. I happen to love bees, and they didn't bother me, but I reckon if I was allergic, I'd have certainly thought differently. |The closest convenience store is a Chevron gas station that probably would save you considerably if you bought snacks there, but I wouldn't know because the doors were locked at 11pm on a Friday. So, instead, you can choose to get overpriced snacks from the vending section located next to the front desk, which has various frozen items, drinks, and chips. Unfortunately, you still have to wait and purchase your items through a clerk who may or may not be there. With all the other QR codes throughout the building, you would think that they could put a QR code in there as well, but what do I know. I can tell you that I personally waited for 15 minutes for the lone worker to return and after I told him twice to put it on the debit card I was handing to him, he wrote it all down and added it to my room charge. Lucky for me, he must have charged the wrong room, and I got a frozen burrito for free. |Customer service is definitely lacking here, and I suppose if you are traveling for business, then this might work fine, but don't expect much in the way of comfort or convenience. I'll stick to the Courtyard 5.4...

Cons- this location was smaller than any Springhill I have stayed at previously. We stay at Springhill often and by comparison this one was lacking a dresser, did not have a suitcase stand, had only one television and did not have the end tables that double as tables when on the couch. Upon arrival in the shower was two bottles of shampoo and conditioner, no body wash- my husband popped them off the wall and left them in the sink for housekeeping to refill. When we returned to room 512 they were back in the shower however they didn’t refill them - and still no body wash. This normally wouldn’t be that big of a deal- but they also left no bar soap, no bath mat and left only one washcloth and two bath towels. So that was a bit disappointing. (Since it was late my husband made a run to a local store to buy shampoo, conditioner and a bar of soap and an extra towel). Bathroom door is barn style and doesn’t lock. (I also hate their new trash cans that are tiny and have no liner). Pros- the rooms were sparkling clean. Beds are comfortable. Sheets are soft and clean and don’t smell like detergent of any kind (very appreciated). Charging ports built into the common nightstand and desk area are convenient. Hotel staff that we spoke to were very friendly. The included breakfast was nice. Each morning there were some type of egg dish, some type of potato and some type of meat, there was also an oatmeal bar, cold cereal, danish and pastries, yogurt, bagles, apples, oranges and bananas. (I did miss there being a make your own waffle station but it is a small area so it’s understandable, also most locations also have melon and strawberries this one did not- but not a deal breaker). The location is tucked into an industrial park area so there is not much nearby. Starbucks is walking distance, along with a burger shop (I do NOT recommend the burger place). Close to the gas station. Freeway close so it was convenient. Very quiet. If I go to the area again I would probably choose the San Jose Airport over this location just for the larger room, dresser, and end tables, but if I had to stay here again I would not complain. (However I would have visited the front desk for...

Springhill Suites is my preferred brand to stay at due to the spacious rooms. I typically travel with my children and they also have smart TVs which is a major plus. Also, the built in desks are great. I worked from the hotel one day and had no issue with internet speed and setup was easy. This location has the appearance of a normal Springhill; very nice and modern. The location was convenient enough and we loved the Mountain View’s from our room. I was, however, surprised by the parking charge. I didn’t even think to check because I’ve never been charged for parking at a Springhill before. It is $15 per day. It seems charging for parking in this area/city is normal. That doesn’t make it right and I don’t like it but I also don’t expect the hotel to make any changes. They use the excuse that it’s to keep unauthorized cars out of the lot but we all know there are other ways to do that without penalizing the guests. The breakfast was not what we usually get when staying at Marriott brands. I ended up having to buy breakfast each day because my kids refused to eat it. However, the price of the hotel for the value is still good for the area. The room was nice but had a gummy bear in the trundle couch and the fridge did not work. Otherwise, the room was clean and spacious as you would expect with Springhill. The front desk host (I did not get his name but gentleman with dark hair) who was there during the day time was very helpful. He helped me pick a movie theatre to visit and told me a lot about the area. The housekeeping staff who attended the 2nd floor did not speak English but she was very patient as I tried to explain what I needed for the room and was very nice and accommodating. I noticed the parking lot does get full at night but they do have plenty of EV charging if you need it. They block off spots for carpool I think it was. Most of the spots were not being used, so again, I think the worst thing about this hotel is the parking. Just doesn’t make sense. I think we would stay here again. I am visiting the area again next month and plan to try a different hotel that doesn’t charge for parking. All in all no...