Embassy Suites by Hilton Austin Arboretum — Hotel in Austin

If I were able to give negative stars, I would. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE - SAFETY COMPROMISED

My Cousins and I planned a trip to Austin. My Cousin booked this hotel because she was a Diamond member and said she had stayed with Embassy before.

We had cousins staying at another hotel and we hung out with them there . We arrived back at our hotel in the early morning hours and realized there wasn't any available parking in the front so we were going to look in the back.

As we were headed to the back, we noticed a spot on the side and prepared to back in. Out of nowhere, a woman appeared and literally started walking right in the path of us backing up. My cousin was upset and shouted for her to watch out. When I looked in that woman''s face, she looked as if she were on drugs or mentally ill or both. She started walking up to the truck.

We did not feel safe so my Cousin pulled back to the front of the hotel to let the front desk attendant know what just happened. Most hotels lock the doors after a certain time, however this hotel does not. It was after 3 a.m. and my cousin was able to just walk in.

We remained in the truck and my Cousin went in to explain what happened. The person at the front desk said to just park right in the front and it would be fine.

We park (it is 4 of us), go up to our room, take showers and get in bed. I was still awake (my sister and 2 cousins were asleep) and I hear someone beating on the door. I sit straight up and say to my cousin to wake up because they probably want her to move the truck. It is now after 5 a.m. but the knock stopped so I didn't try waking my cousin up further.

Then less than 10 minutes later there is LOUD REPETITIVE banging on the door. It is so loud everyone in the room wakes up. One of my cousins goes to the door asking who is it. Guess who it was?? The woman we had encountered in the parking lot when trying to park!! OMG!!

Not only is she beating on the door, she is shouting expletives, and twisting the knob!! We are beyond shocked, upset and frightened. How in the world does this woman know what room we are in????

When my cousin calls the front desk Sabrina first says the woman said her boyfriend was in the room so she told her the room number. Excuse me - so anyone can get room information no matter what!! Clearly there are no men in our room but how dare you compromise our safety!! Then the story changed to they are very aware of this woman because they have to escort her out frequently. Again, what???

When my cousin demanded to speak to a manager, she was told the manager would not be there until later in the morning. My cousin expressed that this was not acceptable and she wanted a manager to call her because we no longer felt safe. Do you know that woman told my cousin that if she didn't calm down, she would have her removed from the premises!!!

This hotel is very old and raggedy. There were stains on the bedding toward the bottom, the ceiling in the bathroom was old and tearing, the sofa didn't look clean, and it didn't smell fresh. This is not the hotel accommodations that I ever stay when traveling but I didn't schedule this.

Needless to say I remained awake until daylight. I was stressed, scared and wanted out of that dirty, unsafe, hotel. Oh and the next answer at 9 a.m. regarding a manager was that one would not be available until the evening.

Once it was daylight, we immediately packed up and left. My cousin had to find us another hotel to stay until it was time for us to go back home because we refused to remain there.

If this is what a Diamond member experiences, I tremble at the thought of what a lower tiered member would go through.

I still do not feel this was resolved and it appears nobody cares. I wanted to share this experience so others are warned to stay at this hotel at your own risk. You have...

I’ve stayed with this property many times over many years, and from a high level been very satisfied. In the past they have rented me rooms with the plumbing needing to be ripped out and start over, and the curtains allowed to sun-rot into shreds. But, overall, they have done a fairly good job of maintaining Hilton corporation’s high standards, even though I believe this is a franchisee.||||It’s not likely I’ll be coming back unless some extreme need arises. And, that’s because they have decided to start charging for parking in a place that it’s not customary or appropriate to charge a customer to park. If this was located downtown somewhere that everything goes vertical, and space is at an extreme premium, then parking charges are expected and appropriate. This place is on the edge of town, and there’s no justification for charging a customer to park other than corporate greed. The innkeepers in the neighborhood have not begun to charge for parking.||||Just in this neighborhood there are plenty of other equal or better properties with the same amenities that don’t charge for parking. The Embassy on N I-35 has also adopted this same practice. If we examine the traffic patterns around either of these properties it’s plenty obvious the architect had no intent or plans for charging to park.||||My stay there was plenty OK, and the room condition better than some I have rented here in the recent past. They used to have swans swimming around in the atrium fountain, but I can only guess the swans, too, didn’t want to pay for parking, and flew away somewhere they are welcomed. I really do like Hilton’s electronic keys to my phone, and that most of their properties are equipped with an in-room safe. But, none of that is enough to get me to elect to support gouging the customer the way this place is. ||||So, be forewarned if you choose to stay here. I don’t recommend them any longer for that very reason. I didn’t have anything negative to say about the room, the staff, and the overall stay, except for that one hidden charge that is bad for business, and bad for the customer.||||This is Texas, where we have almost no public transportation, and none that actually works taking people any place they need to be. That leaves everyone with no way to move around except in your own car. Places where it’s customary to pay for parking usually offer other means of transportation other than a car, and that’s nowhere near here. Hitch-hiking was outlawed some years back taking that option away too.||||I do hope this franchisee comes to their senses and finds other ways to increase profits outside of just gouging the customer with unexpected fees...

I wish I could give this hotel zero stars because it doesn’t even deserve one. As a long-time Hilton Honors member, I have stayed at many Embassy Suites, and this is by far the worst experience I’ve ever had.

I booked a Premium Room, expecting at least a decent level of comfort, but what I got was shocking. If this is what they consider "premium," I can’t even imagine how terrible the regular rooms must be.

From the moment I stepped into my room, I was hit with a strong, musty stench, as if the room hadn't been properly aired out or cleaned in years. The carpets look like they were last replaced in the 1990s—stained, worn out, and downright filthy. The sofa cushions were covered in stains so disgusting that I wouldn’t even think of sitting on them. To make matters worse, one of the mirrors in the room was completely missing—only the empty frame was left hanging on the wall, which was both bizarre and unsettling. I’ve attached images to show just how bad the carpets and sofa stains are. It’s shocking that a Hilton-affiliated hotel would allow rooms to be in such deplorable condition.

To make matters worse, the front desk staff were unfriendly and unwelcoming. Despite having already checked in online, I was still asked to provide a deposit upon arrival—why even offer online check-in if the process isn’t honored? The overall atmosphere of the hotel was cold and uninviting, making me regret my stay immediately.

The condition of the room itself was beyond unacceptable. The furniture was outdated and falling apart, with fixtures that looked like they hadn't been maintained in decades. The bed was uncomfortable, the pillows were cheap and flimsy, and despite requesting feather pillows, I was given something that felt more like lumpy cotton. After complaining and switching rooms three times, the situation only got worse each time. At that point, my only options were to either check out and find another hotel or suffer through the nightmare.

To add insult to injury, parking was another hidden scam. Nowhere during the booking process was it mentioned that parking would cost $21 per night. And what’s even more ridiculous? The parking lot was practically empty—clearly, people are avoiding this place for a reason.

Overall, this hotel is an absolute disgrace to the Embassy Suites brand. If you’re considering staying here, do yourself a favor and book a Motel 6 or Motel 8—you'll likely have a cleaner, more comfortable, and more pleasant experience. If this was a "Premium Room," I can't imagine what kind of disaster awaits in a standard one. Avoid this place...