Homewood Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown — Hotel in Austin

Below, I have copied an email I sent to management about the staff during our stay during the back-to-back historic winter storms that plagued Texas in February 2021:

I recently stayed in Room 814 in Homewood Suites Downtown Austin from February 12-19. What was supposed to be a 3-day romantic weekend for Valentine's Day turned into an 8-day crash course in how to survive the apocalypse while navigating a global pandemic. As you can imagine, being thrown into unexpected and tragic events truly gives you perspective and appreciation, and it is with that appreciation that I write this email.

Our flight was supposed to leave Sunday morning before the storm hit. Had we been home, we might have gone to the grocery store and prepared better. However, when you are a visitor in an unfamiliar town and tragedy strikes, you can only be as prepared as the hotel you are staying in. We learned rather quickly that 6 inches of snow in Austin is something no one truly expected or could have properly prepared for. We had flights canceled day after day due to airport closures. We could not find food. We could not get Ubers or Taxis to pick us up. We were literally stuck and at the mercy of your staff.

YOUR STAFF.... there are no words! Poor Rosie worked tirelessly as the lone staff member for the entire hotel for the first 2.5 days. She did not sleep; she did not waiver. You cannot imagine how terrifying those first days were and how much worse it would have been if we had to go to the lobby and no one be there. Rosie did not let that happen. Like us, she didn't have access to food and could not run home to check on her kids. I can only imagine how worried she was for them. I have one word.... HERO. She is the true MVP of the week.

Finally, Javon was able to make it in, and Rosie was able to get some rest. For the next two days, Rosie and Javon alternated four-hour shifts. Two employees for the entire hotel on call 24 hours! They were guest services, the maids, maintenance, etc. Finally, Jamal was able to make it back in. I personally saw Jamal on my floor making beds and cleaning rooms for new guests. I also saw Jamal carrying boxes of pasta and a commercial-sized can of green beans to make dinner for those who had none. Javon offered small bags of frozen chicken nuggets to families who had no food. They went above and beyond to ensure that all guests were taken care of, from tracking down random packages of coffee or tea to extra blankets and clean towels. When they didn't have something we needed because they didn't have access to the locked supply closet, they would personally bring it to our room once they found it. Javon took over one of Jamal's shifts so that Jamal could take other guests to the airport. The day we left, Javon was preparing to go to Sams Club so that he could restock food for breakfast and the commissary as the reserves had dwindled to nothing. When the pipe burst and the alarm in the lobby would not turn off, they sat at the front desk for over 24 hours before the fire department told them hot to silence it. That would have been enough to make anyone irritable and miserable; however, there was never a time when we came down to the lobby in need of something that they did not have a smile on their face. I saw an angry/frustrated guest yell at Rosie for things out of her control, yet she handled the situation with grace and compassion.

I need you to know that your staff handled a terrible situation like superstars. Please give them a raise, give them a bonus, send them to Hawaii for a week's vacation! They deserve that and so much more. I am incredibly grateful for their patience and attentiveness during a time when stress and panic were at an all-time high.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Austin is in my prayers, and I hope that you find relief in the warmer temperatures and that things will go back to...

Our team/organization travels to Austin weekly and this time 5 families chose Homewood Suites as our hotel, but unfortunately, our overall experience at the Homewood Suites started by a disappointing check-in process and unhelpful staff. I called the hotel at 2:00pm and asked if we would be able to check in early. I was told it was no problem and they had plenty of rooms available. Upon arrival at the hotel, I was met with an unpleasant surprise. The check-in process was incredibly frustrating due to the unavailability and rudeness of the hotel staff and management. I was now told I would be charged a $50 early check in fee even though our room was ready. It seemed as though they were either understaffed or simply not interested in providing a satisfactory level of service to myself and two other families in my group. This lack of attentiveness and professionalism left a negative impression right from the start.|The staff's attitude during the check-in process was particularly disheartening. Instead of offering a warm welcome or assisting us with our needs, they seemed detached and disinterested. It is essential for hotel staff to make guests feel valued and attended to, but unfortunately, this was not the case during my stay.|Furthermore, the unavailability of staff members was an ongoing issue throughout my stay. Whenever I needed assistance or had a question, it was a challenge to find someone to help me. This lack of accessibility made me feel neglected and frustrated, as I expected more efficient and responsive service from a hotel. Another staff member (Gunner) told us to deal with our own problem because this was not a full service hotel.|Despite the disappointing check-in experience and unhelpful staff, I must acknowledge some positive aspects of Homewood Suites. The physical condition of the hotel was generally well-maintained, and the room itself was clean and comfortable. The amenities offered, such as the pool area and complimentary breakfast, were also satisfactory.|However, it is important to note that the quality of service is a crucial factor in a hotel's overall appeal. While the physical aspects of Homewood Suites were satisfactory, the lackluster check-in experience and unhelpful staff overshadowed these positives.|I hope the management of Homewood Suites takes this review and addresses the issues I encountered during my stay. Improving the check-in process and ensuring that the staff is attentive and accessible would greatly enhance the overall guest experience.|I have advised our organization to cancel all upcoming stays with Homewood Suites because of ...

We opted to stay on Rainey based on what Rainey was like in the past. However, we didn’t realize that this is the new site for redevelopment in Austin, so a lot of the charm of Rainey is being replaced by high-rises. The hotel did provide early plugs in the room to help block out construction noise, and for that I was super thankful. ||The hotel sent the typical welcome text earlier on check-in day. We checked in online and opted for a digital key because we’d arrive after midnight, and wanted to go straight to our room. ||Upon arrival, our digital key didn’t work at the garage or at our room. We went back to the lobby and waited a while without anyone coming up to help. After yelling “hello,” to try and get help, an employee came to the front desk. It wasn’t the typical welcome, as they seemed kind of put out about us being there - but hey it was 3 am so I can overlook that. ||After getting us regular room keys, I asked if my digital key would work now too. They shared that the digital key system was new and had not been working. The welcome text really should have mentioned that. ||The room smelled off when we arrived - almost like BO. Possibly it was from someone cooking onions in a nearby room, but it was just as pungent then next morning.. When we got the “how was you stay text”, we mentioned the smell. The front desk staff was helpful and offered to have housekeeping go by and freshen the room. ||When we arrived back at the room that evening, there was an aerosol odor-ban food smell remover spray on the table. Nothing else was done and the room smell was just as bad. Same smell on the day we departed. Our room was on the 16th floor so possibly other areas were not as bad. ||If you do opt to stay here, it is not terrible. Set your expectations lower as it is more like a Choice Hotels brand stay than a Hilton family stay. Also if you reserve the one bedroom king and plan to have your kids stay on the sofa bed, know it is not paid out like some other Homewood suites. The sofa bed is the same, but the only way to access the bathroom is via the bedroom. Also, the sink and vanity are not separated from the bedroom by a door and the shower is the old tub insert shower combo. So if your kids are teens and stay up later like ours do, just get two rooms. ||The place really needs an update all around to be up to be we usually experience at a Homewood. Hopefully it is up for one soon as the location is great.||We’ll be booking at the Hilton instead when returning to...