Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Cary I-40 — Hotel in Cary

Let me start out by saying this hotel stay was NOT GOOD but the front-desk, breakfast staff and people staying in the hotel are WONDERFUL! Besides a few key points. I trusted this hotel based off all the other beautiful reviews on here, but I don't think I'll be coming back unfortunately. My safety is more important and I don't want to be sleeping with bugs or get food poisoning. The Room I picked this specific hotel not only for the reviews, but because it had a kitchen but when we got there, they had two pots, one knife, one butter knife and 2 plates. Besides normal bowls, cups and silverware. Not only were we lacking in the dish department but they had OTHERS DISHES still in there! Such as various containers, nothing else was in these cabinets and it was very hard to do any cooking. The TV was completely busted, it "worked" but not very well, with random colors being out of place, desyncing and half of the time being a pixely mess. When I went to open our curtains there were ladybugs..EVERYWHERE, not just one but 10+ and I found more crawling across the floors behind the couch. Well I love ladybugs and all, I have never wished to sleep with them. Well the room was clean and tidy, they left us with all the previous attendants amenities instead of changing them out. Aka the toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. So we barely had any! Maid Service It isn't bad that the maid service is so attentive BUT I was severely creeped out, my trust was broken and I felt so disgusting being in that room. Myself and my SO stayed from the 31st to 3rd (when I am making this as I got home and wanted it fresh in my mind), and on the day we got in, it was late, we had just been taking kids out trick or treating. So we were exhausted and the next morning, we were as well, but I forgot to set the privacy lock which is my bad~! On the other hand the maids came in WHILE WE WERE ASLEEP, and left a note. That was a big red flag for me, we saw they came later in the day too when we were out which was fine and dandy (besides them only making the bed..) but the creepiest part is when it came to that night of the 1st. I set the lock and privacy lock this time and around 11 when I right got out of the shower, I heard the familiar BANG of the door being hit against the privacy lock. My SO tried to tell me it was nothing and probably just me mishearing but we went to bed right after that, I woke up at 2am to see that the lock was indeed undone. That is incredibly disturbing. The next few days were "fine" though once again they only did the bed and each time I had to nervously check my suitcases and everything because I'm paranoid with how maid service has been so far and everything else, it really set me off. The Food This isn't a huge deal because the breakfast is free! And I could have gotten up off my butt to make my own- but the breakfast was..Okay, if you want to risk food poisoning. It is not the ladies in the kitchens fault as they are sweet as heck and probably overworked for that 3 hours breakfast goes on, but it's pretty awful. Undercooked food, especially if you go when it starts, go later! (Breakfast starts at 6:30 to 9:30 and I found it was the best between 7-8.) There was hair on the ham (like little hairs inside the ham..Which might have been worms to be honest, but I didn't eat it!), undercooked bacon, boiled sausage, undercooked potatoes most days, stale bread/pastries, overcooked oatmeal, and stale cereal. I'd say the biscuits were probably the best part! I recommend ordering out or just making your own breakfast. Small Things The walls and floors are very thin, we were placed right by the elevators and I heard that ALL night, the people upstairs and their yapper dog, and garbage trucks outside. The fan on the ceiling did NOT work well. I'd say it worked about 1/10 times, it was on when we came and then just..Died. When I went to the bathroom, there was a janitor constantly asking me if I was done. A MALE at that, coming into the female bathroom knocking on my stall....

I am very embarrassed. I wanted to treat my long-distance girlfriend to a nice hotel after she had a long day of air travel yesterday and we have not had the chance to visit each other for 2ish months. Rather than getting her off the plane and driving two hours home, which I have no problem doing, I figured she would appreciate the time together and would prefer to relax and make the drive today. Here is why the stay was embarrassing and disappointing, to say the least:

Cockroaches. Bugs are unfortunately just part of life. There is a reason why pest control exists, which I understand, but I sat down this morning on the room's couch to knock out some work on my computer, and a few minutes goes by until I realize there is a cockroach, as seen in one of the pictures attached, beside the armrest. There was another one behind the couch. I am not particularly scared of bugs, so I went downstairs to have breakfast and wanted to just briefly let someone know while my girlfriend was still asleep(again, she had a 15 hour travel day yesterday and the jet lag got to her, so I let her sleep as long as she could).

Service. The Good Part. Front desk service was nice enough, I didn't really have a bad experience with them, but you will understand why I gave it a 3 star instead of five in a minute. The good part about the service was that check in and check out were easy, and when I went to the counter to tell someone about the roaches, I think it was Sherry(?), she was completely apologetic and friendly. No qualms with her whatsoever. She explained to me that since I booked through a third party(Hotwire), no discounts or refunds were available. I told her that is fine, that I was not looking for a refund, nor did I mean to give the impression, but simply that I wanted to let them know there was an issue that someone would need to look into. I did not discuss a couple of the other problems because, just being honest, I don't think there is any reason to complain to the front staff about a lesser issue than bugs crawling near me when they will likely go through it with a fine tooth comb later now anyways.

The Bad Part. The service was that we did not request late check out, so it was automatically set at noon. Great, usually it is earlier. So when I had left for breakfast earlier, I knew my girlfriend was still sleeping, and I put a "Privacy Please" sign on the door. Got back, did some more work after killing the two bugs. Around 10:15AM, there is a knock on the door and "Room service," which I ignored the first time, assuming they did not see the sign. It happened again, so I got up and again as I grabbed the doorknob. I was greeted by, not room service, but one of the maids with a cleaning cart. She apologized and said she thought maybe she would check if we had left already. I looked down and sure enough the sign was still there. So now my girlfriend was awake and we did not get the privacy that is assumed to be provided when such a sign exists. Cool. I was not rude, but just said that we would leave around check-out.

The cleanliness. I only took two photos of the floor, but the stains on the ground were all over the room. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher, we did not use any. The sheets and towels and were all replaced, so the bar that was now on the ground was at least met, except last night when I went to use the conditioner, it was empty enough that I had to probably pump that thang a hunnid milli times! I just assumed that things like that were checked and restocked frequently. Coincidentally, I thought I brought my own shampoo and conditioner, and would use their body wash, but it turns out I brought body wash and shampoo, mistakenly having left the wrong bottle at home. I wouldn't have even noticed this normally because I am too picky about what I put in my hair, but I did, so its going into my review that the bathroom was not fully stocked.

Privacy. The bathroom door would not shut. Personally, I don't mind, but my girl likes to not have the door open while "thinking"...

Title: An Oasis of Comfort and Exceptional Service

Rating: ★★★★★

If there were more than five stars to give, I'd gladly do so. I've just returned from an unforgettable vacation, which had a rocky start at a nearby hotel, Holiday Inn Express, where a faulty air-conditioning system nearly soured my entire trip. Fortunately, the incredible staff at Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn turned things around in a way that was nothing short of miraculous.

Upon our distressed arrival at Homewood Suites, Danee, the Assistant General Manager, welcomed us with a warmth and professionalism that was instantly comforting. She listened empathetically to our ordeal, demonstrating an extraordinary level of hospitality that instantly assuaged our frustrations. Danee swiftly coordinated a room for us - a cool and quiet sanctuary that was a stark contrast from our previous nightmare experience.

At the front desk, Sherry was an absolute gem. Her friendly demeanor and efficiency in handling our check-in were impressive. Despite our last-minute arrival, she made sure our accommodation was perfect and even followed up to confirm we were comfortable. It's clear that Sherry genuinely cares for the guests, turning an ordinary stay into an unforgettable experience.

Our visit to the Hilton Garden Inn was equally delightful, all thanks to Liz. Her professionalism and dedication to guest satisfaction are unparalleled. She went above and beyond to ensure our needs were met, offering local dining suggestions and ensuring our stay was comfortable in every possible way.

To Danee, Sherry, and Liz - you are true ambassadors of hospitality and a testament to what the Hilton brand represents. Your exceptional service didn't just save our vacation - it transformed it into an experience we'll fondly remember and share with others. You've won loyal customers in us, and we look forward to our return.

To anyone considering a stay in the area, look no further than Homewood Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn. Their outstanding staff and the comfort they provide are unrivaled. They've set the bar high for hospitality, proving that even in unexpected circumstances, a dedicated team can turn things around. A full five stars is a modest rating for such an...