Homewood Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown First Ward — Hotel in Charlotte

I recognize this hotel is fairly new and the staff was helpful at check-in. This review is a reflection of the management and the valet service PMC (Parking Management Company). Upon seeing there was no parking available at the hotel, I decided to park in the mobile lot across the street. While waiting for my friend to arrive, I called the hotel to check parking costs and compare them with the mobile lot. When I asked about parking my own car in the garage, the clerk replied that valet parking cost $45 and $75 to park my own car. I asked about the mobile lot and she stressed to park there at my own risk. I understood, as I was approached twice for money and once to have my windows cleaned. Once my friend arrived, we both drove over to the hotel to check in. We both expressed our concern about valet parking. The desk clerk said I was misinformed about a self-parking rate. The valet parking fee was $45 and we could not park our own cars. I asked the clerk if I could pay the valet parking fee of $45 and park my own car? She said she'd ask the manager and let me know what he says. My friend and I decided to take her car and go to dinner. Realizing I had not heard from the manager, I hesitantly gave the valet person the keys to my car. The following morning after check-out, the valet brings the car. I notice scratches and white paint marks on the hood. I immediately ask for the manager of the valet service. I'm told his work shift starts at 12:00 and he should be here in five minutes. After waiting 30 minutes, I filed a report with the valet person. Afterwards, I went inside the hotel and had a conversation with the on-duty manager. According to the manager, the hotel bears no liability as this is a third-party organization. From my view, if the hotel is offering a service to its customers and the customers' automobiles are parked by an incompetent business and they do not have any other safe, adequate options, the hotel should then share in some of the responsibility. Initially, the hotel staff informed me that Preferred Parking was the company I needed to contact. The manager of Preferred Parking returned my call later that afternoon. He explained that the apartment complex (next to the hotel) and the Homewood Suites share the parking garage. He gave me the correct name and number of the company, PMC (Parking Management Company). I asked about the cameras in the garage and how to obtain video footage. He said he did not have access to the footage. If I decide to file with my insurance, I will need a police report. I went to the police department and was told to return to the hotel and wait for an officer to arrive. I waited two hours then decided to begin my two hour drive home. Late that evening, a Charlotte police officer finally called. I explained the situation. He said I can return to the hotel at anytime and still file a report. I write this lengthy review as an alert and warning for future guests to the Homewood Suites by Hilton- Charlotte Uptown First Ward, NC. A planned one-day/overnight trip to meet up with a friend and enjoy an early Mother's Day was spent in frustration. Filing a report with the valet service was a waste of my time. It's been six days and no one from PMC, Parking Management Company has been in...

I am highly disappointed in my experience with this hotel. Specifically, the valet parking which I know is a 3rd party service. It is hard to not use that service because of the parking situation. I am a very easy to please customer. I never complain, I'm patient, and I'm understanding. I recognize that this is not everyone's experience but I feel very disappointed in the way I was treated, especially since I remained patient, calm, and kind the entire time. My friend and I arrived to the hotel and registered my vehicle for valet parking. We got dressed for an event and went back downstairs to retrieve the vehicle and when we did my key had a ticket on it like all the other registered keys. We left the hotel for a few hours and came back, handed our key to the valet worker, and went to our room. Shortly after, I realized I left something in my car so I went back down to the valet worker and asked if I could have my car pulled back around. She insisted I did not provide my key to her. When we first arrived to the hotel there was a man working but the second time it was a woman so I was trying to remember who I handed my key to, which I determined it was the woman based on their shift times and the times that we arrived. They spent the entire night looking for my key and did not find it, I even showed them the key fob cover that I had on my key. I was being belittled as if I just lost it because the lady was so sure that I never gave it to her. In the meantime, even though I knew I gave her my key, I also searched my room, all my bags and belongings and did not find my key. I could not rest the entire night knowing that my key was out there somewhere and anyone had access to my car. I literally could not sleep. The next day, that worker was no longer on staff and her manager, Jaden Hymon, continued to search for it and submitted a claim. Luckily I did have a spare key to my vehicle which I never travel with so I was able to access my car. The issue that I have is that this company lost my key and they are doing nothing about it. I can only imagine if I did not have a spare key. I am being blamed for losing my key, I am having to pay to have it replaced when I shouldn't. I called the hotel and they are telling me there is no security cameras in the valet area. That is extremely unsettling due to the fact that they are handling vehicles. I feel as though I'm backed against the wall. It is my truth against the valet worker and they are taking her side. The claims department for the PMC parking service told me to submit it to my insurance as they did not find a liability. I realize now that no one is going to help me, especially since I have a spare key (I should be fine since I have access to my car, right?). This is so wrong. I bought my car with 2 keys and now I have 1 and no one has done anything about it. The key is $432. If you are going to use any valet service, my recommendation is that you have an air tag on your keys so that this does not happen to you. I don't know if my key is in someone else's car, if it's sitting at the hotel collecting dust, I just don't know. All I know is I turned my purse and suitcases upside down, I searched the entire hotel room and my vehicle and it...

I was quite shocked at the low quality across the board for this being a Hilton. I’ll start with pros and then cons.

Pros: location is central and I was in town for a concert at Spectrum, which was in walking distance. The room itself was clean. The hotel seemed clean overall. The breakfast was good quality and on a Tuesday morning there was plenty of variety and availability.

Cons: biggest con I had involved the valet. The price is whatever, $45 a night for a downtown hotel seems about fine to me. But the issue came when I picked my car up in the morning and it smelled horribly of weed. I was actually incredibly shocked and disgusted. When I told the front desk they didn’t apologize or ask to look into it, they just gave me the info of the valet manager. I called him - Jaden - and he was excellent. He immediately showed good customer service and apologized and assured this was unacceptable. He asked if the hotel said they’d reimburse me for the valet, which they had not stated, so he told me he’d take care of it on his end. I ended up being reimbursed and as far as a customer, I felt I got better customer service from the valet manager than anyone at the Hilton location. Thankfully it seemed that no one had smoked in my car, just that someone who smelled heavily of it had been in my car, so about 30 minutes of driving with the windows down cleared the smell. But this was absolutely unacceptable. I didn’t pursue it further with Hilton, although I think they should have done more but I’m not about to waste my time on it besides leaving this review.

Other cons - although the room was clean, it was dingy. No art on the walls (just makes a weird vibe), ugly set up with back of the bed facing the door, ugly headboards, terrible flat pillows, and the bathroom doors are the sliding ones so there’s little privacy if you’re staying with others. The aesthetic should be nicer for the price range of this hotel.

Every staff member I interacted with was short and rude, which again is give or take and I usually don’t mind too much. But at arrival it was pretty packed and the front desk employees were giving unclear directions to people checking in, again simply being short with customers leaving a lot of people confused on if they were waiting, which line to wait in, etc. Check out was fine enough until I brought up the valet issue and was met with no apology, no good customer service, etc which honestly would have gone a long way if the staff had provided that.

It’s unfortunate because the hotel is in a good spot and is fine enough (clean, in my experience although other reviews have various experiences with that), but the issue with the valet was totally unacceptable and will ensure I never come back. Shout out to the valet manager for handling it well and actually doing something which the Hilton...