Hampton Inn & Suites Houghton — Hotel in Houghton

We've stayed here during snowmobile trips and have had five-star experiences. Same held true this weekend. The recently added lounge on the 7th floor is a welcome new addition and the view is incredible. Well maintained pool and hot tub. We rarely do continental breakfasts, so we can't speak to that, however there was a pop-up menu in the lounge and it was delicious. Friendly bartenders and servers, too! Tamara and Katherine at the lobby desk are kind and personable. My wife wanted to come to Houghton from our home in IL for her birthday, as we usually come during the warmer months. Her father graduated from Tech after immigrating here from Finland, so there have been a lifetime of memories made in the U.P. We hit the shops, The Ambassador, and watched a Tech Hockey game during this trip. Had an issue with the stay, but it was no fault of the hotel: The police towed our brand new truck out of the snowmobile lot. We got prior permission from the front desk to park there, since the main lot was full of youth hockey players and their families. I stopped at the front desk on the first morning of our stay to inquire why our truck was missing, but before I could say another word, Tamara was on the phone with the police, giving them an ear-full! The officer tried to say that we were parked illegally and demanded to speak to me directly to explain why we would be charged for a tow AND a parking ticket to get our vehicle back, but Tamara very calmly and firmly told him to figure it out and get it returned to us asap at no charge! The officer was trying to be tough with Tamara, but she was having none of it! As entertaining as it was, we were getting hungry, and decided to walk down to Suomi Cafe for breakfast. By the time we were finished, my phone rang and the officer was on the line offering to take us to the impound to get our truck back. (Yay Tamara!) The ticket was torn up and the police tow was billed back to the City (according to the tow operator) We parked directly adjacent to one of the signs which read "For Hampton Guests Only", we have parked there before, and we got prior permission, so we're still not sure why we were towed. Tamara was a rock star and the owner visited us personally at our room to make sure the truck was not damaged, and to apologize even though it was not her fault. Been coming to Houghton for decades and The Hampton Inn and Suites is our first choice...

No blackout curtains??? We check in the night of our wedding. Sure, we could’ve splurged for better, but we didn’t. It’s around 2 am, my new husband and I still in full regalia. Note, we had also called when we booked the room and asked about honeymoon options. We were told there were none. 2am, wedding night, checking in with the warm body working the overnight shift. He offers us nothing in the form of congratulations but does ask for the license plate number of our sports car parked in the parking lot “for security purposes” or whatever. We don’t know it. We tried looking for it, but at this point we’d have to walk back outside in full regalia to retrieve it. I finally asked if there’s another option. Oh, sure there is, I guess I just had to ask. Again, offers us nothing. We ask for a late checkout. We finally check into our third floor room with a view of the street. No effort to give us something higher up with a view maybe? For our wedding night? When we had also called ahead? I live in this small town, there was nothing going on that weekend. NO BLACKOUT CURTAINS on the street-facing window. Just a regular beige curtain that still let light in. Oh how fun to imagine my silhouette from the street view, and oh how fun it was to wake up to the morning sun at 6 am after your wedding night, not to mention a week of chaos and no sleep following up to it. At 11am we get a knock on the door. Here’s where I’d like to share that I worked front desk at a Hampton inn for over a year, at a busy downtown convention location. I understand hospitality and I understand what can easily be offered to make someone’s stay. Especially on a special night such as this. Anyway, 11am, late checkout, DND hanging from the doorknob, we get a knock from housekeeping. Let me train your staff on how it should be done- housekeeping radios front desk, front desk communicates there is a late checkout on the room for the newlyweds, housekeeping comes back at noon. At worst, front desk calls the room. There should never be a knock on a door that is showing a DND. So there’s the review I’ve wanted to write since the night of June 7th. Do...

The room was clean and comfortable. The location was convenient for access to the university. At first glance, I was completely looking forward to an excellent stay. My disappointment occurred when my child and myself went to have breakfast. It was advertised that a breakfast was included. Since this is the Hilton chain, I expected the standard breakfast. That is NOT what was served. The pictures of the muffins and 3 sad bagels were taken mid-service. I had actually been down right when breakfast started and thought maybe I had come too early because there was hardly any food out. When I came back an hour later, no food had been added. There was even an empty steel container which normally (at other places) would contain hot cereal. We really just wanted a simple piece of toast however, and I had to go to the front desk to ask, as there was no attendant working in the breakfast area. I asked if there was any bread for toast and they simply told me they were “out”. There was no customer service beyond that answer. The yogurt was put out on some kind of weird thawed “ice” pack. The milk was lukewarm. Now, I don’t go to hotels anticipating an amazing meal or anything, but when it is advertised that there is a breakfast and I make a choice to stay in a more expensive hotel because of it, I sort of expect the basic staples AND that they are at least stored properly (refrigeration). First time ever for me, but I called Hilton and was told the management would be reaching out to me, but they haven’t. My child and I had to go out and grab breakfast elsewhere, so in retrospect I wish I had booked somewhere else. I am a fairly new Hilton Honors member also, but that didn’t seem to do me any favors, so I wouldn’t waste your time signing...