Graduate by Hilton Knoxville — Hotel in Knoxville

We were so excited about staying here. But from arrival things went downhill. We waited 20 minutes at the front desk for someone to arrive and check us in. When the person finally arrived she was condescending and not at all pleasant. She handed us our room key with no mention of what room we were in, what time checkout was, and no info about where the elevators were. We found our room number on our room card, which is normal but usually the desk person will tell you as well. Found the elevators on our own. Assumed checkout time would be posted in the room, it was not.

Room was nice, beds very cozy and comfortable. Lots of cute kitsch on the walls.

Coffee pot, cups, lids and napkins in the room but no coffee, instant or otherwise. Ice bucket with plastic bag in room but no ice machines anywhere.

Hot water takes FOREVER to get lukewarm.

Called the front desk for checkout time as it was not posted in the room. Person who answered was very short and acted like why are you asking this?

Went downstairs to eat in the restaurant. Asked the front desk person where the restaurant was and she pointed towards the back. Only to find when we walked in that the kitchen was closed. Why could she not have told us this?

Parking is valet only, $40 a night. Fine, we paid it without complaint. When we handed our keys over we were told we would receive a text that we could use to request our car anytime via text. Cool! Thirty minutes later and no text has been received. Back to the front desk to ask about the text. Staff rudely says, “that’s not the only way you can request your car, if you want the text you have to speak to valet staff. I can’t do anything.” We were then dismissed to go wait outside for the valet to appear.

Last but not least, went to the tiny gym to exercise after being in the car for 8 hours. There was a man in the back corner acting very odd and taking photos of himself. It was kind of creepy so I left.

Overall this could have been a great experience but the unconcerned, rude, and callous staff made this stay less than desirable. Especially considering the cost and...

I really wanted to love this place because of the convenient location near campus. However, parking was a nightmare. My GPS wouldn't take me to the hotel entrance and I couldn't find a sign on the street pointing me in the right direction. I didn't have cash to tip the valet so I drove my truck to the paid lot they recommend on their website. Maximum parking time in that lot was 12 hours per session, so I had to set an alarm to wake up at 5 a.m. to pay for another session of parking to avoid a ticket. There was no parking whatsoever at the hotel itself. All in all, $50 to park in the lot they recommended plus I had to walk my luggage to and from. Valet would have saved me time and money but nobody carries cash anymore. The front desk staff were extremely friendly and welcoming when I did arrive to check in. I really appreciated them running new key cards up to my floor without me having to ask when they realized the keys they gave me weren't programmed correctly.

I love love love the decor of this place. The lobby is tastefully decorated and nice to spend time in. My room was so cute from the bathroom wallpaper to the football memorabilia above the bed. However, it was dirty - Many surfaces had not been wiped such as the nightstands, doorknob, and TV stand. There was a lot of dust and hair (both human and animal) on all flat surfaces. I kept stepping on large pieces of dog kibble on the carpet, so it definitely hadn't been vacuumed either. The down pillows were far too flat and my head sunk down to the mattress even when using 2 pillows. The curtains were sheer and my window let it in all the light from about 5 streetlights directly outside. I was at streetlight height on the second floor and could not sleep at all. Woke up exhausted the following morning and was eager to leave. Breakfast was not included with my stay which was unfortunate at this price point. Even though it was convenient and the staff are lovely, I don't think...

THE GRADUATE- BED BUGS AND POOR CORRECTIVE ACTION

I was so excited to stay at The Graduate. The location was perfect — close to both my work and my daughter’s school. When I arrived, I was greeted by the valet, which turned out to be a mandatory $40 charge (he was kind, though). Check-in at the front desk went smoothly, and I dropped my things in the room before heading out to dinner with my daughter.

When we returned around 8 p.m., I parked in the same spot the valet had used earlier — no big deal. Later that night, around midnight, I started getting a headache and decided to shower before bed. As I was getting comfortable and watching TV, I noticed something on the bed. I grabbed my flashlight to get a closer look — and there it was… a bed bug 🐛. Absolutely disgusting.

I went down to the front desk, which already had a line of guests waiting. When I got to the front, I quietly asked to speak privately and showed the clerk the video evidence. He apologized and moved me to another room. I went upstairs with a cart to gather my things and headed to the new room a floor below. I checked that room carefully before unpacking — and to my shock, there were two more bed bugs on the pillow, right in plain sight.

Back down to the front desk I went, again showing the video. The clerk offered to take $50 off and move me to yet another room. It was nearly 2 a.m. at this point. I reluctantly accepted, checked the third room top to bottom, and didn’t see any bugs. I barely slept.

The next morning, I checked out — no apology, no manager interaction, nothing. I left completely disgusted. Now I have to deal with the aftermath: disinfecting luggage, car washes, dry cleaning, and hoping I didn’t bring any of these pests home.

This experience was stressful, unsanitary, and completely unacceptable for any hotel — especially one that prides itself on charm and hospitality. I...