Hillside Inn — Hotel in Madison

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I made Hotel reservations directly through the Hotel for what was supposed to be the first night of PEAK Fall Foliage. However, as time drew near the weather forecast was looking cold and rainy for the night I had chose. I called and found the new night I wanted to switch to was almost fully booked. It was completely booked for the Double Rooms with 2 Queen Beds. Since I was going to be traveling with my elderly father two beds was a must have. I made three calls looking for information on how I could best accommodate my needs with a roll away or a Suite? I was advised the Suite had smaller floor space for the roll away and so at a lesser cost I was advised to go with a Queen or King room. Luckily, I later saw online that a Double opened up and called immediately and was able to again change my reservation with a very kind and patient person on the phone willing to help.

The second I walked in the charming and quaint lobby I knew I had made a great decision in choosing the Hillside. The person at the front desk was Julie that had helped me on the phone and she was as kind in person as on my many calls. She let me know that she had put my dad and I on the top floor, directly across from the elevator because she knew his health and age might make walking rough (which she was correct)

The room was immaculate and very inviting as we walked in. The renovated room with the vinyl hardwoods made for a clean and updated look. The duvet cover on the beds was reassuring to me for cleanliness as well. The room was tasteful and very large. The toiletries were good caliber and the linens fresh and soft. We had a nice table to enjoy breakfast inside and enjoy the view.

The patio had a breathtaking view from the KY Bridge to the lovely town of Madison and beyond. The patio was very spacious and had a very nice table and rocking chairs to sit and enjoy the ambiance and relax. The Cement walled balcony protected us from any wind, but also had a ceiling fan to keep the air circulating when needed. My dad and I actually spent a few hours upon arrival just sitting on the balcony and truly enjoying the room, view and the Hillside Inn.

We ventured out for a little up-close sight seeing that wore my dad out and so later when dinner time came we decided to use our room table and view to have carry out. By than Patty was at the desk and worked with me to find a place that delivered. Per my luck when I attempted to order the restaurant was closed for the week for personal reasons so back down stairs I went to ask her for another suggestion. She gladly grabbed her computer and looked up hours and take out options with me. A larger chain hotel would not have tried as hard as she did to work with me and the needs of an 83 year old dad. I so appreciated her help.

The beds and pillows were quite comfortable for the night of sleep. The temperature was all over the place outside with the fall weather and when needed out AC worked like a charm. The cinder block walls were wonderful because I heard nothing of our neighbors and I knew we had some because the Hotel was booked. The only time I heard anyone else was when we were out on the balcony of the evening, but even then it was minimal and expected outside.

I took my dad to the Hillside because many years ago he and my mom and spent getaway weekends there and I wanted him to have a pleasant walk down memory lane. I know he did just that as well as enjoyed the day and night we shared there too. I had never been to Hillside, but I say with all sincerity I cannot wait to return sometime. The Hillside offered a charm and welcoming that is lost in the new huge chain hotels. If you are headed to Madison in my opinion there is only one option and that is the Hillside. To me it would be worth a trip to Madison specifically for a night at the...

My husband and I have been staying at the Hillside Inn for over four years every Christmas week because we fell in love with the charm and warmth of the guest suite. We have never had an issue with the hotel until our rent stay over the 2024 Christmas week. We noticed a strong smell of cigarette smoke when we first checked in, something that was not a pre-existing issue before this visit. I assumed it had been from the previous guests due to how strong it was. The hotel made us sign an agreement saying we would not smoke in the rooms or would be charged. Therefore, I went straight down to the front desk and altered the woman there of the smell. She gave me a plug-in air freshener. I also went out and bought an aerosol air freshener to help. We kept smelling the smoke on-and-off during the week, which meant it couldn’t have been from the previous guest. We also noticed it was strongest near the bathroom window, which had the air vent above. My husband’s sinuses got worse every day we were there, so bad he had to buy allergy meds. On the day of check-out, I noticed it was very strong again. As we headed down to the car, the maintenance man was sitting 3 ft from the main entrance (side - see photo) of the hotel smoking a cigarette. The fumes were strong and going right into the hotel. We also noticed the air intake was just feet away from where he was sitting. It all made sense now - it was because of his smoking that was causing the smell in the hotel (the manager later informed me he was the only employee at the hotel who smokes).

I called the manager, Nicki, a few days later on Dec 31, 2024 (after trying several times before that - she was on leave and unavailable) to kindly explain what we figured out. I was taken aback when she was very dismissive to me, interrupted me several times while I was trying to explain, and finally cut me off telling me they were “very busy with checking in guests” - it’s Madison, IN - I find it hard to believe they were so busy a manager (who had someone actively working the front desk at that moment) was so overwhelmed she couldn’t listen to the problem I was trying to help her correct. After I saw how she (didn’t) handle the situation, it was obvious she did not plan to make any changes or correct the behavior to improve the stay of the customers she is hired to serve. Additionally, I find it ironic that the hotel requires you to sign a document stating you are not permitted to smoke or will get fined, when they can’t even control their own employees doing the very thing that is causing cigarette smoke to come into the rooms and elevator.

Because of Nicki’s lack of customer care and health and safety considerations for the patrons who stay at the Hillside, we can no longer support this hotel for future visits. We have decided to move to the Fairfield hotel, instead. We went to visit while we were there and it is very clean and smoke free. I hope the Hillside will review this post and decide to take action in fixing this problem. Everyone deserves to breathe clean air free of secondhand smoke, especially in a hotel environment. It is obvious that the manager of this hotel...

Enjoyed the view and location. Panoramic balcony view was amazing. Stayed in the suite. The room was clean and nice. Decor could use a bit of updating. WiFi was super fast and we had no problems getting logged in. Staff was outstanding. Staff was friendly and helpful during our stay. The breakfast bar was your typical faire. The coffee was hot and the food ready on time. If you stay here, please be aware that you are driving to the top of a pretty steep hill, so be ready for that. It was a little scary pulling in from the main road. If you're not careful you could have an accident with the oncoming traffic when you pull out onto the road from the drive. Everything you need is within walking distance. There was one little thing. I'm still not sure if I believe it or not. We had an unexplainable encounter twice on our first night there. The first time it was about 1030 PM and the second at about 230 AM. We were woken up out of a sound sleep by the sound of a child giggling in different areas of the room. The sound was IN OUR ROOM. We checked our cell phones and scouted around and found nothing that could have made that noise. I heard the noise again at about 630 the morning that we left. I was playing on my laptop and the noise was right in front of me. Of course, my husband discounted it as something goofy going on with the laptop, but I'm not so sure. We told the staff about it and she said that there were no kids on site during our stay. So, believe what you want. I think the hotel is a little bit haunted. The desk clerk admitted that we're not the first to experience strange happenings during our stay. Ghosts aside, I really liked the hotel. I'd probably stay again, only in a different...