Hampton Inn Cincinnati-Kings Island — Hotel in Mason

This review is focused on the manager of this hotel and his refusal to engage in a conversation regarding a reservation. My sister-in law, her kids and my father-in-law (she is his caretaker) were traveling from Missouri to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. My father-in-law's health has failed considerably (he is 87, diabetic, and is unable to use stairs). We booked a handicap room at this Hampton Inn (HI) for 2 nights. The reservation was made through reservations.com and was booked as nonrefundable. Unfortunately, he came down with bed sores about 10 days before Thanksgiving. We hoped they would heal sufficiently, but his condition did not improve and given concerns over further endangering his health, they were unable to make the trip. The Monday before Thanksgiving we called HI to see if there was any possibility to release the reservation. The person at HI (apparently not the manager) indicated they could cancel the reservation if it was okay with reservations.com. We called reservations.com and explained the situation, and they indicated they could cancel the reservation if it was okay with HI and that they would reach out to Hampton Inn to confirm. When we followed up next day, reservations.com said the HI manager would not cancel the reservation. We called HI again on Tuesday, but the manager was not in and did not return our call. I stopped by the Hampton Inn on Wednesday to confirm the situation. The manager again was not in. I re-explained to the desk person who indicated something could perhaps be done, but that it was up to the manager. So, I left my reservation paperwork, my name and cell number. The desk person promised she would discuss the situation with the manager when he came in and ask him to give me a call. Again, no engagement. So, the reservation was non-refundable and we are out $250, and I accept that. What is harder to accept is the total lack of engagement by the manager and an absolute refusal to even discuss any managerial discretion. Would it have been possible to offer a comp night for a future visit against the 2 night reservation? If the reservation couldn't be released, then couldn't the reservation have been offered to someone else - I'm sure someone could have used it. Instead a paid-for room sat empty for 2 nights, totally wasted. I have used other Hampton Inns regularly over the years and in general have had good experiences. But I don't think it unreasonable for managers to actively engage in discussions with their customers when extraordinary situations arise. To me, that is just...

I was less than impressed for what was supposed to be a 3 star hotel. We were blown away by how bad our experience was when people we personally knew spoke so highly of this chain. There were too many issues with our stay. First, our breakfast at the Holiday Inn was much better and that was at a 2 star hotel! There was variety here, but the items themselves were unappetizing. We ended up walking next door to the Waffle House because we were so disappointed. Their oatmeal was watery and undercooked, their omelets were rubbery and tasted off, their bagels tasted like freezer burn and their juice was extremely watery. I know it was “free” but we expected it to be edible. The free breakfast was something we relied on to save money while traveling so that was extra frustrating. We were also very disappointed by the condition of their pool. We walked in to swim and walked out before even touching the water because I started gagging. The pool itself looked dirty and there was so much hair floating around in it! I have never seen anything else like it! It was the dirtiest public pool that I have ever seen. Once again, the pool at the two star hotel that we previously stayed in was much better and surprisingly clean. We were extremely disappointed that one of the amenities we were promised was completely unusable. It was covered in hair and debris during the entirety of our stay. We were also unaware that this hotel accepts pets. I have allergies and should have been made aware of this prior to our stay. Our room had so much pet hair and the hotel room across the hall had a dog that barked constantly both day and night. We are in disbelief that the Hampton Inn had such good recommendations. Our experience here was not a three star experience at all. Next year when we visit again, we will definitely drive the extra half hour to stay at the Holiday Inn in Covington. This experience made me never want to stay at a Hampton Inn again. The only reason people probably stay here is because of how close it is to...

This hotel is located just off I-71 and is very convenient to Kings Island (five minute drive; not terribly practical for walking). The front desk staff and breakfast staff were friendly and very accommodating. Kudos to the breakfast staff for not rushing guests when thing were busy at the tail end of the breakfast (10 a.m.) and even went over and above to talk to each guest to advise them it was last call. On the downside, per a sign in the bathroom, housekeeping is only offered every other day and not daily, which is part of the reason that I provided a score of four circles and not five. The rooms are clean and comfortable, with excellent HVAC (and I appreciate the user-friendly thermostat) but are a little tired and contain some oddities. There was a foot or more of space between each bed and the nightstand between them -- okay for me and my long arms (just odd), but some will find this inconvenient. The space between the one bed and the bathroom wall was extensive (odd) and a waste of space. The bathroom was clean and in good condition, except that the tub drained very slowly and water backed up during a shower. Also of note, the bottom of the tub isn't flat (slants up to both sides) -- this may be a problem for older guests who don't always have good footing in tubs (note that it's not slippery though). The inside of the bathroom door had a giant (covered the vast majority of the door) white sticker that was faded and appeared to once have some quirky, irreverent Hampton Inn message. I'm not sure what this oddity's purpose was or what it may have been covering. The design of the room is an older Hampton style that has the desk and closet done in dark wood against the outside wall. The window blind in the room was good at blocking out light, but unfortunately, a sizeable gap allowed the morning sun in to wake me up earlier...