DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Montgomery Downtown — Hotel in Montgomery

This was my first and only stay with this specific hotel. We were traveling and unfamiliar with the area so we wanted to make sure we were staying in a safe place. Indoor entries, well lit parking, and bed that doesn’t leave me feeling like a hot, angry pretzel in the mornings. They have indoor entry and nearly a double entry way to get into the lobby. The lady who performed our check-in was extremely nice. We arrived late, about 10:30 pm, and that is pretty much where the feel good factor ended. When I walked in the lobby, which IS beautiful, the horrible smell of raw sewage was so strong it was difficult to get a deep breath. And, I don’t mean weed smell. I mean, strong sewer smell. We tried to find parking and everything was full. So, we had to park in the “additional parking” underneath the building. This sucker looks like something out of a psycho thriller. Dimly lit, water leaking all underneath, trash, piles and piles of leaves and debris, so much broken concrete that my husband worked construction for many years had concerns about the safety of the building standing on top. I didn’t get night time pics because I was so worried that we were going to get mugged, kidnapped, and left for dead down there. We finally did park & went inside. There are more pictures of this entry all the way to the elevator included in this review. Please bear in mind that this is a HILTON property. This is their secondary entrance for guests and what at least 1/4-1/3 of the car driving patrons see on first impression. There was A LOT of muddy footprints from entryway to carpet. The carpet had visible debris all over it. Alllll over it. Broken shipping pallet leaned up against the wall, a luggage cart with one wheel broken off toppled into the wall, ceiling tiles missing/ torn up and more. This place isn’t a second entry, it’s health hazard. The tiles all in both elevators - broken. The elevator, we weren’t even sure was going to be able to make it. I have trouble sleeping and wanted to be away from the elevator so that there was less risk of me being awakened by foot traffic and/or elevator noise. Something we do every time we stay at a hotel. I put the request in at time of reservation. Nope. Off the elevator, turn right… first room. Also of note, on the second floor, overlooking the bar. Which was quite loud, and we could hear the people there talking even inside the room. Ridiculous. The room was only ok. The walls had obvious damage that they’d tried to smooth over with layers of pain, but they are super dated and need repairs. There’s a Keurig anddddd only hot tea. No coffee. No microwave. No mini fridge. The shower you have to LITERALLY get soaked to turn the water on and the bathroom so tight that you can’t open both the shower door and the bathroom door. And the entire thing is so small it’s difficult to do whatever you need to do in there without hitting the towel rack or the toilet. The body wash container had fallen off the wall and was just sitting in the shower. The bed was fair at best. The walls so thin, we could hear the people next to us talking and they weren’t even yelling. I don’t remember the last time I heard that many police sirens in on night, but if the desired effect is to cause customers to shoot straight out of bed thinking the sirens are actually IN the room with them, goal achieved. And, last but not least the plug in wall AC unit was so loud and making the buzzing/ whirring sound each time it cut on. It sounded like it was about to blow. This is not a The Tumbleweed Inn, people! These rooms are well over $200/ night if you get a deal. This is HILTON. And, it may not be top tier Hilton, but it is the worst Hilton experience ever (which says a ton after our Albuquerque stay). I just say either go on down the Greenville or stay in Birmingham. Or - if none of this bothers you, save yourself a lot of money and just stay at the Motel 6. At least there, if there are muddy footprints and broken down trash on your way to your room, it’s because it’s...

Oh man, where to start? Firstly, how can you call yourself a Double Tree and not have cookies? That's like, "Being-A-Double-Tree 101." I tried checking in through the app, but even by 4 PM the first day of my six-night stay I hadn't heard anything. Checked in at the front desk, though, and got to my room.

The first thing I noticed about the room was the lack of a mini fridge and microwave. Being here for the week, I absolutely was going to need some way to store food. It took a day, but I will say that the staff came through and got a fridge put in my room. I know that a colleague of mine here in the same TDY was not so fortunate. I don't know why mini-fridges aren't standard.

The second thing I noticed when turning in for the night was that the walls between rooms in this hotel are paper thin. I could hear absolutely everything going on in the room next to mine at all times. In addition, there was a door connecting my room to the next one, which itself isn't an issue. However, there's enough of a gap between the door and the frame that a lot of light bleeds through easily (see the pictures attached).

When I started to doze off, I noticed a bright red glow coming up between the head of the mattress and the wall. When I took a closer look, I saw a power strip with a bunch of plugs just hanging back there, the light coming from the on/off switch. That then drew my eye to a nice sized hole in the wall where it looks like someone just yanked out the outlet cover, exposing the internal wiring. I'm not an electrician, and I doubt it poses any real danger, but it's just not the sort of thing I expect from a place that charges you so much money per night plus parking fees.

In the morning, I decided to check out the breakfast offered at the restaurant in the lobby. I don't know if it's any good because I turned around as soon as they told me it was $22. Considering what I saw looked like standard hotel breakfast food (scrambled eggs, sausage/bacon, potatoes, cereal, and juice and coffee) it just didn't seem worth it. I did later try the restaurant's "loaded" fries that evening. I put loaded in quotation marks because it was unseasoned fries lightly topped with melted shredded cheese and a smattering of bacon crumbles.

Minor annoyances include the WiFi going out with no estimated time of being fixed as of the writing of this review and the fact that a good half of the items in the little snack market in the lobby don't have prices on them making it difficult to gauge if I'm willing to buy something (I mean, I get it, they're all overpriced but just HOW overpriced??). The service of the staff was good. Shout-out to whomever got me my mini fridge.

All in all, this has been one of the more disappointing experiences I've had in a hotel. Not enough to make me go to 1 star and say I hated it, but 2 is definitely as generous as I can be. If you're looking for places to stay in Montgomery, I would suggest you...

First impressions matter, and sadly, this DoubleTree Hilton in downtown Montgomery fails right from the curb. Pulling up, I was shocked by how tired and neglected the building looked—grimy walls in desperate need of a power wash, a parking lot that felt cramped and awkward, and an underground garage that was downright creepy. It set the tone for what became a very unsettling stay.

The only bright spot was the lobby. It was nicely presented, and the staff I interacted with were polite and welcoming. Unfortunately, the positive first interactions were overshadowed by the conditions of the hotel itself. Despite a major Air Force conference happening nearby, the hotel was eerily empty—and after my stay, I understand why.

The elevators themselves felt unsafe; one even had a hole in the floor. My room was outdated, smelled unpleasantly earthy, and was in shockingly poor condition. The bed was pulled away from the headboard upon arrival, exposing a gut-wrenching layer of dust and grime beneath where I was expected to sleep. The mattress sat unevenly on a wooden slab, so old that its springs creaked with every move. Worse, the awkward frame jutted out so much that I banged my knee on it repeatedly.

Other disturbing details included dead flies on the AC unit, a window smeared with streaks from the wrong cleaner (making natural light useless), and a badly damaged bathroom door. When I reported the filth to the front desk, the response was dismissive at best: “So there’s dirt behind your bed? Okay, I’ll look into it.” No one ever followed up, and no one ever cleaned it. That lack of care left me feeling uneasy and disgusted—so much so that I debated leaving entirely.

Hilton has always been a name I associated with cleanliness, comfort, and professionalism. This property, however, feels neglected and forgotten. It is in desperate need of investment and updating. If the staff can’t be supported with a facility that meets even the most basic standards of cleanliness and safety, their kindness can only go so far.

I couldn’t bring myself to eat in the hotel restaurant—if cleanliness standards were this low, I was grossed out to think about the state of the kitchen. This experience was not worthy of the Hilton name. One star feels generous, and I can only hope management takes this as a wake-up call. I'm sure management will respond (or not) with the standard "we're happy to know our staff met the mark however, please call us to discuss your feedback." I'll save everyone the suspense --- I attempted to call them with no way to reach them. If management is actually serious -- they'll do something about the condition of the hotel and the updating it needs. This hotel needs serious attention, because right now, it is misleading guests who expect Hilton-level quality and...