Tru by Hilton Ocean City Bayside — Hotel in Ocean City

We recently earned Hilton Gold status through our American Express Platinum card and decided to give Hilton a try, as we are usually loyal Marriott Platinum members. It had been a few years since we visited Ocean City, and we chose this hotel for its proximity to the beach.

Check-in & Parking The check-in process was smooth, and parking was convenient. No issues there.

Housekeeping Policy Once we arrived in our room, we learned that housekeeping only happens every other day. While this may work for longer visits, we were staying just two nights at a beach location where sand is inevitable. Daily cleaning would make much more sense here, especially for the price point.

Towel Request Experience Before leaving for the evening, I requested extra towels from a housekeeper in the lobby, as my wife and daughter both have long hair and we were running low. At Marriott, this has always been a simple, no-questions-asked request. Instead, the staff member looked at us oddly and said she could only provide towels if we handed over our used ones first. She asked for our room number, but no towels were ever delivered. I was so taken aback by the request to exchange dirty towels — something we’ve never encountered before — that I honestly didn’t know what to say. This left us short for the rest of our stay, which is not the kind of service we expect from a premium brand.

Lobby TV / “Movie Night” Incident When we returned from dinner, the lobby was empty except for the front desk attendant. We thought it would be nice to relax in the inviting lobby area and watch something together. When I began to change the channel to a boxing match, the attendant quickly told us the TV was “reserved” for movie night (Wedding Crashers), which had supposedly started at 7:30 p.m. — it was already almost 8:00 p.m. With no guests present, we were surprised by the restriction. The attendant then sat down to watch the movie himself. Feeling unwelcome, we left.

Overall Impression The property has potential, but service interactions and certain policies did not meet expectations — especially compared to the consistent hospitality we experience with Marriott. This stay reinforced why we have remained loyal to Marriott, and unfortunately, our first Hilton Gold experience did not encourage us to...

This was our second time staying at Tru by Hilton in OC. We really enjoyed the accommodations and location last year so we decided to stay here again.

The check in process is simple and easy in person. I haven’t tried the digital option through the app though. At check-in they inform you that Housekeeping does not do daily cleanings unless requested the night prior. Any amenities like extra towels, soap, toilet paper, etc has to be requested before 9AM using the request slips that are provided at check in. The slip has to be left by the room number and your items will be delivered in the morning. Parking is $10 a day, which there’s ample amounts around the hotel. A hot breakfast is available starting at 6:30am until 9am. Although, during my stay this time around I did see the breakfast area opened pass 9am. Breakfast options are plentiful. After attending different hours each day, I’ve noticed that it gets really busy around 8am. However, Staff did a fantastic job replenishing foods. The rooms are small but it was fine for my husband, two kids and I. There’s no microwave in the room (in the lobby instead), but there’s a mini refrigerator. Beds are comfortable but the pillows are too soft. This is my only complaint of this place. The pool is on the fourth floor. We stayed on this floor both times to be close to the pool. Pool towels are offered but they ran out each time. I called the front desk to ask for them to restocked but they said that they were in the process of being laundered. The towels arrived right when we were leaving. The pool is a good size. The pool area has plenty of seating around the pool. There’s also a small balcony off the pool with lounge chairs. We hung out here to dry off after the pool.

Oh! Forgot to mention this hotel allows dogs to stay. During my first stay last year there was a dog next door that kept us awake the first night. Luckily that room checked out the next day. This time around we didn’t have any pets next door so it was much more quiet. There’s a small gym on the first floor. Enough equipment to get a good workout in. Overall, the hotel has great offerings, friendly staff, and the location is great. If the price is right again, we will be back next year for...

I am very disappointed at the lack of helpfulness that was presented to me upon trying to check in on 07/26/24. The front desk lady, Paula I believe (looks spanish, dark hair, and wears glasses) was so rude and condescending towards me during the check in process. She found my reservation to which I asked is there any upgrades (because I got an email prior saying that upgrades were available) to which she rudely replied that they don't do upgrades because all the rooms are the same. Then she looks at me and says I need to pay for my room. I said I already paid online when I booked. Not to mention I booked directly through Tru Hilton website, no third-party site. Then she very loudly says that my card declined and that I need to pay. I pull up my confirmation and my bank statement to show that the payment went through. She did not care. She just looks at her computer and after a few minutes of silence I finally ask whats going on and what do I need to do. She so aggressively replies that I need to pay $814 again. Highly unacceptable. The guy next to her sees I am upset by this and tries to help. He calls someone and they instruct them how to view the payment. This whole process took 15mins for me to finally get my room keys. I expressed that I was frustrated by this to which Paula tells me to calm down. If I am guest and I am met with unwelcomeness and rudeness just because I am checking in and everything on my end is fine she just was not capable of doing her job properly of course I am going to be upset by this. If the gentleman hadn't took over nothing would have been resolved. Also the next day when I called front desk about needing toilet paper the same lady answers and yells at me telling her to give her a second. I was so confused because I was just calling to request more toilet paper. Overall a very off-putting experience and I do not understand how someone so unhelpful and...