Hilton Richmond Downtown — Hotel in Richmond

I recently used the remaining points from my Hilton membership during what will be my final stay with the brand. This experience was the last straw that ended my business with Hilton. Here are some of the issues I encountered:

Parking: There was no self-parking available, forcing guests to use valet services provided by a third-party company, PMC. The valet staff, contracted by Hilton, were unprofessional and exhibited passive-aggressive behavior, giving orders like they were police officers. This was both unnecessary and unpleasant. They required me to provide my phone number so I can request my car when needed, they also made it clear they didn’t appreciate being rushed and gave me a warning sign. They informed me that a link would be sent for tips, but since I had cash on hand, I tipped them directly. However, the worst part was that I continued to receive spam texts asking for additional tips, even though I never requested my vehicle during my stay.

Their behavior was also inappropriate and unprofessional in front of other customers, which made me uncomfortable. Due to the overwhelming pressure to tip from the barrage of texts, I chose to avoid requesting my vehicle altogether. Instead, my girlfriend and I opted to walk to our destination, which was five miles away. While we enjoyed the walk, I felt uneasy about the entire situation. I shouldn’t have felt like I was walking on eggshells just to retrieve my car.

Reception Service: Upon arriving at the hotel, I was immediately approached by several panhandlers asking for money. Unfortunately, when I finally reached the Hilton reception desk, the first male receptionist greeted me by jokingly asking for money as well, which, given my prior experience, felt incredibly inappropriate. I responded by saying, "Why is everyone in this city asking me for money?" While I understand he was trying to be lighthearted, the timing was off and it only added to my frustration. After this, I was given my room key and went on my way.

Later, I spoke with a receptionist named Ramon regarding an issue with PMC, the valet company Hilton contracts. I had received an invoice for a valet charge from another hotel that I hadn’t stayed at. Ramon seemed visibly irritated and delivered service with noticeable hostility. Instead of assisting, he bluntly told me to deal with PMC directly, not acknowledging that, while Hilton may not manage the valet service, they do contract with them, and issues with contracted services reflect poorly on the hotel.

I ended up contacting PMC myself, and they instructed me to simply ignore the messages. However, the next day, after I had already checked out and left the hotel, I received yet another text from PMC, this time requesting payment for valet services at a completely different hotel, the Quirk Hotel, where I had not stayed.

Room Issues: While the room was generally clean, there were a couple of issues. The cable TV didn’t work, and the windows weren’t soundproof. We were woken up at 6 a.m. by loud sirens from outside, which made for a very disruptive morning.

To conclude this review, I’ve had many positive experiences with Hilton properties in the past, especially at Garden Inn locations, which stood out as the best. However, I’ve also had several negative experiences, and the inconsistency in quality across Hilton hotels makes me hesitant to book with the brand again. In contrast, I’ve found Marriott to offer a more consistent level of service and professionalism. I understand that service quality can fluctuate with any brand, but at the moment, Hilton seems to be at a low point. Perhaps I’ll reconsider in the future if improvements are made, but for now, I’ll be moving on. Also Richmond would be our last place we come to visit. All the marijuana smells was...

I work for an airline, and after a long day of delays and an even longer flight, I was just grateful to finally land and have a moment to grab something to eat. It was after midnight, and most places were already closed, so I was genuinely relieved when I saw that the 1885 Cafe and Market was still open. After such a tiring day, the last thing I wanted was to go to bed hungry.

I walked in and asked the server, who was also working as the bartender, what she recommended from the menu. Without hesitation, she suggested the wings and fries from the airline menu. She said they were a popular choice and that many crew members seemed to enjoy them. Trusting her recommendation, I decided to give it a try. I placed my order and waited patiently.

It took about thirty minutes for my food to be prepared, which I actually found reassuring at the time. I thought maybe they were taking their time to make sure it was hot and fresh. After all, at that hour and with fewer customers, I expected a little more attention to detail. I was hungry, but I figured the wait would be worth it.

When I finally got my food, I went back to my room, opened the container, and was immediately let down. The wings were not just undercooked. They were raw. I am talking about still bleeding on the inside, with pink meat and juices that made it very clear the chicken had not been fully cooked. I could not believe what I was seeing. Not only was this a huge health risk, but it showed a complete disregard for safety and quality.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was frustrated, disgusted, and honestly, a bit angry that someone in the kitchen thought it was okay to serve food like that, especially chicken, which needs to be fully cooked to avoid serious illness. The worst part was that the cafe had already closed by the time I discovered the issue. It was after one in the morning, and there was no one available to speak to in the restaurant.

I ended up talking to a woman who was nearby and appeared to be on staff. She was using a walker, and I told her about the issue. Her response was, “You should have brought it back down here.” I explained that I would have, but the place had already closed and no one was around when I opened my meal. She just said, “I will let them know,” and that was the end of the conversation. There was no apology, no offer to make things right, and no concern for the fact that someone had just been served raw chicken.

After talking to a friend about the situation, they encouraged me to speak up and file a report. I called my airline and let them know exactly what happened. I wanted other flight attendants and crew members to be aware, especially since many of us rely on late night options like this when everything else is closed. I do not want anyone else to go through the same experience I did or risk getting sick from undercooked food.

This whole situation could have been avoided with just a little more care and attention in the kitchen. I hope this message serves as a warning to others. If you find yourself at the 1885 Cafe and Market, I strongly suggest you reconsider. There are better and safer places to spend your money. Your health is worth more than a late night meal that could end in disaster.

Please eat elsewhere. Save your time, your money, and most importantly, protect...

Okay, so the Hilton Richmond Downtown was a decent Hotel that had some "ups" & "down". It should be noted that my Wife & I are strong Hilton Hotel fans, & we typically have an amazing experience. This particular experience was "fair".

The good : the size of our room was nice. The room was spacious & also updated with a nice LG Flat screen TV. The bed was very comfortable, & the restroom was nice as well. (See the video). Additionally, the bar in the hotel was very very nice. The bartender provided great customer service & good drinks as well. They also have an Amazon "delivery" box in the hotel that is very convenient. They have a restaurant in the hotel lobby & they also serve breakfast as well.

The bad: There is no general parking lot/garage for the hotel. They have a $40 Valet parking option(not sure if that is for each day or for the duration of the stay as we were only there for one night). Aside from that, there is a General "public" parking across the street from the hotel that charges $20 per day. Either way, plan to pay for parking at this hotel.

The Ugly: (disclaimer that this isn't typical of a Hilton Hotel) - When my Wife pulled back the cover on the bed, there was a very noticeable "dirt" stain on the sheets. Again, this isn't typical of a Hilton, but unfortunately it was the case for the Richmond Downtown location. The Staff did indeed correct the issue. They asked us if we wanted another room, or just wanted them to change the sheets & we opted to change the sheets. They offered us two free drinks from the bar to make things right, but we weren't looking for anything free, we only wanted to ensure our bed & pillow sheets were clean. (Especially considering some of the more disturbing reviews on this specific hotel regarding the beds). I will be honest & say that the housekeeping manager came to the room to check out the stain, & was a bit "unprofessional". Please note that the housekeeping manager was not the staff member that offered us free drinks, (that was actually the front desk). She(the housekeeping manager) came in to our room with an attitude to inspect the stain, but the way she did it & her choice of words - qoute: "so what am I up here to look at" was very abrasive. She did indeed acknowledge the issue & said she would send someone to change the sheets. She never said sorry for the inconvenience, instead she said "these are actually new sheets". The gentleman that came to change the sheets was much more professional & polite & I thanked him for his service. Note: We never accepted the 2 free drinks because we didn't want anyone to think we were just trying to get anything free (especially the housekeeping manager), we just wanted a clean bed.

That being said, the rest of our experience was nice. The bar ended up having some live music that evening & the breakfast the next morning was amazing. As I said before Hilton Hotels remains our Hotel of Choice. The negative parts of "this" specific experience was definitely an outlier & NOT the norm. We remain loyal to Hilton Hotels & have several other stays planned with Hilton this year & I will review/rate...