Hilton Garden Inn San Marcos — Hotel in San Marcos

Have been a Hilton Honors member for years now so I had high hopes of staying here. There are a few things I experienced at this hotel that would prevent me from ever staying here again. First the room, the bathroom had a frosted glass barn door on it, why they decided to go from a standard door to this type is beyond me, no privacy with this type of door at all. You can see and hear everything, not a smart move in my opinion. On top of that the digital key worked ok on the door, but on the rear door of the hotel, didn’t work at all. One family before us had to go around, it didnt let us go in either. We walked around to the front and notified the staff but they were too busy with their faces buried in their phones to care. I mentioned to them it didn’t work and their reply was “well it should work”. Yes I know it SHOULD, but it doesn’t. I let them know it did the same thing to another family and she just gave me this blank stare, didn’t bother to write it down or call anyone. While walking to the elevator another family was stuck outside at the back door as well. Be warned the breakfast is not included and is set up in a very confusing way. The made to order breakfast consisted of two eggs and a few pieces of sausage for $13, no other side, no hash browns, no potatoes, nothing. All that would be extra. You have access to the “cold table” but anything hot is all extra. Total rip off in my opinion. We went to iHop the next day and spent the same amount and got way more food. Other issue was the kids running around all over the place, while I have kids myself I don’t let them run around in places they aren’t allowed to. The fitness center clearly has a sign that children must be accompanied by an adult, yet 3 or 4 “baseball” kids kept going in there playing on the equipment, throwing things around, leaving the treadmill on after they left. My son (18 years old) asked the staff if kids like that are permitted to be in the fitness center and they just brushed it off, that it was “ok”. I’ll never stay...

On May 15, 2025, I approached the service counter at the Hilton Garden Inn, where I have been staying for a work-related management training assignment from May 13 to May 16, 2025. I asked the front desk attendant, Victoria, for two bottles of water. She inquired whether I was a Hilton Honors member. I explained that I was unsure, as my stay was arranged and paid for by my employer, and I had not personally set up the reservation. According to the check-in documentation I received, my company is paying approximately $150 per night for this stay.

As Victoria was retrieving the bottled water from the cabinet behind the desk, she informed me that I was not eligible to receive it and pointed toward a water dispenser in the dining area, which contained fruit-infused water. She stated that this was the complimentary option available to guests like myself. I declined and returned to my room (Room 116), feeling both surprised and disappointed by the interaction.

This experience was in stark contrast to my check-in on May 13, when I was warmly welcomed by a different front desk attendant. That employee proactively offered me bottled water without hesitation and even assisted me with resolving internet connectivity issues. Her professionalism, patience, and willingness to help left a positive impression.

Unfortunately, my experience with Victoria has negatively impacted my overall perception of the Hilton brand. Her tone and demeanor during what should have been a routine and courteous exchange were unwelcoming and dismissive. Regardless of my Honors membership status, I believe her handling of the situation—especially over something as minor as bottled water—was inappropriate and unnecessarily rigid. As a paying guest, I feel that basic hospitality and customer service should not be contingent upon loyalty...

I was very pleased with this hotel. Many people who are like me who travel know hotels can be deceiving especially by not updating photos. I’ve stayed in all the decent hotels I could find in New Braunfels. But even the new ones get run down so fast because of the amount of tourist. I decided to stay in the next town over San Marcos. This hotel had a nice exterior as soon as I pulled up I smiled. The landscaping was well kept and building was nice! We walked inside to check in and it was clean and just a friendly atmosphere. The hallways were clean, the elevator was not run down, and most importantly our room was great! I wasn’t at first to fond of the barn door style bathroom but it grew on to me after three days. We used the pool and we enjoyed it very much. It was big and clean and easy to get to. The pool was clean and very cold! We also ate a meal there on Sunday night and the bar tender was awesome!!! We would also like to give a shout out to the awesome house keeping!!! Our daughter knocked over a drink and I opened the door to hunt someone down and I found Emily. She was so sweet and she even went the extra mile to exchange out dirty towels for clean ones. For me it’s the little things like this that make me happy. So y’all make sure you keep this girl on staff because she represents your company well!! We also requested a late check out in the last day and they gave it us with no problems. I do believe this will now be my go to hotel I stay at when I’m in the area. Awesome prices and great place to stay. Sheets were clean, they have an iron and ironing board as well as a hair dryer. They have a little gym and late at night we just went down stairs and sat at the tables and played cards. Also the bathroom was super clean- no mold or mildew in the tub or...