Hampton Inn Santa Cruz West — Hotel in Santa Cruz

It is 4 AM, and I am still shaking because of what just happened. This has been the worst hotel experience I've ever had. For starters, when we checked in two days ago the key card didn't work. In hindsight, this was clearly an omen for things to come. The concierge, Dave, came up to us and handed us a new set so I wouldn't have to go all the way back down to the lobby with the pet birds in tow. Dave is awesome. If you're reading this Dave, thank you. You deserve to work at a less sucky hotel. . We finally get in, and the room is filthy. It stinks of this musty damp smell, what appears to be used gum is stuck onto the wall, and there's a large dog pee stain on the carpet. The carpet outside the room has been ripped to shreds by a dog, as well. Further inspection found many more obvious instances of dog damage throughout the main hall, like scratched up walls, further carpet damage, etc. The bed is also rock hard and uncomfortable, I woke up with very bad back pain both nights. And for some reason there's no dresser either, just two narrow desk drawers and a small entertainment console table. This is an entire suite, yet there's no place to put your clothes away. . And now we get to tonight. I was asleep at 3 AM when someone barged into the room. I awoke screaming, terrified for my life, whoever was coming in bolted, and then suddenly their dog came running into the room, making our birds terrified for THEIR lives. Birds are delicate, a scare like that could have killed them. As a woman, this is the exact scenario I fear most when I travel. But I never thought it would actually happen to me. And that's where we're at right now. I'm wide awake, still shaking, it's 4:30 in the morning and in a couple of hours I have to check out and somehow make the long drive home without any sleep. . How on earth is Hampton inn Santa Cruz so utterly screwed up that other people's key cards can unlock our door? Why was this allowed to happen? No explanation given by the front desk either, just a quick, unapologetic "won't happen again", which frankly, I have no reason to believe. I no longer feel safe here. . I've been a Hilton Honors member for several years, now. I think I even got gold status at some point. Hampton inn was my go-to hotel whenever I had to travel with my pets. But after this, I don't think I can stay at any Hampton inn anymore. We've stayed in some really great Hampton inns, and others, not so much. But none have even come close to being this bad, this filthy, this unsafe, or...

Just Book the Airbnb: you'll get better service.

I almost never write public reviews, but this time I had to. Before posting, I tried everything to resolve things privately:

When the issues began, I politely asked the front desk to have management contact me—not looking for freebies, just trying to provide feedback. When Hilton’s automated survey asked if I wanted management to follow up, I said yes.

It’s been a month. No call, no email. Nada. That sums up the lack of care here.

I’ve been a Hilton Diamond member for nearly 10 years, but after this stay, I wish I’d gone with an Airbnb. Service at this hotel was just as impersonal—and probably would’ve cost me less.

I booked two basic king rooms for Thursday through Sunday, even paying for Thursday night to make sure I could check in early on Friday without hassle. On Thursday, I called the front desk, explained my plan, and requested that our rooms not be next to each other. The front desk staffer said it was all set.

Friday morning rolls around, and I get multiple calls asking if I’m planning to check in. I explained—again—that I had already arranged this the night before. The new staffer had no idea. As for my room separation request? Nope, they were sold out, so we were stuck next to each other.

Strike one.

When we arrived, things only went downhill:

• Housekeeping: They do it every other day. Fine, but since I paid for Thursday night, I asked why no one had serviced the room by Saturday morning. The answer? “That’s just how it works.” When I asked if, “technically,” I could skip paying for Thursday night, they weren’t amused. • Cleanliness: Rooms were meh at best—think linens barely hanging in there. • Breakfast drama: The sign says breakfast runs until 10 a.m. But a hand-written note said 9:30. At 9:28, the staff turned us away, saying, “Sorry, breakfast is closed.” Not that I was excited for Hampton’s breakfast, but seriously? • The lobby vibe: Let’s just say there were… a few odd characters hanging around.

None of these things would’ve ruined the stay on their own, but together they made for a frustrating experience. The real kicker was the staff’s indifferent attitude—it felt like no one cared, and no one wanted to be there. I’m guessing the ownership doesn’t care much either, considering they don’t even respond to feedback.

Do yourself a favor—stay anywhere else. The service won’t be worse, and at least you won’t...

I almost never write public reviews, but this time I had to. Before posting, I tried everything to resolve things privately:|||| 1. When the issues began, I politely asked the front desk to have management contact me—not looking for freebies, just trying to provide feedback.|| 2. When Hilton’s automated survey asked if I wanted management to follow up, I said yes.||||It’s been a month. No call, no email. Nada. That sums up the lack of care here.||||I’ve been a Hilton Diamond member for nearly 10 years, but after this stay, I wish I’d gone with an Airbnb. Service at this hotel was just as impersonal—and probably would’ve cost me less.||||I booked two basic king rooms for Thursday through Sunday, even paying for Thursday night to make sure I could check in early on Friday without hassle. On Thursday, I called the front desk, explained my plan, and requested that our rooms not be next to each other. The front desk staffer said it was all set.||||Friday morning rolls around, and I get multiple calls asking if I’m planning to check in. I explained—again—that I had already arranged this the night before. The new staffer had no idea. As for my room separation request? Nope, they were sold out, so we were stuck next to each other.||||Strike one.||||When we arrived, things only went downhill:|||| • Housekeeping: They do it every other day. Fine, but since I paid for Thursday night, I asked why no one had serviced the room by Saturday morning. The answer? “That’s just how it works.” When I asked if, “technically,” I could skip paying for Thursday night, they weren’t amused.|| • Cleanliness: Rooms were meh at best—think linens barely hanging in there.|| • Breakfast drama: The sign says breakfast runs until 10 a.m. But a hand-written note said 9:30. At 9:28, the staff turned us away, saying, “Sorry, breakfast is closed.” Not that I was excited for Hampton’s breakfast, but seriously?|| • The lobby vibe: Let’s just say there were… a few odd characters hanging around.||||None of these things would’ve ruined the stay on their own, but together they made for a frustrating experience. The real kicker was the staff’s indifferent attitude—it felt like no one cared, and no one wanted to be there. I’m guessing the ownership doesn’t care much either, considering they don’t even respond to feedback.||||Do yourself a favor—stay anywhere else. The service won’t be worse, and at least you won’t...