Hampton Inn & Suites South Lake Tahoe — Hotel in South Lake Tahoe

While overall, this is one of the nicest Hampton Inns that I have stayed in, the experience at check in was less then stellar. Advertised, the room stated it would not be ready until 4:00 pm which was clear during the booking of the room via the app. However, I arrived around 1:00 pm as my flight was in early into Reno airport. I checked with the front desk and they said the room was not ready for use. Now next is where my frustration with the front desk staff goes downhill.

Being a Hilton Diamond member, I am used to being offered other rooms that are ready or at least told that all other rooms are booked for the day. Neither option was given to me. Only option was my name was written down on a list and I was told I would be called when my room was ready.

My wife and I left and explored areas of Lake Tahoe that we could via walking. We did not want to drive anywhere to do any planned hiking as we had to leave or luggage inside our rental car.

We come back to the hotel around 3:30 as we still had not received a call from the front desk staff. However, we noticed that other people were being checked in and given their rooms.

At 4:00 pm (selected arrival time for me via the app) I went back to the front desk and another employee began to take care of me. He checked with the housekeeping staff and once again, our room was NOT ready. He said that he could put me down on the list to call me when it was ready. I said I was already on the list and at the very top (at least 12 names were on the list at this time). He apologized and at this point, I stated that being at the top of the list and a long time Diamond member as well as informing them via the app of my arrival, I wanted an alternative room. He said he was sorry and offered me an alternative room to my satisfaction.

Being a process improvement engineer before I retired, I would strongly recommend that the coordination of rooms being cleaned and communication with the front desk staff be evaluated and improved. I see this problem was stated in several other reviews as well.

Finally, to circle back, outside of the check in process, this was a very nice Hampton Inn and located conveniently to all attractions...

Longtime Hilton Loyalists Disappointed by Management at Hampton Inn Lake Tahoe||My husband and I have been devoted Hilton brand loyalists for years. As longtime Hilton Honors members, Hilton Grand Vacations owners, we’ve always appreciated the brand’s consistent quality and excellent customer service. Unfortunately, our recent four-night stay at the Hampton Inn Lake Tahoe fell far short of Hilton’s standards—not because of the property itself, but due to disappointing management and a glaring lack of accountability.||To be clear, the hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms were clean, quiet, and comfortable—everything we expect from the Hampton brand. However, the real issue stemmed from operational leadership. With decades of hospitality experience between us, including hotel management, we know how critical timely, transparent communication is to guest satisfaction.||When our issue arose, we followed protocol—contacting the front desk, speaking to the MOD, and trusting their assurance that the matter had been resolved. It wasn’t. After four additional follow-ups, both in person and by phone, we continued to receive empty assurances. At that point, I requested a direct call from General Manager Aaron Ponce, who—surprisingly—was completely absent over a busy holiday weekend. His lack of availability and failure to follow up, despite repeated promises from the staff, were unacceptable.||No call ever came. No resolution. No acknowledgment.||This experience left us deeply disappointed—not only in the hotel’s management, but in the Hampton brand overall. A simple gesture of accountability and a direct conversation, specifically from Aaron Ponce, GM, could have easily turned this situation around. Instead, we left with frustration and a diminished perception of a brand we've championed for years.||For this reason, I am giving this property a 2-star rating. I sincerely hope Hilton Corporate reviews this feedback and takes action to uphold the standards we've come to know...

Longtime Hilton Loyalists Disappointed by Management at Hampton Inn Lake Tahoe

My husband and I have been devoted Hilton brand loyalists for years. As longtime Hilton Honors members, Hilton Grand Vacations owners, we’ve always appreciated the brand’s consistent quality and excellent customer service. Unfortunately, our recent four-night stay at the Hampton Inn Lake Tahoe fell far short of Hilton’s standards—not because of the property itself, but due to disappointing management and a glaring lack of accountability. To be clear, the hotel itself is beautiful. The rooms were clean, quiet, and comfortable—everything we expect from the Hampton brand. However, the real issue stemmed from operational leadership. With decades of hospitality experience between us, including hotel management, we know how critical timely, transparent communication is to guest satisfaction. When our issues arose, we followed protocol—contacting the front desk, speaking to the MOD, and trusting their assurance that the matter had been resolved. It wasn’t. After four additional follow-ups, both in person and by phone, we continued to receive empty assurances. At that point, I requested a direct call from General Manager Aaron Ponce, who—surprisingly—was completely absent over a busy holiday weekend. His lack of availability and failure to follow up, despite repeated promises from the staff, was unacceptable. No call ever came. No resolution. No acknowledgment. This experience left us deeply disappointed—not only in the hotel’s management, but in the Hampton brand overall. A simple gesture of accountability from Aaron Ponce and a direct conversation could have easily turned this situation around. Instead, we left with frustration and a diminished perception of a brand we've championed for years. For this reason, I am giving this property a 2-star rating. I sincerely hope Hilton Corporate reviews this feedback and takes action to uphold the standards we've come to know...