Hilton Mystic — Hotel in Stonington

I originally had a terrible experience last year on 12/13 Mystic Spark Hilton. They have a terrible mold issue there and when I complained a lady named Christine reached out from the Hilton Mystic. Two completely different hotels She told me she was sorry for the experience I had and I was given a two night stay at her Hilton. She told me to pick any days before the summer starts.

I booked my stay for 5/17. Attached you will see photos of what I saw when I went into my bathroom.There was pink/salmon color residue all along the backside of the tub and by the faucet and handles. Once I turned on more lights I started to notice the room was very dusty, and the floor in the bathroom especially really needed to be swept. This room was disgusting, it was mold infested with serratia. I couldn’t even believe it another mold issue.

Especially when Christine knew of the mold issue I encountered at the Spark Hilton. . I thought for sure I wouldn’t have to worry about anything here. Especially mold. But I was wrong !!I was on the verge of tears because honestly, I thought that Hilton was a high quality name for a hotel and that this time around would be issue free.

I asked to please change rooms. I was told to wait and a lady walked over. It was Christine, she looked annoyed. The first thing she told me was, there’s no other rooms available for tonight. Without even looking in the system. But the Hilton websiteI said I can book a room, She was irate. I asked her to come up to the room so she could see the mold I was talking about. She instantly said There is no mold in there!! And said, she didn’t care to see the room, i insisted and she stormed off, saying she needed to grab someone else to come with her for liability purposes.

Another lady with short blonde hair, on the huskier side, came out and all three of us went up to room 212 I felt like I was being attacked because they were trying to tell me that it was just a cleaner on there. Then the short haired blonde said well, housekeeping, obviously didn’t do a good job cleaning this. While Christine was trying to convince me it’ was extra clean because the cleaner was still on there. They both kept on insisting that either way, it was the pink cleaner that they use to clean all the rooms. So I asked to see the cleaner. I wanted to spray part of the tub and see if it looked the same if it wasn’t wiped off. I wanted to see this with my own eyes. Since that’s what both of them were telling me it was.

Both woman stormed off and returned with this neon pink cleaner in a clear bottle. It looked nothing like the tub infestation but I wanted to spray it on an area that looked clean to see if it would make it look like the other side of the tub. Instead,the husky woman jumped in the tub and she poured the pink cleaner all over the nasty stuff and rubbed it around her fingers and said look it’s coming off.

I said I’d really prefer to switch rooms.Christine insisted on that not happening. My eyes started to water up and I said okay I guess I to leave and she said wait there is one room available with two double beds with a regular bath tub. I said okay but tomorrow can I switch to a room that has a whirlpool bathtub? She said If you get this room, you’re staying in this room for your whole stay. I took room 126 just because I already arranged and paid for a babysitter. But I planned on complaining because what they were doing to me was wrong.

So room 126 is attached to the pool room. It has no windows. it’s also right under the weight room. And in extremely loud air conditioner. There was so much noise coming from the pool room/weight room. Imagine trying to relax under the circumstances. You should treat people the way you would like to be treated. And management should be held accountable for their interactions with guests. I feel like they treated me like I was nobody. I recorded the way they talked to me. Willing to post if this if justice isn’t served

UPDATE I WAS...

UPDATE - Wedding in May 2021 Overall a great experience, uploaded a phew photos so you can see the rooms (Decorations were all made by me, they provided the rooms, tables, chairs, linens, table settings) The arch, the decorations, the table centerpieces etc were made by me. We had several meetings with the employees in charge of weddings, they were easy to work with and took care of making the wedding run smooth, very helpful. We were one of the first weddings after them reopening for events and considering that any issues we had along the way were completely understandable and minor. Michelle was amazing. They gave the bride and groom our own attendant / waitress which was pretty cool and she checked in on me several times, even bringing me a drink from the bar so I didn't have to walk over. My only complaint is that I could not have the drink I wanted which I could understand them not making for the rest of the guests but I am the bride (and not a bridezilla either lol) - The food was pretty good - anyone I asked seemed happy with their plate. Kids plates were less expensive which is so helpful if you want to include children who we all know are not really going to eat much anyways. Not a lot of areas to take photos but we did get a few really good ones in the lobby area with the lights behind us. We had an issue with the room we were getting ready in not having a key that worked and having to call the front desk to open it which was an annoyance, but once one of my girls complained (I am not a complainer and was not there when she complained) - it magically got fixed and a key appeared. The staff was extremely accommodating. There was some confusion/miscommunication here and there but overall great. Overall, other than the reception room being so hot most of my guests ended up hanging outside with the smokers, I had a great time. At the end of the day it is an affordable location, great staff, classy atmosphere, a bar that stays open late right in the hotel, everything is clean.

2nd review Stayed again, in the room with the spa tub. Nice room. However there's no dining or room service during the week until dinner even though the website said it would be. Even the covid info section said there were pick up locations and hours show daily hours. I was treating myself for once and really would have loved room service breakfast. (I didn't have my car, and it was freezing out, I got dropped off thinking I could eat in) . Gift shop oatmeal it was. Well at least I had the spa tub. Overall love this hotel. First review Very lovely hotel with very small bathtubs, mine had no drain and I have medical issues that are helped by a warm soak so we called the front desk, the hotel was not full, expected maybe to be moved, we had just gotten there, instead that sent up a technician to install a drain. He was very nice, drain worked, I got my tiny bath. Happy. The rooms are above average however nothing amazing. The beds are ridiculously comfortable for me who likes plush and my finance who likes firm. How? Magic maybe. We sleep so well here. It could just be leaving life at home for a night and exploring a the things within walking distance. Aquarium, so many shops, the Mystic Diner nearby is a must. All lit up beautifully at night. The hotel itself is quiet, not one noise woke me up or caused annoyance from outside the room or nearby rooms and there were guests next door. The rooms are sanitized and very clean. No issues there. Groups are social distanced as far as I noticed. Guest services is nice. Breakfast at the restaurant was impressive. Overall a great place when rooms go on sale and are affordable and we...

Fantastic Location, But Plagued by Severe Operational Failures

On the surface, this hotel has a lot going for it. The building itself is attractive, parking is free and plentiful, and its location directly across the street from the Mystic Aquarium is incredibly convenient. The staff at the front desk were also pleasant and professional during our face-to-face interactions. Unfortunately, these positive attributes are completely overshadowed by systemic issues with the building's core systems, cleanliness, and amenity management. The most glaring problem is the hotel's HVAC system, which is woefully inadequate for a building of this size. This results in oppressive humidity throughout the hallways and, to a lesser extent, in the rooms. The hotel's "solution" is to place multiple large dehumidifiers on every floor. During the first day of our stay, these units were full and inactive, leaving the hallways feeling damp and gross. After they were emptied, staff set them to run continuously. This created a new problem: the dehumidifiers are now acting like space heaters, blasting out air I measured at nearly 100°F into the already hot corridors. The air conditioning cannot overcome this intense heat, and in its struggle, it pumps out cool but overly humid air, perpetuating a miserable cycle. This leaves you with the choice of a hot room or a cool, damp room.

Cleanliness and basic maintenance are also significant concerns. Trash barrels on the grounds were overflowing to the point that gulls were having a feast, a situation that was only addressed on a once-a-day basis. This infrequent attention was also evident in the public restrooms; one was in a destroyed state, with human feces on toilet bowl and seat like some wanted to experiment with pooping while standing,and remained that way for over four hours. In our own room, the plumbing is weak, requiring several flushes.

The amenities that drew us to this hotel were a major letdown. The breakfast restaurant was clearly unable to handle the morning rush, and our waitress was so overwhelmed that she was complaining to us about being assigned too many tables. The pool, a key feature for our daughter, was another source of frustration. Despite posted hours indicating it was open, we arrived at 3:30 PM to find it empty. An employee quickly ran out to inform us it was closed for "maintenance," but could not explain what maintenance was being performed, especially with no technicians in sight. The "oh well" attitude from the staff was deeply disappointing. On a technical note, the Wi-Fi required calling the front desk for a special access code, and the digital key feature never worked, even after we tried troubleshooting it with the desk.

While the room was surface clean and the beds are firm, the persistent dampness from the HVAC issues is unavoidable. The cleaning staff in the hallways also seemed bothered by our presence, staring us down as we passed.

We still have one night left in our stay. Should anything change for the better or worse, I will update this review. As it stands, however, I cannot recommend this hotel. Its great location does not compensate for the fundamental failures in comfort and operations.

Edit:

The leadership of the hotel reached out to offer their apologies and offer to make amends. That goes a long way with me that businesses are actually looking to...