DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront — Hotel in Tampa

To be honest, the visit to your property was a disaster from the moment we arrived. We had requested 3 rooms during our stay. Only 1 of the rooms was ready when our party arrived. Apparently, a guest had not vacated their room and outright refused to leave their room. Not a huge issue, but inconvenient and not what we were anticipating. Now onto the rooms and their condition. The room that was "ready" for us had no towels, no shampoo, 1 bar of soap, and a set of dirty glasses next to the coffee maker. After a call to the front desk, we received 2 towels and a single shampoo container. Understand not wanting to overstock rooms, but rationing items for a room with three people in it seems petulant. Asked a second time for more towels and received 2 more towels. All weekend we were having to call the front desk to obtain new towels, toiletries, and/or tissues. The cleaning staff were non-existent and to my knowledge, had not entered our room the entire time. While I understand we were not the only guests there, and that the hotel does quite a bit of business with the airline industry, the parking of the hotel shuttles in front of the doorway ALL THE TIME is ridiculous. We experienced no less than a 10 minute wait for the shuttle driver to move his vehicle so that we could get someone in a wheel chair up to the front door. Never mind trying to negotiate the small circle driveway with the parked shuttles clogging the lanes preventing anyone from driving up to the doorway, driving up to the parking lot gate was hampered by a shuttle that was continuously parked right at the edge of the gate arm. Needless to say, this was the biggest annoyance of the weekend as we were using your property for a central location to our events in Tampa. Lastly on the driveway issue, while it would seem that the proper travel pathway would be to enter on the right, circle around the driveway, and exit on the left (Counterclockwise) as nearly 99.9% of guest did, one of your drivers took it upon himself to attempt to traverse the driveway in the opposite direction (Clockwise). He even waited on two vehicles that were trying to get to the front door and check in to back up out of his way so that he could go to wherever he was going. It would seem that someone who has been trusted with a company vehicle would be aware of the hazards of driving in the wrong direction and the potential issues surrounding that. Finally, the night before checkout we had asked for a late checkout (an hour extra, so 12pm). The person we had spoken to at the desk told us that would not be a problem. However, if we stayed beyond that we would be “billed” at $25/hour. The next morning (at 8:45am), one of the cleaning staff (who hadn’t been in our room from the time we arrived) decided to just open the door to our room. My wife had to announce rather loudly to the person that we were still in the room and they closed the door. At 10:30, the same housekeeper attempted to enter the room again, to which my son had to announce that we were still in the room. At this time, we were told that “checkout was at 11am” by the housekeeper. My wife went to speak to the front desk about the extra hour that we had agreed upon. The Guest Services representative informed her that no such agreement would be honored and that whoever told her this did not understand her request and misspoke. When she asked to speak to the manager, she was told that the manager was not there and that she was the only person to discuss matters with at this time. I find it ironic that when we arrived (4:30pm on Thursday) we were told that one of our rooms was not ready due to it being occupied by someone. However, when we were proactive and asked for an additional hour for late checkout we were treated rudely and unprofessional. I am a Hilton Honors member and always choose Hilton properties when I travel. Based on this experience, I would have to seriously consider whether or not to continue using your properties (specifically Double Tree) as it really was an undesirable...

Dirty linens left all over the halls in both the 3rd floor and 7th floor. Carpet throughout hotel was dirty as if it hadn't been cleaned in a decade. At the pool, I was bit incessantly by noseeums. Batteries in my TV remote were nearly dead. Unable to communicate with half the front desk staff. The Italian guy who worked there, Francesco, clearly thought he was better than me since I was an American with an Italian background. I asked to have my 2nd night's stay refunded to my personal card and deducted from my company card since they were supposed to have paid for it. They said I had to call Hilton rewards. I called the rewards company and they said the front desk could've done it for me but apparently it was just too much trouble for them. There were stains all over the furniture upholstery. I'm still hoping the brown stains on the couches in the front lobby were coffee and not something more putrid. The newer staff seemed poorly trained and confused. Some people were offered their signature cookie when checking in and some weren't. I was offered one for my first night, but not my 2nd when I had to check out and check back in (even though staying in the same room but under different payment method). My coworker's shampoo was torn off the shower wall and hadn't been reattached. The conference room we used was entirely too cramped and had to be a fire code violation. It said it held 90 but there were fewer than 70 of us and we could barely squeeze out the door around peoples' legs to use the hallway restroom. Wifi was super slow and took forever to load Pluto TV and other apps. The restaurant was entirely overpriced and Captain D's gave it a run for its money, but I'll review that separately. The hydro massage chairs were a great idea, but it was unbelievably awkward with people walking by and no door to close. You couldn't relax because every time someone walked by, they looked directly in at you and your eyes locked. So creepy... The fitness room had a great view but it was opposite the massage chairs. The machines would better be suited facing the doorway so those with PTSD aren't anxious with their backs to the doors and music on so they can't be aware of their surroundings. A couple saw a huge palmetto bug crawling on the floor outside the restaurant as I was getting off the elevator and they were getting on. The hotel doesn't even have a shuttle even thought it's super close to the airport. There's no complimentary breakfast and the only available breakfast was at the nasty/expensive restaurant where rude staff questioned my coworker's order. If she only wants a bowl of oatmeal and not a full continental (WASN'T continental, because it only was fruit and cereal), then I dunno? Maybe get it for her? We're on per diem, genius, and the breakfast was twenty friggin' dollars. The guests coming in the night after we had our conference were sketchy at best and I completely get why we park our cars in that parking lot at our own risk. It wasn't because of outsiders coming and breaking into them in the lot overnight- it's because of the trashy people who reserve rooms at their hotel. In the morning on Saturday when I was heading out, I couldn't get out of the parking lot because my parking ticket was validated but never returned to me. I rang the hotel desk for assistance, but someone answered and just hung up on me. I called for someone again, and they didn't answer after 6-7 rings but then just opened the gate for me. I could've been someone who never paid and they just let me out never to return. Glad to know I didn't actually have to pay $20/night parking for two days and could've gotten out for free, no questions asked. And a QR code to tip the cleaning crew? You're joking, right...? The only thing good I truly have to say whatsoever is that the pool, itself, was clean, the floor I was on was extremely quiet once in my room, and the view was decent. Otherwise, I would never return here, let alone suggest we hold a...

DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL.

They front desk staff was intentionally vague and duplicitous. We were charged $80 for a breakfast buffet without any type of notification or explanation.

Breakfast buffets are free these days for hotel guests, right?

Well, here's how we ended up getting charged $80 for a crappy self-serve breakfast @ 10A on Sunday at the Rocky Point Doubletree.

Onn the morning of our check out, my family of four arrives at the breakfast buffet area and seat ourselves. (1) There is no Greater or Hostess at the door. Because we are experienced travelers and have stayed in other Doubletrees on other vacations, we help ourselves and begin to peruse the available breakfast buffet foods. (2) There are no cups anywhere; so, no coffee or juice. (3) The options for food are eggs, sausage, and grits. Bacon was empty. The waffle maker has an empty dispenser. This happens. Its a Sunday. Just be patient the wait staff will catch up. (4) We select a table on our own and go and sit at a table with some toast and a little eggs. (5) There isn't silverware available in the buffet area or on the table and after waiting for quite a few minutes to find any member of hotel staff, she was able to create four sets or bundles for my family. 10 minutes pass and from our table we can see that fresh bacon and eggs have been added to the buffet (Yay!) and a couple of clear plastic cups have been brought out for juice. Still no coffee. (6) We've been 15 minutes in the restaurant, met 1 member of hotel staff, waited for service and food, and still had no coffee. Regardless, breakfast buffet foods were finally available and of nice enough quality for a Doubletree and we were getting commensurate value for an overnight stay at the Doubletree. (7) After about 30 minutes and a couple of trips back to look for a coffee cup and to steal another slice of bacon, a member of wait staff arrives and presents us with a handwritten bill for $80. We have met two people in the restaurant, neither asked if we needed anything, and one presented us with a bill.

(This starts another odd but intentional discourse with other hotel staff.)

(8) I ask, "what is this, hotel buffets are free?" to the member of staff who is has a handful of handwritten buffet bills to hand out to all of the other tables. She said they are only free to Hilton Honors members. I must clear it up at the front desk.

(We are Hilton Honors members.)

I head up to the front desk and start our checking out process and clear up the matter of the breakfast buffet charge. The front desk clerk looks in my direction, but doesn't greet me, so instead I start the conversation with a cherry "Hello". (9) She continues to look in my direction, forces a smile, and asks "How can I help you".

(I didn't interrupt her, she was looking right at me the entire time, but yet, this interaction is off to a bad start.)

I tell her I'm checking out of room number whatever and tell her I have a question about the breakfast buffet. I said the waitress gave us a bill for $80 dollars "but aren't buffet breakfast's free?" (10) "They are free for Hilton Honors members and its not included with your reservation." she said while looking over her monitor. "Also, the breakfast hasn't been added to your bill, yet. (11) You will need to go back to the restaurant and have the waitress add it to your bill." Still not looking up from her monitor.

"Great, can I provide that for you now and clear up this buffet charge?", I said.

(12) "Yes." she said directly.

(13) I provided my Hilton Honors number, exchanged a knowing glance and then headed back to the restaurant while my family waited in the lobby. After a couple of minutes, I found the waitress explained the situation, and she said she entered the charge...