DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Tucson Airport — Hotel in Tucson

I am going to be fair, generous, and understanding and start by saying that most of the staff at the DoubleTree Tucson Airport really are very good and they work hard and with a smile, to keep their sinking ship afloat. I also fully appreciate that airport hotels take a beating — most guests stay for just a single night, they arrive late, leave early, are tired from traveling and so on, but the state of this hotel really is very sad. It so happened that I was not a typical airport hotel guest and stayed for multiple nights. The night I arrived it was in the thirties and there was no heat in my room. In fact, cold air was blowing out of both air vents! I tried calling the front desk using the room phone, but the phone appeared to be out of order, so I went down in person. I explained the situation and the clerk said she would inform the “senior engineer” or someone like that. To give credit where it’s due, a nice young gent then delivered a space heater to my room in less than ten minutes. It was a kind gesture, but the heater was slightly larger than a woman’s handbag and made little difference to the temperature in my spacious two-room suite — kinda like burning a candle in the gulag to try and keep your fingers from falling off. In the morning I returned to the front desk to report, politely, that I still had no heat. The young clerk, who seemed uneasy (perhaps she was new?) said she would inform “the engineer.” I explained we’d been through this the previous night and that something needed to please be done right away, as it was still very cold. “Well I can’t do anything until the manager gets here and she isn’t in yet,” the clerk said. This was, as best I recall, around 11 AM, so our manager is evidently not an early bird. “Do you know when she is expected?” I asked. No, she didn’t. I then asked if the clerk could please telephone the manager to see if we could get official permission to get the heat activated on a very cold day, and her reply blew my mind. She said something along the lines of: “The manager doesn’t like to be disturbed when she’s not on site.” WTF!? I don’t like to be disturbed either, but where there’s a problem at my company, somebody calls me regardless and I fix it. Is this a professional hotel or a vegetable-rights-and-peace hippy commune? I then asked if a second space heater could please be brought up, as the first one really wasn’t making it, and was told that was “not allowed” because two entire space heaters would blow the hotel circuits. I call BS on that. If you can run a space heater, a hairdryer, a widescreen TV, lights, and other electrical appliances in one room, you can most definitely run two small space heaters. So … the third morning I went down yet again and asked once more if something could be done and received the same “I will inform the senior engineer” spiel. Shortly after, another very nice gent knocked on my door, said he understood there was a problem, and could he assist. I sure hoped he was the senior engineer … but, alas, he was only maintenance. He came in, looked at my thermostat and told me excitedly that I had to “turn it on.” No way! Really? Turn on the thermostat! What a fantastic idea! I was very polite as it wasn’t his fault, and explained that obviously I had tried the thermostat multiple times, but that caused more cold air to blow through the vents into an already frigid room. That first night I was seriously wearing a fleece, an arctic-level parka (for real, I have one and fortunately had it in the car) and a woolen cap INSIDE my hotel room. After the third day I just gave up and — again to be fair — a very kind staff member later brought me a larger and better space heater but, readers please note, I stayed in this hotel in cold weather for MULTIPLE NIGHTS WITH NO HEAT. A few other notes: two of the four elevators were out of service; the ice machine on my floor was out of order; the lamps in my living room area had mismatched plugs so you couldn’t plug them both in at the same time (you’d really think someone would have noticed this and fixed it); mold in the bathroom; the top to the toilet tank didn't fit; and various other small annoyances such as damaged furniture, and, amusingly, one of the illuminated floor number buttons had fallen out of the panel of one of the two elevators that was working — so evidently Floor One was totally off-limits — and it looked like one of the busted-up robots in the first “Star Wars” movie. The on-site restaurant, Finnegan’s, was good and had multiple vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu which is always a pleasant surprise, but the bar closed early at 10 pm. There is no complimentary breakfast, but there is plenty of on-site parking. Finally, they failed — twice and even though I pointed it out at check-out — to give me my Hilton Honors food and beverage credit. I had to follow up at a later date to get credited. I am Hilton Diamond and they should have comped my entire stay after this no-heat balls-up, but I was offered nothing at all. The clerk at check-out didn’t even say he was sorry! It was all astounding. I generously give this hotel two stars ONLY because of some fine staff members. Special thanks and compliments to Guillermo and Kodie who went out of their way to help, and prevent me from getting frostbite. Hilton, please take note: the manger of this hotel may need to get a real job....

After staying at this hotel for over 2 months, I felt it necessary to leave a detailed review based off of my experience.

First off, the best part of the hotel was the front desk staff. They were always helpful and very enjoyable to deal with. With that said, here are the things that happened to me during my stay.

During the first two weeks of my stay I started to get multiple red bumps on my skin which is rare for me. I initially blew it off, but even after having the sheets changes multiple times, I kept getting new red bumps in new locations on my body. Finally during a deeper investigation of the bed, I found live bed bugs (picture/video attached). The hotel gave me a new room, and that one did not have bed bugs but I was only given an hour to move everything out of the old room. Keep in mind here I was initially booked to be here for 4 months so I have a good amount of belongings.

When I came to the hotel I brought extra large and extra thick bath towels because I didn't expect any hotel to supply something like that. They were white, but approx 70"X40". In my opinion, these stand out as not hotel towels because the hotel towels were about half the size and thickness. Before housekeeping came, I had the one I had used hanging over the shower curtain. When I got back to the room after housekeeping had come it was gone. I reported it to front desk, but nothing happened. So then I used my second personal towel. This time I did not leave in over the shower curtain, instead hung it over the cabinet door. I also left a note (in Spanish and English) saying this is my personal towel please do not take it. When I came back to the room after housekeeping had come it was once again gone. The note was still there. I once again reported it to the front desk. The made note of it and said they would try to help, but nothing happened. I had to go buy another towel because now both of my nice personal towels were gone.

Since I was staying for so long, I needed to do laundry. The hotel has 2 washers and 2 dryers with credit card payment. I had done my laundry here several times without issue, but near the end of month 2, there was an incident. My clothes were in the dryer. I had an alarm set for the exact time the the machine would run for. When my alarm went off I immediately got up to go get it. I was probably there 30 seconds after the load finished in the dryer. When I walked into the laundry room I saw a woman (who appeared homeless), who was finishing up hiding my clothes behind a door in the laundry room. She was about to take my friend's clothes as well when we both walked in. When confronted she did give the clothes back, and promptly left but then she was seen leaving the hotel and going to the one next door. Front desk was notified, and they commented about how this type of thing has happened before. To be clear there are gates with room key access around the perimeter of the hotel, but the laundry room has no door or lock.

One day near the end of the second month, I came back to the room and found the key card not to work. I went to the front desk and they gave me a new one. Still didn't work. Went back, new key again. Still didn't work. Went back and they called maintenance. Maintenance shows up and says that the electronics that open the door are dead and need new batteries, but that the normal tool they use to charge the electronics so it can be opened was lost. He went to go get tools, then came back with a hammer. He removed a window pane from the door in about 2 minutes and then was able to reach the inside lock of the door and open it. He put the window pane back, changed the batteries, and went on his way. The door worked in future days, but it left me thinking about how easy and quick it was to break it.

Only 2 elevators work. From memory, 2 for sure were broken to include the one nearest my room. Only 2 ice machines work as well. The 3 closest to my room were broken. Additionally, this hotel is located right next to the airport and you do hear the planes while...

WOW- could this be "in more need of improvement" or what- and that is being gentle/kind. This situation was "dead on arrival"- After all the places, all hotels, and all my life, this definitely rated as the worst- and that is saying something.

At arrival, the bellman (let's call him Alex), didn't/couldn't be bothered to great me as I arrived- not on a phone call or busy with another guest....just really not interested in working/doing his job. I checked in (and though not required/no one owes me- but as a Diamond, with thousands of days stayed/points in the record well over 7 Million), when asking for an upgrade, was told nothing was available. Side Noted- came across the night manager, and he stated that the vast placements for the night were on the first floor- for reasons I will share in a moment. I was offered a "quieter" 3rd floor location- I have been to Marti Gras that was quieter 2 blocks away- like I was on the balcony on the street- large family gatherings....pretty loud.

I called my travel consultant and had myself relocated to another Hilton Property- this is definitely not a Hilton Property for its standards....see the pictures, you be the judge....

Elevators were out, the one that worked had two screws holding the panel down, when there were places for 6 or more...doors had missing screws...plaster was peeling/falling down, door frames were shattered...DOORS WERE PUTTIED (SUPER POOR WORKMANSHIP) LITERALLY LOOKED LIKE THEY USED DRIED CRACKED DROPPINGS TO PUTTY THIS AREA- SEE PICTURE....I lived in Marine Corps Barracks, built in the 50's-IT WAS MANTAINED MUCH BETTER THAN THIS....this was a total disaster/mess...(have some other words- but not appropriate here- but use your imagination....) this place is a total mess- wreck, and literally like living in some third-world location after a hurricane- and no body cares.

So bottom line...closing thoughts....this is not even work staying at, stopping by to say hello, or wasting your hard earned monies...THIS IS A RUN AWAY, FIND ANYTHING ELSE-WOULD-BE-BETTER KINDA PLACE....

As stated in other reviews- dishonest pictures in the advertisement- those were definitely staged/photo-shopped or in some techy way modified. I would advise Hilton to severely renovate, update and upgrade this property. RUN AWAY, RAUN AWAY NOW, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS PLACE- REALLY NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS 10 YEARS AGO....WAY PAST ITS PRIME/ANY STANDARD.

ALL PICTURES TAKEN IN THE ROOM OR ON THE PROPERTY IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES- TONS MORE TO MAKE NOTES, THESE ARE THE REALLY OBVIOUS/IN YOUR FACE....BUT WALK, LOOK FOR ANOTHER HOUR....LIKELY TO FIND SOME REALLY SCARY STUFF

NOTE- after your response: Please explain how the engagement of staff was any better than the bell person on arrival. How would a person enter that room, and not notice the door frame in this damaged state? I do not believe that your statement is truthful/and may be the basis for the "gaps", and why I believe that higher management may need engagement on all of these matters. To clearly sate this: you are not being honest/correctly representing the state of management/leadership, let alone representing sincere actions at this property. The property need higher management attention. Honestly report the condition of this property to the public/if you are not getting support from upper management- then escalate, please stop the "not totally true" situation/state of this hotel.

**Thought: the Waffle House rating is much higher than this property; motto might be, never stay at a place that where the ratings are less than the neighborhood's Waffle House (or pick your restaurant choice).....for your...