Hampton Inn & Suites Wheeling-The Highlands — Hotel in Wheeling

What is the remedy? I had planned to write a review of this property after the night I checked in. I found myself feeling ambiguous about writing a review about my digital Check-in experience, and finding out a "corporate" owned property was not yet serving a hot breakfast. As you should know, I've stayed at quite a few privately owned properties this year already. I was dismayed to find a corporate owned property is the only one not serving a hot breakfast. Please don't try to convince me it is for the safety of the guests anymore. That's BS, and disappointing. When I tried checking in digitally to my room after a long drive, I was not allowed a digital key. I was asked to see the front desk personnel. I find out $422 and change had been declined on my card, therefore I wasn't allowed access to my room. Well, this hadn't happened before so I found out from the front desk clerk, in addition to my room charge of $362 for my three night stay, there was an additional $20 per night charge to my card. I explained I wasn't made aware of an additional charge prior to my arrival and agreed to pay cash for this charge. When traveling north or south, i have separate accounts and only transfer money to these accounts for hotel cost. It's a safety net since one of my bank accounts had been cleaned out by cyber thieves on a prior travel. Anyway, I was told I could not use cash for the $60 incidentals. So I offered another card. Turns out only $25 was put on hold for incidentals. So, getting back to the reason for replying to your email...should there not be safeguards in place for invading the privacy of guests? Yes, most assuredly! Unless there is reasonable suspicion of illegal activity or for safety. But not just because housekeeping doesn't want to move to the next floor without making sure all the rooms on that floor are clean. When I was in charge of hotels, SOP was for housekeeping to come to the front desk first and a list of guest rooms who had checked out already were given. Those were the rooms to be cleaned first! You cannit tell me with digital check in and out, the front desk doesn't know? If there is any unsurety of a room not being vacated, housekeeping should wait until after checkout time to knock on doors. This should be mandatory in your organization! Thankfully my privacy was not invaded while I was in a compromising manner, but that isn't the point is it? My privacy was invaded by lax rules...and a practice allowed by higher management. I will say you have a top notch landscape management company at this property...the grounds were...

When I stayed here the exterior was being painted and all the windows had been covered with paper. I asked for a room that wasn't papered over and was told ALL the windows were covered. I eventually realized the room also had no air conditioning or heat. I checked in so late I put up with it. The next day they moved me to another room where - surprise - no paper on the windows and the AC was working. Turned out the painters had papered over all the air vents for the AC/Heat units and were having to undo their mistake. So - not the hotel's fault technically, I just happened to catch them those days. |The desk staff was mostly pleasant. I don't require shining faces at the desk so if it doesn't happen I don't notice. |The rooms, however, need renovation. While spacious, they feel a little old fashioned. The lighting is a bit dim. They're probably as clean as they can be but they're old enough that they'll never sparkle again. But everything worked - the fridge, the microwave. Even the shower drained properly. So - no startling complaints.|Outside there was so much heavy equipment (for the painters) that half the parking spaces in front were roped off. Again, not a permanent situation, but not a nice surprise. |I looked at the breakfast buffet and it was minimal: scrambled eggs, sausage waffle maker. That's pretty much it. There's a Bob Evans just down the hill and I went there. |The immediate area is covered with at least a dozen very good franchise restaurants. Longhorn, Chipotle, Olive Garden, etc. There's even a Cold Stone Creamery. So there's lots of eating choices. Also stores like Koh's, Walmart, Books a Million, TJ Max, 14-screen theater, a HUGE Cabelas... You're not isolated here. ||But the hotel itself was just OK. I stay at Hampton Inns fairly often and rely on a level of quality that this place didn't quite hit. But if all you need is a night of good sleep,...

I loved this hotel. Honestly, the location for our basketball tournament was perfect, and the housecleaning staff was beyond friendly! I do want to mention however, that the front desk workers were less than enthusiastic about having children present. We were reminded numerous times through the day and evening of the "quiet time" policy. And often the staff would shush us if we were in the lobby.

I understand the need for "quiet time" and that the lobby closes at 11 for guest comfort. But to turn off the fire pit while guests are sitting quietly around it was rude. I felt like a teenager who was on restriction.

Also, you are located in a place that is clearly aimed at sporting events. It has to be about 75 percent of your revenue in that location. With that, I would have hoped and almost expected that the kids could have had a little more fun at the actual hotel. Some of our younger team were playing a sort of board game in the lobby after eating dinner, not running and being obnoxious, and they were told to be quieter. The front desk clerk was counting the minutes to us for when the lobby would close. He must have reminded us about 10 times in a 40 min period that we needed to leave the lobby at 11pm.

Maybe loosen up, just a bit? We enjoyed the amenities and accommodations, but we're constantly concerned that we were going to be reprimanded or told to be quieter or...