Hampton Inn Winchester-University/Mall Area — Hotel in Winchester

Stayed the evening of 9/13/2024; hotel was easy to find and located in a nice area with a lot of conveniences around. Used the check in on the app feature, went directly to the room and opened the door with my phone. Room was spotless clean, furnishings in great condition, well stocked bathroom. Went to the front desk to get some actual "real" keys, there were 2 ladies working at the desk, the one that waited on me mentioned that she had just gotten back from vacation. During our interaction, she received a phone call, hung up abruptly and made a derogatory statement about the caller. She then handed me the keys, and although I had my drivers license ready and in my hand to show her, she waved it off and said "nah, I don't need that, I trust you" I was a bit put off by this, realistically anyone who knew that I was staying there could have done the same. I returned a bit later to get some snacks, to my delight that brought out fresh cookies, but I also wanted to buy a bag of chips. The two ladies were behind the desk, the one with tattoos said she was going out for a smoke, and the one who waited on my earlier sold me the chips, and during this interaction moaned and groaned about entering it into the computer, and started to complain about another (elderly) guest who just looked like he needed help. I will, of course, return to this hotel, but, as a former 9 year Hampton Inn employee (GSR/GSM/AGM/GM), this person does not represent the brand standards well. Did not eat the breakfast, we were in a hurry, but again the property was very well kept, and as I passed other employees in the hallway (mainly room attendants), all were friendly and gave a warm "GOOD MORNING", so kudos to them!...

There are some Hamptons in the chain, whether corporate ownership or franchised, that just stand out and make a guest happy from beginning to end. This Hampton across from the University on the south side of Winchester is absolutely one of them. Like so many establishments these days, there are the occasional minor lacks from the lingering supply-chain woes, but the people at this Hampton take it in stride and go out of their way to treat their guests like, well, guests!

Winchester is my spiritual home town, and I come back as often as I possibly can. Every time I have stayed at this property I have been greeted as a friend, and the welcome extends throughout the stay. The people, from the front desk, through the breakfast service, to housekeeping and facility maintenance, all are friendly, helpful, and especially kind.

Just an anecdote to show how good the people are: on a visit several years ago, I had an extended stay and was chatting with the woman who set up the breakfast service each day. I mentioned that I had found orange marmalade recently at another Hampton earlier in my trip. Next morning she whipped out a jar of orange marmalade she had picked up at a local store! I was (and still am, a little) dumbfounded. Five stars for this hotel and all...

UPDATE: I stayed here again on 5/30/24 while traveling. Overall good experience again but room 125 had a bathroom issue where there was mold on the ceiling. It definitely looked like a leak from the above floor. The rest of the room was clean and no view of mold in the sleeping area.

This is my 4th time staying at this hotel when I come back from a trip up north. I like the convenience of how close it is off of I-81. There is a Starbucks you can walk to from the hotel even though they have coffee at the hotel. There is a microwave by the front desk that you can use to warm food up along with paper plates and utensils. This trip the room as always, was clean, comfortable and quiet. My only issue as I have found with some hilton chains is the overwhelming smell of cleaning product. I have such a sensitivity to it that it hit me when I first walkes it in. I normally turn the cool air on to get the air flowing. Less is better than more. There was a refrigerator in the room. Otherwise reception is always welcoming and friendly. Breakfast is your typical conventional hotel chain breakfast which is sufficient enough to fill you. Price was reasonable this time around. Parking is never an issue as there are...