Homewood Suites by Hilton Bloomington

True to it’s rating, this is an OK place to stay. Wet stayed here 2 nights and our room was cleaned, but we’re did not get refills or replacements of the amenities we used like the shampoo, conditioner and soap– very unusual and disappointing. Expensive for what it is and where it is located. Walls are very thin, you can definitely hear the rooms next to you and above. Rooms facing the highway are really noisy, so if you stay here, ask for the opposite side. Parking is easy and there’s a simple breakfast.

Decent hotel. Clean. Friendly staff. Very close by is a grocery store, so eating in the provided suite with kitchen, stove, etc. is not difficult. If not, they do provide breakfast and dinner (dinner only mon-​thurs). Salty!!! Breakfast has the usual cereal, toast, oatmeal, if you’re trying to watch your blood pressure. Gym only has a treadmill and elliptical. Pool is very small. Far from downtown, so definitely not walking distance. Walls are thin at times. Could hear someone snoring at some point.

We stayed at the Homewood Suites Bloomington for two nights for Parents Weekend at Indiana University. We try to stay at Hilton properties whenever possible. Overall, this Homewood Suites is not as service-​oriented or comfortable as the Hilton Garden Inn that we usually stay at downtown. The breakfast is mediocre at best (the eggs were very dry, breakfast on Sunday is only served until 10:00 a.m. not 11:00 a.m. at most other hotels). Although we are diamond members with Hilton Honors, the front desk refused to give us complimentary bottled water whcih other Hilton properties always provide for us. They just said, «you have to buy it yourself.» The rooms were nice, in general, although they were on the small side and certainly not worth the $ 500+/night rate. When my wife called the manager to inform him of a billing error (a movie that we were charged for) and to express her dissatisfaction with the water issue and our overall stay, the manager told her, «it’s okay, this isn’t my hotel anyway,» which is not an appropriate or a professional response to any guest. We will avoid staying at this hotel in the future, if we can help it. We love Hilton hotels, overall, but Homewood Suites, in particular, has not met our expectations.

As a gold member, I spend many nights in Hilton hotels throughout the year so I can honestly say that the room was not on par for cleanliness. on top of that, the hotel manager Stephanie Harris was outright rude when speaking to my wife. Shephanie, most likely, skipped the «How to Treat Customers — 101» in college. And if she didn’t then I assume she attended a college such as Purdue. (Remember I am an IU fan in Bloomington when reading this). Anyway, I would never stay here again if she is still the manager. I would rather spend an extra $ 100 and feel welcomed.
***In response to Stephanie Harris on 4/​5***
You are correct; my wife did use profanity when describing your attitude as «not giving a sh#t» and we apologize if you were insulted. And the threat of never staying at this particular hotel is no longer a threat but a fact. Your lack of communication lead to the following email which any Unilocal reader may find useful as you question our integrity.
**EMAIL SENT ON 2/​18**
Stephanie,
Thanks for your quick response. However as discussed, we were in the car during our conversation and Indiana state law prohibits email while driving. Therefore, we drove the extra two hours and are currently residing in room 115 in your establishment. Furthermore, we were extremely surprised to learn you had a higher up that could remedy our situation as you told us we had to call corporate customer care to get any help; which we did. Their response was that you had ultimate dictation of hotel management.
We certainly appreciate your remedy but it wasn’t helpful with out a phone call. I travel months out of the year and get phone calls regarding hotel reservations regularly. Traveling with an infant is hard enough but this has made it much more taxing.
Please let us know your response as we are extremely disappointed in the overall handling of the situation.
Thanks,
Dan & Sara

The best way to describe the rooms would be ‘stellar.’ At the rate I’m paying (just shy of $ 100 per night), the amenities included with the room have been better than other hotels I’ve had — including the nicer Marriotts at $ 250/​night (luckily, it wasn’t on my bill…). A living room, a bedroom w/​an upgraded bathroom (from what you normally see), and a kitchen w/​stove and a full fridge/​freezer. I’ve never really frequented through the Hilton chain before — mostly sticking to Marriott Courtyards when I travel for business — but at a comparable (or with discount, cheaper) price, there isn’t much comparison.
Nice little extra here — breakfast and dinner are free Monday through Thursday (leave a tip though!). For me, when I’m traveling alone I don’t really care to go out to restaurants — the food they serve is basic, but it is quite edible (sure you’ll get better food in a restaurant, but that adds up fast). Wine (merlot and chardonnay) and beer (Budweiser Light) were both included — I haven’t seen that before. Gym is included, for after dinner.
I’ve honestly got no complaints thus far. The room is easily spacious enough for a family to spend a few nights without getting at each others throats. And you know, that’s always a plus. If I am coming back here for work (and chances are, I will be), I’m definitely going to stay here again.