DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore – BWI Airport

My room on the 7^th floor had a very loud air conditioning unit that didn’t produce any cold air. I went to the front desk to make them aware. They were very apologetic and nice about it and sent someone up but I had the Do not disturb sign out so, understandably, the technician did not enter. However, I removed the sign and called down twice more. Have been waiting hours for it to be fixed. I figured I would kill time by going to the gym. The ceilings are so low that when I got on the elliptical, my head literally went through the roof. (I’m 5’10). There are no antibacterial wipes to wipe down equipment either. Im giving the hotel 2 stars because while the customer service is friendly, it is inefficient and the hotel can use some updating.

I wanted to like it here, I really did. I almost always enjoy DoubleTree Hotels wherever I am because of the consistency of service and quality.
However, There have been one too many issues with my room. I ordered amenities to be in my room on arrival. They were not there. The room is freezing and turning on the heat only turns on the fan which in turn makes the room colder as the day and night go on. I have given up and simply turned the entire system off. The TV was not working but was eventually fixed after the second call for maintenance. The shower drain would not stay open to allow the water to escape, which meant I had to lodge it open with a shampoo bottle to make sure the water could drain. Not all of the outlets in the room work which means I am rotating the things that need charging by the nightstand.
The staff are very kind and have been responsive despite there being a large conference in town but after a while I became weary of calling the front desk to keep addressing one issue after another.

So again the management of this hotel complete lack of understanding about, the service industry. The whole staff horrible attitudes and actually spiteful actions. Mr Bob, Shuttle driver, should not be allowed on the road. He drives harshly and and angrily and speaks disrespectfully to guests and his co-​workers. He acts like the world owes him something. Frie front desk manager clueless at customer service and front office skills. Don’t stay at this Doubletree, stay at a homeless shelter, you’ll have a better experience.

The hotel was very busy. We could not get anyone to answer the phone after 5 tries. The bathroom could use more attention. The linens we comfortable.

The hotel itself is fine but stay away from the restaurant and bar. The food is terrible and the bar way understaffed. 1 bartender for about 40 people.
Don’t arrive hungry.

The hotel was clean and quiet with plenty of parking. We checked-​in and out with Joyce. She was really nice and helpful. The shuttle bus was convenient and quick. I will definitely stay here again.

The worst thing about our room is that the pillows smelled like men’s cologne. I guess they spray the pillows to make them smell better. It was nauseating.

Never again. Horribly understaffed, took us 2 phone calls and a trip to the front desk for bed sheets, shuttle to the airport left without us even though they promised to hold it for us, no shuttle
to local restaurants as promised. Need I say more?

I stay here all of time and Erica B and Joyce are beyond outstanding. Being away from home so often can take a toll on you mentally. But the two of them do their best to make us feel at home. Very accommodating to the late hours and long work days I often have. I’m so thankful to see their faces when I arrive at the hotel.

If all it takes for you to be content in this world is a warm cookie, your five star rating is set. We know you, DoubleTree. The warmth of your chocolate chip walnut goods curries some points for you.
I volunteered to bump to another flight and the airline voucher for hotel sent us here. The shuttle was close to but not exactly punctual, which was annoying in the cold after the abdicating the flight business, especially with the premium on time and sleep, and slightly concerning in the morning since, you know, you’re headed to the airport.
I ordered room service because I didn’t want to put my shoes back on, even if they keep the same hours with the kitchen in the downstairs bar area. The sandwich was warm where the fries were not, and while I love that waffle sweet potato fries are an option, they were flavorless as well as tepid. The sandwich was fine.
The room smelled like it had been recently cleaned through and the product was covering a smell. It wasn’t bad, necessarily, and the bathroom didn’t smell which would definitely have been a warning sign. I decided it wasn’t worth going down for a room change once I dropped my stuff. Closer interaction with the room showed some areas that hadn’t been thoroughly addressed by the cleaning staff and if I had checked before going to sleep I would have asked for a change (hair in the toilet, etc.). The mouthwash was full but the seal on it was broken. The heater is a window unit that smelled like burning dust when it was on, but the room was cold enough to be uncomfortable if not under the blankets so I left it on until I was actively afraid something was actually burning before deciding I couldn’t sleep if I was anxious about immolation.
I tried calling for a wake up call three times using the wake up button on the phones, to no avail. It rang and rang. I gave up and called the front desk and they set it up. Just seems odd that the desk wouldn’t get them if it was ringing — where does the wake up button direct?
I didn’t have lofty expectations for airport hotels. I guess I got them.

I travel semi-​frequently on business, and usually try to stay at Hilton properties whenever possible. I have stayed at several DoubleTree locations throughout the US in the past few months, so I have a lot to compare this one with.
Check-​in was very slow. Partially understandably so, as their computer system had been down for 2 days when I checked in. They were having trouble finding my reservation, so they handed me their several page list of all the guests checking in for the evening to see if I could find it faster. Aside from the quite obvious privacy breach that they just showed me by being able to see everyone who will be there (I only assume they have been doing this several times in the past 48 hours), I skimmed through about a page or so before realizing that… I’m paying for this?
They apparently found my reservation and checked me into a room. I grabbed all my luggage from the car and rolled up to my room only to find that they had placed me in a standard double. I had paid for a their upgraded «little extras» King suite…
I went back to the front desk (their systems had just come back online by then), they apologized for the error and offered a breakfast voucher. I was satisfied at this point and thought that would be it.
When I got to my correct room however, there was no microwave as described in several places in the upgraded room descriptions. There was also mold in the bottom of the sealed paper coffee cups. Not sure how that happened but it was gross. I opened the hotel information book and several large chunks of hard cookie fell out on the desk. The bathroom exhaust fan was covered by 2 hotel stationary welcome cards that were suctioned over the vent as an apparent fix for how annoying loud the vent is. I called the front desk for a microwave so I could eat some dinner. After about and hour I was tired of waiting and ate my dinner cold. I hung my do not disturb sign on my door and got ready for bed.
3 hours after calling for a microwave (now 10pm), a maintenance worker is banging on my door and yelling «Maintenance!» After getting dressed (while the worker continues banging on the door) I answered and immediately pointed to my do not disturb sign. He didn’t even apologize, but just asks if I called for a microwave. When I told him I did 3 hours ago, he said sorry; someone had just told a few minutes ago.
I called the front desk to let make sure I’m not incorrect about their policy with the do not disturb signs. They said that the worker shouldn’t have knocked. They also immediately went into customer service autopilot. «We apologize for the inconvenience and we would love the opportunity to make it right for you. Can I offer you a breakfast voucher?» I let her know that they already offered me a breakfast voucher earlier for their last inconvenience.
It only went to show me that the mistakes around here are so frequent that they are just throwing vouchers at guests to avoid problems. How about training your staff so that the problems don’t arise in the first place?
I won’t stay here again.

This review is primarily about Manager Frei. The rest of the star rating would be about a 3 star.
Can’t say enough about the kindness and professionalism of manager Frea and her staff.
The restaurant service was a little slow and we had to pass food around to get to the right person. The crab cakes were excellent. Really great flavor and not packed with filler. There was the right proportion of binder to crab meat.

The staff is very friendly and helpful and truly does improve the quality of the stay. I would have given it three stars, but the Unilocal translation of three stars is «A ok,» which, in good conscience, I cannot give this hotel. The food that was catered by the hotel for our conference was downright terrible, but again, served by the friendliest and most helpful staff.
The room was mediocre. Did not seem the cleanest, but was acceptable. The air conditioning unit would loudly click on and off all night – with an accompanying temperature swing from inferno to arctic. The noise (and temperature) made it difficult to sleep.
The maid service was bare minimum – which was fine for us, but might seem inadequate for those with higher standards. Admittedly, our room was a bit of a disaster, so I can hardly blame the maid from wanting to simply tuck in the sheets and throw in fresh towels and escape before she was swallowed by our clutter.
Finally, I must add that the lighting was pretty terrible and gave the room a dim and eery feel. More lighting could have dramatically improved the ambiance.
PS like everyone else says, the cookies are delicious!

What a gracious, helpful staff! My group of 41 high school band students and chaperones were stranded in Baltimore by the airlines, they found room for all of us (together on the same floor) had a meeting room set up to welcome us and a meal ready for us upon arrival. All with less than an hour notice. The staff bent over backwards to accommodate us and the rooms were clean, comfortable, and the kids loved the free wifi. All-​in-​all they made a stressful and potentially chaotic situation quite pleasant.

As a Diamond member, this is not my hotel of choice. they have no amenities for HHonors guest. Not even a simple fridge and microwave.
Overall the staff at this property is unfriendly toward guest, From management down to the cleaning staff. no one speaks to guest in pass, even when eye contact is made, good morning, good evening, or hello are not words embedded in each person’s vocabulary.
There were a handful of great staff members my boyfriend and I met on our stay: Sam (shuttle driver) Lew (Bartender) and Cody (breakfast server). These people may our stay slightly more enjoyable.

Wow, you never really expect that kind of adjustment after a terrible experience, but apparently 3 months is enough time to turn things around!
Katya, the bartender, is still fantastic. She advised me that there is a new GM since I had stayed here and the changes had proved to promote a happier environment for employees and guests.
My room was immaculate and my mattress appeared to be brand new.
The man at the front desk who checked us in was a little rough, he called out to us in the middle of conversation, «LAST NAME?! LAST NAME?!» (Dude, I didn’t enlist to be a Marine, I’m just here to sleep…)
In contrast, morning staff was outrageously nice and helpful. Very pleased this time around, nice work Doubletree!

Ehhh — it wasn’t terrible, but for the feel they were going for I don’t think they achieved it. Came for a three day conference and it wasn’t exactly home away from home. They have a nice breakfast if its included in your rate — if not its $ 15 a person. It does look renovated, but its not an amazing job. The cookies are good, but it seems like they were trying not to give me the breakfast coupon my room included. There is a pool and a basketball court. If you’re there on a Wednesday from 5p-​7p they have free hourderves and happy hour drinks as part of some welcome reception. Bottom line — its not bad, but for a discounted rate of $ 110 per night, I expect better.

Ugh! Why do I always forget to avoid the BWI DoubleTree hotel?!
I think this is my 3^rd visit over about 4 years. First time it sucked, then I forgot it sucked and I stayed again… two years later my memory failed me again!
Worst feature: minimal amenities for HHonors Golds or Diamonds. No lounge, no drinks, no free food. You get your breakfast coupon– that’s it. Nearby Hilton has an exceptional HHonors lounge. I will never stay here again, if I can only remember! I find out you can trade your breakfast coupon in for $ 10 credit at the bar– you can’t get both. That will get you 2 beers only if you pick Miller Light. Sucks to be you, loyal Hilton hotel guest!
On Wednesday (only!) they have a «Manager’s Reception» for everyone with some finger foods and reduced prices on beverages. Don’t stay here, especially if it’s not a Wednesday. The Reception stinks. Why is it only on Wednesdays?
I checked in at 2:45 PM on an August Thursday and the parking lot was PACKED! I had to park really, really far away. No other hotel is that busy at that time. The main entrance takes up a lot of space, so there aren’t any close parking spots to begin with.
Outdoor pool is basic. No hot tub.
And the WiFi is SOOOOO SLOOOW. Why does EVERY DoubleTree have unusably slow Internet?
I got a room in the A tower on the HHonors floor, whatever that means. Room was clean, no bugs between mattresses. Wish I would have read the other bugged reviews before booking– I NEVER would have picked this hotel on that fear alone.
While the room A/​C is an old under-​the-​window unit, there is a wall-​mounted remote control that works; however, the «Auto» fan mode does NOT work. Room is freezing and it’s not turning off at 72 degrees. Fan stays on constantly.
Minimal electrical outlets in the rooms. Beckons of the days when this hotel opened in the late 70’s. You’re left with the desk lamp «power outlets» that don’t provide much power, are so loose you can’t plug anything in, and half of them don’t work. Really, I didn’t even have a receptacle to plug in the iron to address my wrinkled business clothes!
If you’re 6’3″ tall AVOID this hotel. You’re gonna hit your head on the shower.
I thought I’d utilize the 24-​hour free shuttle service to go 2 miles to G&M… the shuttle driver refused to take me since it was in the opposite direction of the airport. I told Stephen at the front desk and he just smirked and shaked his head in disbelief! I waited for the next shuttle and then Stephen had the gumption to ask if I could bring him back some crab cakes!
Is there something good about the hotel? The staff is generally nice. Sorry I can’t raise my review one star.
My stupid check-​in cookie was stale, too. The stupid cookie is what they pride this hotel brand on. All DoubleTrees I’ve stayed at all have 3 stars or below ratings. I really have never found one that was awesome. It’s because they focus on the stupid cookie vs. a good hotel. This hotel didn’t even get the stupid cookie right!
As I write this review on the bed I feel like there are bugs crawling on me. AHHHHH

It’s time for Hilton to let this one go to Ramada.
As a Hilton Honors member I am sadly disappointed.
Twice during the stay I was nearly smashed by the hotel bus driver. His speeding in a small area is crazy.
Parking is horrendous. The lot is huge so I suspect they are selling their parking slots to park and fly customers. There’s no way the lot should be full at 3pm.
Check-​in is slow. Although there were five people in line, no one came to help the poor lady checking folks in. She did give me two cookies for having to wait and she was friendly.
The room was dirty. A proper dusting hasn’t been completed since they bought this property from the Holiday Inn Group. It smelled of years of smoking that’s been masked. The microwave and refrigerator were covered with dirty fingerprints. The ceiling was patch worked from many bouts of water damage. The AC is a widow unit that is controlled manually-​really, bring it into the 2000’s.
I thought I’d give this property a try because I was convinced it had to be upgraded since I last stayed, when it wasn’t a Hilton property. My advice, choose a different hotel in the BWI area.
Jim C, room 761B

This big hotel has two seven-​story towers, a proper lobby bar, a restaurant, good beds, small but up-​to-​date bathrooms, free wi-​fi (unexpected bonus at such a big hotel), free warm cookies (another bonus!), a free shuttle from the airport or train station, and free parking. Also a manager’s reception in the bar on Wednesday evenings 5 – 7.
The room was large and modern, and I didn’t hear too much noise from the airport. Desk chair was excellent, desk was generous. Bathroom was very small but set up with modern fixtures and fancy-​shmancy mall-​store soaps. Unusually good towels too.
In-​room tech at the Double Tree wasn’t anything to brag about. Wifi was solid. But no ethernet cable, no USB charging stations, and just 39 channels of low-​definition content to watch on the 32 inch flat-​screen TV. Supposedly you can print documents from your room, they come out in the business center on the first floor; no charge but didn’t work for me :(
My room unfortunately had bad air, like a someone-​smoked-​here-​last-​month smell, not obnoxious but not what I’ve come to expect. Windows don’t open and there’s no thermostat, just set the dials on the basic window heat-​cool unit and let it recirculate the stale air. Grr.
Has a big fitness center. A good place to work off the free chocolate-​chip cookies they hand out :) those cookies really are pretty darned great.
Staying here is impossibly convenient if you’re visiting No Such Agency’s FANX facility, which is two buildings over.
This hotel is in an office ghetto and there’s not much food close by. Right across the street is Maiwand Kebab (and yes bcos I’m compulsive I reviewed that too :). If you just can’t bear the thought of a hilton breakfast burrito, grab a sandwich from Adamms’s airport deli (really, two m’s), which is tucked away just a few buildings up the road.