We stayed at the HIlton in Santa Fe, checking in Saturday, September 17 and checking out Tuesday, September 20. I couldn't wait to get out of the place.The maids came in the room when we were gone! That’s against the rules. I had a Do Not Disturb sign on the door as well as a sign that said Dog In Room Keep Out. The staff changed the towels anyway. The dog wasn't there, but they were supposed to obey the signs.
A package arrived for me. The hotel signed for it. They gave my son, Kenny, a hard time about picking it up because he wasn’t Linda Cargill.
Our phone flashed during our entire stay. There was a message complaining about our credit card because it wouldn’t authorize. I told them when I checked in that I was paying by cash. I offered to pay in advance. The front desk refused to take my money and said I had to pay at check out. When we were paying at check out I asked the clerk what they tried to authorize my card for, and he said the whole amount of the stay. I absolutely refuse to have a shadow on my card for that amount of money when I'm paying in cash! I don't mind if the hotel authorizes it for $1.00 or $10.00 to see if it's a good card, but no more than that.
We reserved an over-sized double room.The room was smaller than our rooms at the Comfort Inns at Socorro and Truth or Consequences. I dislike the bathtubs. They’re slippery. I dislike the beds. They’re too small and cave in the center. I hate the way they make them with a blanket and two sheets. I want a bedspread.
And the rooms are stuffy at night. The A/C doesn’t work that well.
We got ripped off. I stayed here because of the location. I thought it was closer to the plaza than it was, perhaps as close as the Saint Francis Hotel. So I might as well have stayed on Cerrillos Road, saved money, and saved aggravation. Besides, the key cards keep running out of juice and driving us crazy. I just hate interior corridors, and the hotel doesn't even have a coin laundry.
The worst experience of all? Our dinner the first night at El Canon Restaurant. We met the worst waiter ever. He chased us to the lobby and threw our tip at us. We complained to the restaurant manager and never heard from them again.
The only good thing at the Hilton? The faucet in the bathroom sink. Our cat loved it. I want to get one for my bathroom at home.
And I have to put up with all this just because I'm in Santa Fe researching Los Alamos and the Trinity Site near Socorro.
Tip: None of the rooms are convenient to breakfast. You have to walk out to the sidewalk and stroll up the street to find the entrance to the breakfast room. But at least the place is pet-friendly. Ask for a pet room.