Amelorn

I thought this would be interesting as a note-comparison exercise. Before i get into it, I should say that my travel has had me almost exclusively in North America. My last and only non-US/Canadian Hilton experience was the Millennium Hilton BKK, which was enormously enjoyable on the club floor.

Overall, I've been happy with my experience, having gone from Silver (CC) to Diamond. That status was due directly to this road trip last year.

Me: Single male, late 20s, own pocket. I'm a diamond, and I think I'm easy to look after.

I have not stayed at: Waldorf, Conrad, Home2Suites, Tru, or Canopy. While a couple of Waldorfs have been possibilities for points redemptions (NYC, Grand Wailea, La Quinta), the mediocre reviews and apparently dismal Honors elite handling strongly incentivized booking elsewhere. Conrads (which seem much more appealing) are rare and expensive, whereas the other three...I never see them.

Hampton Inn takes far too much abuse on this forum. I wonder why.

Where they're good: They're a mainstay of my rural or ex-urban overnights where they are often the best/safest option in at least a half hour's drive. While they do vary in construction age, I've found the rooms in uniformly good-to-stellar condition. Staff tend to be bend-over-backwards friendly. Being able to grab a cup of Tazo or Bigelow herbal tea at 10 pm after 9 hours of driving has its charms. One can scrounge a reasonably healthy breakfast together so long as you avoid the Sysco Fre$h Skweeze OJ, white carb pastry case, and greasy hot stuff. When the other dining options include Sonic and Waffle House, a Hampton brekkie of: apple + banana + yogurt + tea is the best option in town.

It does kind of annoy me to see the Flyertalk snobs come out in force against Hampton with a fusillade of BA or Luxury Hotel forum-grade snide/preciousness. 1) It's a Hampton, not an Aman. 2) There are far worse econo-floprooms to overnight in that are apparently unknown to these rarefied bubble dwellers.

Where they're weak: Urban areas where Hamptons are virtually the same price (delta below $20) as full service brands. Barring employer/client stipulation, I don't know why one would choose the Urban Hampton at $135/nt when the Urban Doubletree is $139/nt. This is a common scenario, in my experience.

Hilton: My overwhelming impression is frequently "...and this is your flagship brand?" With the exception of the excellent Quebec City Hilton, I have frequently encountered a well-worn "couldn't care less" attitude coming at a premium cost. Compared with the numerous Westins I have stayed in (always as a priceline kettle), the typical US Hiltons seem like a 90s business/convention hotel that has zombie-staggered into the teenage years of the 21st century. As a road tripper, "downtown" properties almost never make financial sense when one factors in the parking charge. Perhaps my luck blows. Or, more likely, I am not willing to pay $285/nt + $60/nt parking for the really good properties (Gaslamp San Diego?) when a decent Doubletree 3 miles away wants $135/nt with free or relatively inexpensive parking.

Doubletree: Maybe my luck here is awesome. I have just had enormously positive experiences with the brand. Prices are frequently awesome, but even if I stumble/roll into a high price market (like the week when it seemed like LA was 80% booked), the service usually makes me forget the bill. The brand culture just seems incredibly "positive." The rooms are bedecked in "careline"/pro-customer satisfaction propaganda cards in North Korean quantities, and the staff generally are enthusiastically pro-offering cookies, assistance, etc. (I reject the cookies, not a sweets guy). I know that this is the Oddball Collective of the Hilton portfolio...and I'm the oddball reject of the family/lovable oddball of my friends, so perhaps DT and I were meant to get along.

Embassy Suites: When I read earlier this morning that Hilton considers this brand to be upscale, I laughed. While the hospitality industry and I might not use the same lexicon, 21st century upscale shouldn't entail voluminous quantities of paper/plastic cups and plastic utensils. My overwhelming perception across a number of stays is that the properties are physically stressed, which is visible in the rooms or the breakfast area immediately close to closing. Furnishings, for obvious reasons, become prematurely worn. If you want crudites, take from the back of the platter. They're farther from the reach of young hands from families in which manners are a secondary/tertiary priority. As a former fat/ex-HFCS addict kid whose first adult undertaking was a successful weight loss project immediately after my 18th birthday, a fully operational soda fountain dispensing Coca Cola et al at breakfast disturbs me.

Edit: I forgot to include elite related stuff. I don't see tremendous incremental value for being a diamond versus gold. My upgrade rate is nothing to write home about. The main attraction for me is free breakfast at properties where it's charged. It's rare to encounter a property that will differentiate breakfast for gold vs diamond (eg continental for gold, full for diamond). For the occasional traveler, gold status via CC is a no-brainer. A couple's weekend once per year will virtually pay for itself with 2xbreakfasts over 2 days and an upgrade. On the other hand, it makes for more competition for upgrades.

Points...I treat like the currency of a dysfunctional country. Spend 'em before they get hyperinflated. Banking several hundred k or more seems like a losing proposition, so I generally redeem as soon as I a) need a room and b) the booking offers a favorable cents per point.

Edit 2: The profusion of hotel brands must be incredibly confusing to the "average" US traveler, if they are even more than dimly aware of them.

birdiedouble

Nice write up and close to my experience. You do realize that Hilton Garden Inn's are part of the family too? They get 80+% of my stays and I find them clean, consistent and a decent free full breakfast as a gold. My second favorite are most of the DT's I've stayed at.

An almost 9,000 mile road trip? Wow. How long did that take you? You do realize there's a shorter way from PB>DC

Amelorn

The trip lasted 3 months.

I wanted to comment on HGI...

My two stays: one was in Monterey, CA at an exorbitant rate of $250/nt. It was very nice for an HGI; the other was in Lexington, KY.

With the exception of LEX, I've never seen the value proposition for me, personally. I wasn't terribly impressed by the breakfast quality in LEX, and in terms of price, virtually every market I have stopped in has offered a full service option for roughly the same price or sometimes less. Example: I just booked myself a room in San Diego 7/4-7/5. The two inner area HGI properties were $171 and $136. A DT and Hilton in the vicinity that I like to be in were $122 and $136 (both Mission Valley).

To me, an HGI is a Hampton Inn with worse bedding, a slightly better gym, a higher likelihood of a parking charge, and a free omelet....for 50% more dollars per night. From what I've read here, this forum seems to like HGI (I could be wrong), but they get a from me.

birdiedouble

I did a 2500 mile road trip from SLC>ROC in late Feb and stayed in four HGI's in SLC, Gallup, NM, OKC and Indy. My average rate was just below $95 before tax with a low rate of $67 for the night in SLC(by the airport). I found all four to be quiet, comfortable and the breakfasts were all good. The one in OKC was a little older but was still acceptable and I had a great pizza delivered to the hotel, which is really out of the norm for me . The other three were all new looking. I have a hard time eating anything but your recommended breakfast at Hamton, which is one reason I favor the HGI's over just about anything else.

Miesque

One comment on pricing across brands. Its important to remember that not everyone is Gold or Diamond and hence would paying for breakfast and often for Wi-Fi for anything not a Hampton or HGI. The ancillary fees for other services are also higher at the full service hotels (this is and the managers reception is why Embassy Suites tend to hold their pricing power, even if they are an older property).

I was surprised about the HGI comment because over the past 15 years I have considered that to be the one brand that Hilton hit a home run with. A nice consistent hotel experience good for the business traveler and you get a fridge and microwave in your room which is nice. The breakfast is also the most consistently material from a Diamond/Gold benefit perspective.

Embassy Suites is a very old brand in the portfolio and its always tended to attract families so while there are some nice ones that keep well maintained there are plenty that are overdue for a renovation.

UKOK

Nice summary. I agree with most except I think you're missing out on HGI. It's become my favourite "everyday" brand followed by Doubletree. Actually all things being equal I'll just pick the newer hotel. I'm off Hampton these days even though a lot of the new builds are very stylish and appealing - I just can't stand those awful breakfasts and the people who frequent them still in their PJ's.

That's some road trip! Did you do a trip report? Love to read it.

Miesque

There is a lot of variation among Doubletrees, but I think their average quality has increased as I can think of a few that were not that great and have been deflagged. The one thing I really like about Doubletree is I like the bed and bedding so unless it has horrible reviews or a tiny room I will give it a shot. The other thing that is nice about Doubletree is I have found their room service menus to be reasonably priced (ditto for the HGIs that have room service) as I do like to have room service. Chocolate Chip is not my favorite cookie, but I do like receiving one after a day on the road (and they give such a nice welcoming smell) and even if I don't eat it that evening, it often makes a handy snack the following day when on the run. Doubletrees are also more likely to give Diamonds a full breakfast even though they technically just need to give Continental.

BearX220

I concur with most of what you've said, especially the virtues of Hampton Inn -- hands down the best option in many small towns. Indeed, some people throw snark at HI because it's not the Four Seasons, but it's not trying to be -- it's trying to be 100% better than the local Shady Rest Motel for another $25 to $40. I'll take that offer 7 days out of 7.

Hilton is wildly erratic and too often shabby; there are lots of cases where an HI and a Hilton are across the street from one another or otherwise adjacent, the HI is nicer than the Hilton, and rates are set accordingly. (Exhibit A: DCA/Crystal City.)

HGIs are indeed an island of predictability / value / quality in a sea of too many brands struggling to differentiate and justify themselves. Embassy Suites I try to avoid, as they seem to be magnets for traveling youth sports teams who swarm the place snapping towels and knocking over the breakfast buffet.

I differ with you on Doubletree (though like your "Oddball" designation) -- my experience is so all over the map, from awful down-at-heel '80s-era properties in airports and suburbs to very comfortable in-city ones, it just reinforces my belief that there is no brand promise there and the name predicts nothing in the way of standards / amenities beyond a cookie my doctor won't let me eat anyway.

Miesque

I also have to add on one more comment as I am a mega Conrad fan. There aren't many of them, but I just love them. The old motto was "The Luxury of being yourself" High end, comfortable and not overly stuffy like a Waldorf. They also have a big executive feel to them. Certainly much more of a business hotel than the Waldorf.

Miesque

For years Doubletree seemed to be the brand an existing hotel was given coming into the Hilton family but obviously did not fit the other brands classifications. While I was not a fan of Hilton adding even more brands, Curio is the only new one I think that was warranted as there are some very nice Doubletrees and if they came into the brand now, they would be way more likely to be tabbed a Curio.

FlyingHoustonian

hi, many year gold member, and I feel most of that is spot on. I find the Hampton's fine for the most part, especially as I have had to drive from Houston to Philadelphia and back five times in the last two years staying at several Hampton's along the way.

Folks are mentioning HGI but I do not see the value in it if I were not gold, going from free, albeit sparse sometimes, Hampton to paying to maybe get an omelet.

I think the Hilton's are the biggest brand in flux from place-to-place. I do often stay at the more upscale urban locales and brands also so I see the full mix.

But again, overall Hampton has been just fine for me, with one rare exception in Nacogdoches...again, nice write-up.

ChinaShrek

There are several reasons why people (sometimes including myself) would select an urban Hampton over an urban Doubletree or Hilton: 1) Breakfast is free at Hampton; 2) Wifi is free at Hampton (even if you don't book on their website); 3) I know what I am getting with a Hampton. Doubletrees are often like unwanted stepchildren. They are older properties that can't pay for themselves as Hiltons. Hampton is predictable. The rooms are the same and they often have a pool for the kids.

bitterproffit

The trip sounds awesome and I share your assessment of Hamptons and Hiltons on the US. My last two HGI stays were great, but the reason I stayed there is that they were cheaper than the Hampton next door. Stayed in Columbus OH University area last week and the HGI was about $40 a night cheaper than the Hampton next door. A no brainer. Earlier this week, I stayed at the Hampton in Wilkes-Barre because it was cheaper than the HGI down the street (and brand new). So, to me, when its HGI vs Hampton, it ALWAYS comes down to price (although the HGI breakfast is better).

sarahluv

if you travel to Europe or the UK, then Diamond status is worth having as you have guaranteed lounge access. I find this invaluable.

pinniped

Agree with almost everything in the OP.

I'm pretty pro-Hampton, but my stays are almost always rural where its only real rival in terms of quality is a new HIX. That said, my 1 urban Hampton experience, Miami-Brickell area, was actually quite good. Brand-new Hampton with a large outdoor pool, a poolside bar, and 2 or 3 different restaurants in the building. Kind of had a full-service feel to it.

If people around here abuse Hampton, it's because (a) it's a specific property that deserves it, or (b) it's people comparing Hampton to other brands up the chain. If you look at the motels clustered around a random Interstate exit, Hampton is usually the best one. HIX is my plan B if I have reason to believe it'll be a tired, worn-out Hampton. Although I'm Marriott Gold, I almost never look for Fairfield Inn. If I want to stay at a Marriott, I keep driving until I get to the edge of suburbia and stay at a Spring Hill Suites.

Doubletrees have been a mixed bag for me. I really don't like the DT builds that have a real limited-service feel to them. Small Hampton-looking bar/breakfast area, tiny indoor pool, etc. Yet in other places there are really good DTs, and I agree that some of them kind of maintain their own separate culture/identity, which is cool. I can never tell what Hilton wants to do with this brand other than make it a dumping ground for properties it doesn't think deserve the full Hilton flag.