tiffanysA2963OA
Friends Getaway · October 202510/10
5 stars ONLY because of Yolo - she deserves the recognition
If I were rating the hotel itself, I’d give it 3-4 stars for cleanliness and location. If I were rating management and Hilton corporate, it...5 stars ONLY because of Yolo - she deserves the recognition
If I were rating the hotel itself, I’d give it 3-4 stars for cleanliness and location. If I were rating management and Hilton corporate, it would be a 1-star experience at best. But I’m leaving a full five-star review for one reason only: a front desk representative named Yolo, whose kindness and professionalism were the only reason I didn’t walk away from this brand for good.
Reservation Disaster (Hilton Corporate’s Mistake)
I originally booked a two queen SUITE months in advance using points plus a remaining cash balance. Six weeks prior to check-in, I called Hilton to add 20,000 newly earned points. The rep said he needed to rebook the reservation to apply all the points and returned with a significantly reduced balance - from nearly $1,200 to about $600. What he never disclosed was that he had rebooked me into a standard two queen room, not the suite I had intentionally selected for a multi-day stay with three people.
Check-In Chaos & Management Letdown
I arrived early and came back around 2:30 PM when I was told the room was ready. Once I discovered it was a standard room, I called down and was told someone would meet me with new keys and a luggage cart for my “correct” room. No one ever showed. One of my bags ripped open in the hallway, I had no key access back into the room, and after standing there for 10 minutes, I had to call the desk again.
The manager, Javier, eventually apologized and claimed he’d “come immediately” to assist. Another 10 minutes passed before he arrived. Once in the lobby, he informed me there was “nothing he could do” and that I’d need to call Hilton corporate to resolve the issue - even though the original booking was a suite. I suggested simply comping a connecting room to create the same square footage we paid for. He refused, said he had to “sell the rooms,” and disappeared - never to follow up.
Hilton Corporate: Three Calls, One Liar, and a Resolution Only After Pressure
It took three separate calls before Hilton corporate even arrived at a resolution. After I had to retell the story multiple times, they finally pulled the recorded call from six weeks earlier - which clearly confirmed I had only requested to add points, not change room types.
The third representative, Michael, was the worst of all: dismissive, condescending, and blatantly dishonest. He initially blamed me for not noticing that the previous agent had changed my room type, and he repeatedly insisted there was “nothing more he could do.” Only after persistent pushback did he suddenly find a solution and agree to comp the connecting room - a fix that had been claimed “impossible” moments earlier.
Then There Was Yolo - A True Professional Who Saved the Entire Experience
Yolo was the first person who made me feel heard, respected, and supported. She showed sincere empathy, communicated clearly, confirmed availability honestly, and provided reassurance during a frustrating situation she did not cause. She treated us with patience rather than dismissiveness, and she helped bring calm to what had become an incredibly stressful check-in process.
Yolo embodies what Hilton claims to stand for. If Hilton had more employees like her - and fewer like those who dismissed or deflected responsibility - this stay would have been a very different story.
Final Outcome
We ended up in a standard two queen room with a connecting room that was eventually comped. It was not the suite I intentionally booked, but with Yolo’s kindness and professionalism guiding the recovery, we were able to regroup and enjoy our time in Chicago.
Hotel Snapshot - Pros & Cons
1. Very clean despite being dated (I walked on carpet in socks and they stayed clean)
2. Excellent downtown location near restaurants, bars, shopping
3. Great for travelers who enjoy being in the middle of city energy
4. Very loud at night (fire station next door, bar attached, city traffic/honking)
5. Interiors are dated
6. Walls are thin
7. On-site management seemed unengaged and not guest-focused in problem resolution
Final Thoughts
This is a five-star review for Yolo alone. The hotel experience itself falls closer to 3-4 stars: dated but clean, excellent location, loud depending on your tolerance for city noise. Hilton management/customer service: a frustrating 1-star journey full of avoidable escalation.
Yolo is the full five stars. She is the reason I didn’t cancel and leave that night. She is the reason this review is not a cautionary tale but a recognition. She is the Hilton standard that others should strive to meet.
If Hilton leadership is reading this: you are incredibly fortunate to have her - promote her before another brand does.Show More
