I read all the TripAdvisor reviews prior to booking at this hotel, and I was thoroughly confused. I decided to trust the Hilton name and go with the positive reviews. It turns out, this hotel really is a mixed option. I'm going to attempt to bring clarity. Whether you will be happy with your stay at the Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Resort really depends on your vantage point.
If you are a budget conscious liesure traveler looking for a reasonably priced (I paid $114/night) hotel on the beach, you may be very content with this hotel. its location is perfect, the pool and hot tub are beautiful and clean, and the restaurant has a great ocean view. This hotel has recently been renovated, and you can see this in the flat screen TV, upscale furniture, and quality linens on the bed.
However, if you are a frequent traveler who stays regularly at Hilton hotels, you will find that this property is sub-par with your image of a Hilton. This hotel obviously wasn't built as a Hilton property and the quality of the building, the size of the rooms, and the feel of the hotel says "Holiday Inn" more than it says Hilton. Although it has been renovated, there are many things that say "budget lodging". Hollow core doors, aging and/or patched tub fixtures, closet doors that don't have tracks, and a slow elevator are a few cues.
If you are not in the front 1/3 of the hotel, your view overlooks the roof of the conference center or gift shop roof. This roof is not well maintained, with junk on it, and is an unattractive detriment to the view. Unless you are in an oceanfront room (or one room off from ocean front), your balcony is only a step-out balcony, not one you can sit on.
If you are a Hilton Gold or Diamond member, and come to this hotel expecting special treatment as a result, you are likely to be disappointed. My hypothesis is that this hotel's guest profile is a leisure traveler or wedding party who pick the hotel because of its location and cost, not because of the Hilton brand. Thus, the hotel's motivation to give extra attention to Hilton loyalty members is low. Sean, the concierge on the weekend, is a welcome exception to this observation. In contrast, Greg, who appeared to be in charge during the week, seemed to go out of his way to be unhelpful and condescending.
The wait staff in the hotel restaurant were great....friendly, attentive, with personality. By the end of our stay, Shawn felt like a friend and was part of the reason we ate breakfast at the hotel every day.
There were two negative events on our stay. First, on one day, the hotel lost power for about 8 hours. Second, one night a guest threw a glass bottle off the balcony and broken glass got in the pool. This meant that the pool was closed on the first sunny day after about 4 days of gloomy. No one showed up to work on this problem until about 1 p.m., and the guests were nearly ready to riot from the closed pool and no action.
I am undecided whether or not I can recommend this hotel. I do think that for many people it could be a fine choice. I would highly recommend spending the extra $$ to get an ocean view room, as the rooms in the back of the hotel are likely to disappoint. This is especially true if you arrive expecting a room similar to Hilton business hotels. Hilton Honors members, do not count on a room upgrade, just book the nicer room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.