After three attempts, we finally made it into the parking lot. There is only one way in via one way on a divided highway. We found it... could see it... but couldn't get to it. The second attempt, we realized it must be down teh same entrance/drive as the hotel that has a sign at the road. Third time by, we took the road, and sure enough, it led us to the hotel.

Thats not really what led to my dismall review though. Co-worker and I checked in at 11pm after a day of building inspection work, and a 2 1/2 hour drive from central IL. Check-in was extremely slow, even though we had the desk clerk to ourselves. Got in my room and proceeded to print my boarding pass for the next morning, and make a quick call to check in with the troops at home. At midnight, I headed to the shower, as I was pretty dirty from the inspection work we performed that day. Turned the shower on and waited... and waited.........and waited. Luke warm at best; no hot water. Went to the sink; same thing. Called down to the front desk, and was told someone would be up. 10 minutes later, they called to say the hot water heater was out, and he was restarting it. At this point, I logged onto my computer to do some tasks I was planning to do the next morning. At 1am, I tried the shower. This time it was stone cold. Not even remotely warm. I waited 10 minutes and tried again. Same thing. At 1:10am, I placed a second call downstairs. This time I was told that I would just have to wait, as the hot water heater had been out and it was going to take a while to warm up. I explained my situation to her regarding my need for a shower. Her reply "well you're not going to get a shower tonight"! I was shocked, to say the least. At that point I decided I wasn't paying for the night since they were not able to provide all of the basic services included in the price of the room. it must have caught the desk clerk off guard, as her response was that I could not sleep there if I wasn't going to pay. My response was that I was not leaving and she could take it up with her supervisor inthe morning. At 1:30am, I took a super-fast cold shower in order to go to bed.

While all of this was going on, I had a chance to walk around the room and really check it out. While the bathroom was generally clean, Mold and mildew were abundant in the grout of the "newly" remodeled bathroom shower. The carpets in the living room had not been vacuumed prior to my stay. The busy print allows dirt, dust, crumbs, and just about anythign else to blend right in. Therefor, no need to vacuum.

Breakfast is the traditional Embassy Suites fare. However, don't get your heart set on 2% milk. When I inquired with the floor staff regarding it's dry state, I was informed that "it's the first thing we run out of". Okay!!

I found the bed to be comfortable, and the work space functional. Customer service however, is something to be desired. i find it hard to believe that hot water was out to the entire hotel, and i was the only one that noticed it. My co-worker said he took a shower almost immediately after checking into his room just after 11pm, and the water temp seemd fine. Who knows what the deal was, but it was not handled in a way I would deem appropriate.

Funny thing is, at a Hampton, if you even mention the smallest inconvenience encountered during the stay, they will immediately offer to comp the room. While a "free" night is nice, it only favor's my client/employer when I'm travelling on business. I am the one that had to endure the situation though.

While the property is freshly remodeled in a modern fashion, the location and customer service would prevent me from staying again.

On a side note, I did receive a voice message from a manager regarding my experience. My call back and message has gone unanswered.