Our family came to Memphis for a professional project and interview, and we chose this hotel…read morebecause we expected the Hilton name to represent professionalism, security, cleanliness, hospitality, and a comfortable place to rest.
Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing, particularly at night.
Our concerns started at check-in. The gentleman who checked us in came across as condescending, crass, and disrespectful. His demeanor, including what we perceived after my son and I walked away from the desk, immediately made us feel unwelcome.
We were among a minority of guests in the environment at that time, and the interaction was uncomfortable enough that we questioned why we were being treated that way. I cannot speak to another person's motives, but I can speak to how we were treated: we did not feel welcomed or respected.
The much bigger concern, however, was what happened to the atmosphere of the hotel at night.
The large lobby/bar area became extremely loud and crowded, with many people coming into the property for music and nightlife. During our stay, we encountered strong marijuana and cigar odors, extremely loud entertainment, and public sexual/intimate behavior that we found completely inappropriate for common areas of a hotel.
Some of the conduct we personally encountered near the elevators was sexual enough that we were shocked it was being permitted.
This was NOT an environment I would consider appropriate for children or families.
There is nothing wrong with adults listening to music, dancing, having a drink, or enjoying themselves. That is not my complaint. My concern is what happens when reasonable boundaries disappear and registered hotel guests have to navigate explicit behavior, smoke, crowds, noise, and an atmosphere that feels more like an uncontrolled nightclub than a hotel.
Security did not make us feel reassured. From what we observed, personnel appeared more interested in blending into the nightlife atmosphere than establishing boundaries and protecting the comfort of registered guests.
That is unacceptable.
A guest should be able to walk from the entrance to the elevator and from the elevator to their room without wondering what they are going to encounter.
The hotel also needs to examine access control. Its location near public transportation means there can naturally be significant pedestrian traffic nearby, which makes effective hotel security even more important. Public transportation is not the problem; uncontrolled access and inadequate security are.
The smell at night was also unpleasant. Marijuana/cigar smoke and other odors were strong enough to noticeably affect our experience.
I want to acknowledge that we did encounter a female employee during the daytime who was much more pleasant. I believe in giving credit where it is due. Unfortunately, that positive interaction could not overcome the larger problems we experienced.
We are not writing this review because we expect everyone to share our beliefs. We don't.
We do, however, believe that there should still be standards of dignity, modesty, respect, self-control, and appropriate public behavior in a hotel where families and business travelers are paying to stay.
There is a difference between nightlife and lawlessness.
There is a difference between welcoming everyone and permitting virtually anything.
There is a difference between adults having fun and forcing other paying guests to encounter sexually explicit behavior in common areas.
Those distinctions matter.
From our family's faith perspective, what we witnessed was deeply troubling. A society does not become more compassionate by eliminating every standard of public decency. People of every background deserve dignity and respect, and that includes families who simply want to walk through their hotel without being exposed to overtly sexual behavior, heavy smoke odors, or an intimidating nightlife environment.
Hilton and this property's management need to seriously examine what is happening here after dark.
Review the cameras. Review security procedures. Review who has access to the property. Review the smoke issue. Review what is occurring around the elevators. Review employee professionalism. And ask whether a mother, father, or family arriving at night would reasonably believe this is the environment they paid for when they booked a Hilton-affiliated hotel.
Our experience was that the property changed dramatically after dark, and we did not feel comfortable or secure.
We came to Memphis for business--not for a nightclub or adult-entertainment atmosphere.
A hotel should offer travelers a place of rest, safety, hospitality, and dignity.
For us, this property failed that basic responsibility.
I sincerely hope management takes these concerns seriously rather than dismissing them. The property needs stronger boundaries, better security, greater professionalism, and much more consideration for the registered guests.