This hotel was great for our two-night stay in Louisville. I had never stayed at an Embassy Suites before, but it exceeded my expectations. The hotel is beautiful, with spacious rooms, a nice pool, and the best hotel breakfast I think I've ever had.

Dear Hilton Guest Assistance,I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding our recent five-night stay at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Louisville Downtown.This was our first trip to Kentucky, and we were very excited to visit Louisville for the Bourbon & Beyond Festival. Unfortunately, what should have been a memorable beginning to our trip turned into an extremely frustrating hotel experience.We paid over $2,000 for a five-night stay and had reserved a king suite. When we arrived late following our flight, we were informed that our reserved room had been given away.I spoke with the manager, Jamal, who explained that because we had booked through Southwest, a third-party booking service, we were not guaranteed the room type we had paid for. After approximately 35 minutes at the front desk, they located another room for us, although it was smaller than the room we had reserved.When we entered that room, we were shocked to find two hotel employees inside the room engaged in inappropriate personal behavior on the couch. We immediately returned to the front desk and reported what we had witnessed. We were then told that another couple had experienced a similar incident approximately two hours earlier. Security was sent to investigate.At this point, we were exhausted from traveling and simply wanted access to a clean room so that we could get something to eat and rest. Instead, we waited approximately another 40 minutes while the staff attempted to locate another room.We were then told that, because of everything we had experienced, we would be upgraded to the Presidential Suite. Manager Jamal specifically told us that he had been staying in the Presidential Suite himself and that he would give up the room so that we could stay there for the remainder of our visit.Although we thought this was an unusual explanation, we appreciated what we believed was an attempt to make the situation right.Unfortunately, when we arrived at the room, it was not the Presidential Suite. In fact, the room was even smaller than the room we originally reserved and did not include the suite accommodations we had paid for.When we returned to the front desk to ask for an explanation, we were told that the staff had been just kidding about the Presidential Suite and that they do not actually provide that room to guests in situations like ours.After nearly two hours of trying simply to obtain the accommodations we had already paid for, we did not find this appropriate or professional.After approximately another 30 minutes, we were finally provided with another room. The room had a view directly facing pipes and mechanical equipment outside the window and was still not comparable to the accommodation we originally reserved and paid for.Unfortunately, the service issues continued throughout our stay.A front desk employee told us that a bottle of champagne would be delivered to our room as an apology for what had occurred. It was never delivered.My wife is also highly allergic to feather pillows. We contacted the hotel on four separate occasions requesting non-feather pillows, yet they were never provided.We also encountered broken glass in the elevator, cleanliness concerns throughout the property, and multiple instances in which staff members were unfriendly or unhelpful.We have stayed at many Embassy Suites properties over the years and have generally had excellent experiences. That history with the Hilton brand is one of the reasons this particular stay was so disappointing.The hotel's downtown location was excellent, but unfortunately that was the only consistently positive aspect of our stay.Considering that we paid more than $2,000 for five nights, did not receive the king suite accommodation we reserved, spent approximately two hours dealing with room issues upon arrival, entered a room that was already occupied by hotel employees, and continued to experience service problems throughout our stay, I believe a substantial partial refund is warranted.I am respectfully requesting a $1,000 refund, representing approximately half of the amount we paid for our stay.I believe this is a fair resolution considering the accommodations we paid for but did not receive and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding our check-in and stay.I would appreciate Hilton reviewing this matter and responding with an appropriate resolution.Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.Sincerely,Eric Batavia

WARNING ABOUT EMBASSY SUITES & VALET PARKING: Guests should be aware that this hotel required us to use and pay nearly $50 for valet parking. After our vehicle had been turned over to the valet service and then returned to us 5 hours later, we discovered that our tools were missing from the vehicle. We reported the loss to hotel/valet management and the valet supervisor said that they would take care of it. We received a letter from their insurance company that declined to reimburse us. Because the vehicle was outside our possession and control while being handled by the valet service, I believe prospective guests should know about our experience before deciding whether to leave valuables in their vehicles. I would strongly recommend removing everything of value from your vehicle before turning it over to valet parking and better yet, avoid using this hotel.

There was a lot we liked about the hotel - but one key thing could have made it 5 star.Our room was very nice and clean. It was large and we slept well. It has cleaned promptly every day and we met the cleaning lady who was charming and friendly.Breakfast was included and there was a good range. The chefs cooking the eggs were very friendly and good. The servers who cleaned were prompt and cheerful.The important area that needs improving is the attitude and approach of the reception staff. They let the hotel down. We stayed multiple nights and were disappointed by the approach and attitude of 4 of the receptionists we met.They need to:- look up and engage with customers (make eye contact)- put phones away and focus on the person-scan reception area and make conversation: Hello. How are you? How is your stay. Can we help with anything...- have some enthuiasm for the job and interest in the customer- store the brown paper bags away the reception area looks messy.- check in people more smoothly. Our check in took 30 mins and we'd had a 13 hour flight.- pretend that they care when you tell them about an issue The receptionists set the tone of the hotel, and at present it is not good. We did not have a car - but the valets were much more charming and willing to help. We had great attitudes and approaches from all other staff. I think the reception staff need some customer care retaining or a change of roles to behind the scenes. Overall a comfortable hotel with some great rooms.

This was, without question, the worst hotel experience I have ever had. I never expected this from an Embassy Suites, a brand I have always associated with quality and family-friendly accommodations.Upon arriving at the hotel, the valet operation was in complete disarray. We waited well over an hour before our vehicle was retrieved, delaying our check-in significantly. Once inside, there was only one employee (who was nice) working the front desk, resulting in an extremely long line.I was traveling with my young daughter, and while we waited, we were approached multiple times by homeless individuals outside the hotel. Inside the lobby, a topless woman who appeared to be either severely intoxicated or under the influence of drugs was wandering through the hotel. My daughter was frightened and extremely uncomfortable. This was not an environment in which any guest, especially families, should be expected to stay.Unfortunately, the problems continued. After finally receiving our room keys, neither the physical keys nor the Hilton Honors app would unlock our room. We attempted to contact the front desk, but no one answered the phone, and Hilton Honors support was also unresponsive. We were forced to load all of our luggage back onto the cart and return to the lobby after an already exhausting wait.As we walked back outside, another homeless woman who appeared to be under the influence of drugs collapsed directly in front of us. At that point, we no longer felt safe remaining at the property. We made the decision to leave and drive home over four hours rather than stay in what had become an increasingly unsafe environment.I paid for a room that I was never able to access. Instead of receiving the quality experience I expected from Hilton and Embassy Suites, I experienced poor service, security concerns, and a complete lack of customer support. My time was wasted, my daughter was placed in an uncomfortable and unsettling situation, and I incurred the cost of a room I could not use.