VA Virginia Beach Hilton Norfolk Airport

[Pat Barclay]

Booked this for a stay over the Easter '09 weekend for $44 a night (plus taxes and fees) via Priceline.

This was listed as a 3 star property. I can't remember if I've ever stayed at a Hilton property, but I read some rather poor reviews of this property on TripAdvisor and some other sites. I figured for $44 a night, it couldn't be THAT bad, although I guess some people expect a lot if they pay $150-$200 a night for a Hilton (or any other) hotel. Expedia had this property available for $119.

I'm not a huge "neat freak", though I recognize disgusting, shabby, or broken down if I see it. That said, for $44 a night there is absolutely nothing wrong with this property. Was the wallpaper "dated"? Perhaps, but it wasn't peeling off the wall so I really didn't care. The wooden drawers on the bathroom vanity showed some wear where it looked like maybe people whacked them against the bathroom door a few times. Some of the caulking around the bathtub appeared to be peeling a bit, yet it looked like reasonably new caulking to me. There was a touch of corrosion on the underside of the handrail on the shower/tub wall. One of the two beds sat uncomfortably close (within a foot) to a side wall These were the only "blemishes" I found regarding my room, and none of them bothered me a bit.

The bedding, especially the pillows, was all very nice and definitely felt "upscale". So did the bathroom towels, very thick and soft, and they provided plenty of them. The clothes closet had a folding door with a full length mirror on it, plenty of hangers inside as well as a iron and ironing board. The shower had a very nice shower head on it, great water flow. Upscale toiletries were provided as well. I thought the room was very clean, no issues there. Everything in the room worked.

There was a lovely indoor heated pool, and a heated spa as well, with towels provided at poolside. The in-hotel restaurant is a Max and Erma's. While it isn't Chez' Gourmet, the food was good and you know what you are getting...large portions at reasonable prices, plus they also had a breakfast menu. The room service menu was the Max and Erma's menu (looked to be the same prices), with only a 19% gratuity and $2 delivery charge added on. All the staff I met were very helpful and friendly. When we had trouble finding the pool, a staffer actually walked us all the way there. There's nothing at all wrong with the neighborhood or anything of the sort. It's less than a mile from the Interstate, couldn't have been easier to get to. There was plenty of free parking, supposedly they also have valet parking available though I don't think I ever saw a valet.

Overall, I couldn't have been more pleased with my stay. Again, if you paid rack rates for the hotel I guess you might find a little room to nitpick, but at Priceline rates this property is a real bargain. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any friends or family.