Spark by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Service was excellent, there was some confusion on check in date but this was resolved very quickly. So trip.com did and excellent job, and provided great customer service. The Spark by Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, was in an excellent location, my room provided a great view of the ocean, and very convenient, and within walking distance to restaurants and shops.

I checked into this hotel, and checked out ten mins later. I am not in the habit of writing poor reviews, I'd rather share good ones, BUT if I had checked TripAdvisor prior to traveling, I would have avoided a lot of wasted time, money and stress. The hotel has been switched from a Quality Inn Flag, but unfortunately the time has not been taken to cover up the old exterior, or make adjustments. It is unfortunately wearing a Hilton Flag now, but I would say not proudly. Front desk - slow and clearly learning a new system, which is totally ok, but it was clear this switch was made in earnest and no one was really trained well on how to welcome guests, treat guests, or even direct them. (I was sent to wrong elevator for my floor) The elevator, and common areas, were dirty. Renovations are still underway, but Spark are doing their current guests a great disservice expecting them to be comfortable in a half-hearted attempt at sprucing up the hotel. Outside of my room - trash. Not just one or two items, but multiple things, paper, plastic, just a really terrible first impression. Inside my room - no peephole cover on door, had been stuffed with toilet paper (!). No tissues in bathroom, dirty toilet, dirty bathroom floor. Towels looked worn and yellowish. Sand on the floor at the end of the bed, like nothing had been cleaned properly after prior stay. Noisy air conditioning unit that looked (and likely was) 30 years old. Just awful. The fridge had a half broken shelf and the freezer section had a plastic cap to goodness-only knows, but it looked sketchy and just added to my total unease. It only took me a few minutes to scan the place and know I didnt want to sleep in that room. So I left. Parking is troublesome - its a short walk down the street to a parking garage that is full of beach-goers vehicles, so a bit of a hike with luggage, only to struggle to find a spot. When I tried to check out, the line was too long. I couldnt check out via the app as my stay wasnt over, yet. I rang, no one answered. I rang again, after booking another hotel a few miles away. I couldnt get thru. I went on the app, and texting was an option, but no one answered that either. I rang customer service, who said I needed to reach the hotel. I couldnt reach the hotel. Finally, almost a week later, after multiple emails, the two night stay that was pending on my account was removed. At first the hotel tried to charge me for one night, but I made it very clear I was not paying $309 for a room I barely stepped foot in. It was resolved. I had a lovely stay at the Hampton Inn Oceanfront North instead, and will be saying so, on here, shortly. In the meantime, my advice would be to avoid this hotel until they get their act, their cleaning skills, their customer service, and their overall ability to CARE for their guests, together.

Overall was a good stay. The only issue I had was when I checked in they assigned me a room somebody was already in. It was occupied. They had no issue giving me another room, but it still was an inconvenience. Sofas was dirty/Stained bathroom door handle was off