DoubleTree by Hilton Little Rock

Recent 2 night stay. We stay exclusively at Hilton properties but we will need to re-evaluate the Doubletree brand. This stay was possessed from the start: keys didn't work, the ice machine on the 14th floor was broken and was told by front desk that the closest functioning ice machine was on the 9th floor.We struggled with the thermostat in our room. The water in the shower was very hot when it was available; water pressure very weak (room 1421) The last morning of our stay ... no hot water. Ugh! We were there at the same time as the VFW convention. The guests were so kind. I hope they had better experiences that we did. The good part of the stay was the bartender on Thursday night--calm, cool young man who was very kind and welcoming. And room was clean. The in and out privileges for parking worked out very well. Doubletree Little Rock, you need to hear this. Your property is in desperate need of updating. We very much enjoyed all of what Little Rock had to offer but would choose a different hotel.

Long ago, I stayed at a cheap roadside motel in rural Mexico. It had a handpainted sign featuring a sombrero, a cactus, and what may have been a gunshot hole. A chicken wandered through the lobby. My room key was tethered to a large block of wood. And yet, despite all of this, that motel had hot water, functioning air conditioning, and a sincere belief in its own mission. That motel had dignity, That motel tried. That motel deserves a positive review. This Doubletree in Arkansas does not.

From the moment I entered my room, it became clear that this property is not "dated" in the charming, retro sense. It is dated in the "nothing has been replaced since the Clinton Administration" sense. The carpet bore multiple stains, suggesting a long-running true crime podcast. The furniture looked less "hotel grade" and more "left behind during college dorm move-out week." Everything was scuffed, tired, and quietly pleading for retirement. My bathroom wallpaper had stains of what I prefer to think was dried toothpaste.

Let's talk about the basics. Heating and air conditioning? A spirited suggestion at best. The thermostat existed solely as a decorative object. The air did blow, mind you. It blew louder and harder than a politician talking circles around islands and flight logs. The temperatures it blew, however, must have been assigned by some secret lottery that I was no part of.

And then there was the hot water situation. Or, rather, the cold water situation. Showers at the Doubletree can only be described as historical reenactment of pioneer hardship. Six days of consistent hardship, mind you.

Thinking, wishfully, that this was an isolated issue, I called the front desk. I explained the water problem and asked for guidance. The response I received was:

"What do you want me to do? I'm here by myself."

Less an answer, and more an existential monologue.

This did not inspire confidence that hot water would ever return. Or that it had ever been there at all. Or that anyone in the building had a plan, a toolkit, or a loose understanding of plumbing. It did echo the general atmosphere of resignation that permeated the property, the elevators, the halls, the lobby.

None of this would be acceptable in rural Mexico. At a large, full-service hotel flying a Hilton flag, it is indefensible. A working shower, functional climate control, and rooms that do not look like set pieces from a low-budget apocalypse film are not luxury requests. They are the bare minimum.

I paid for six nights of rest and, presumably, comfort. What I got was dirty carpet, malfunctioning HVAC, persistent hot water problems, and a front desk response that suggested I was interrupting someone's solo shift of quiet despair.

Until this property undergoes serious renovation and serious management intervention, it should not be operating under this brand name. Travelers deserve better. I deserve better.

Updates:  I have since visited the Bill Clinton Presidential Library, a short drive away, and found it to be not at all dated, and scrupulously clean. My earlier jab at Clinton-era furnishings was unfounded. Also, one finds it curious that other members of my group experienced similar problems in different rooms, yet this large and busy hotel has ZERO reviews in the last 90 days.

The location and staff were amazing! They were all hands on deck to take care of everyone during the snowstorm. They kept the restaurant open and were available anytime for questions and concerns. It's got beautiful views of the river as well.

Easy parking for a small vehicle. Quiet

La ubicación muy buena , la vista muy buena.

The hotel showers the water was really really cold and never got hot I told the front desk on two different occasions and they did nothing about it I was not happy about the room being very small and the water from the shower had to take cold showers and have nickel outside is not good especially in the winter time I was not happy with my stay

Next sore to Robinson

The view, with a Balcony level on the 14th Floor.

I like looking at the river

It’s in a convenient location.