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Reviews of Hilltop Express Inn

2.5 out of 5
Hilltop Express Inn
580 Poquonnock Road, Groton, CT

Reviews

5.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 30 out of 282 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 60 out of 282 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 79 out of 282 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 40 out of 282 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 73 out of 282 reviews" "

6.0/10

Cleanliness

6.4/10

Staff & service

5.8/10

Amenities

5.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

beverly a

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The clerk was new si it to about 30 minutes for her to check us in. The place is being renovated so dust was everywhere. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable. The heat was great and the shower was on point. We just needed a place to rest our head.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Claire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Roomy, clean, freshly painted. Comfortable bed, nice size freezer compartment in mini fridge. No cable TV or blow dryer. But good value for the price.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Donald

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

2/10 Terrible

Carol

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

James

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff is very friendly and professional. Rooms are very clean and fairly operational. Limited hours for staff.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

2/10 Terrible

Jennifer

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

2/10 Terrible

Robert

Traveled with group
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Absolute disaster- thought it was “Too good to be True” for $70 - You could not pay me $70 a night to stay there - place needs to be leveled
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Kristin

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Check in was seamless. The roim was clean except for mirror. On one bed there was a pillow case missing and the other oullow case was stained.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

2/10 Terrible

Toska

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Daniel

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Unwelcoming
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Daniel

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The room was a nice size and clean. The halls needed to be clean, the john did not flush, went to the front desk at 8;50 to let them know that there was a problem, rang the doorbell for 20min. Tried again at 9:30..did the doorbell and called the front desk for about 15 min. Went down again at 10 :15 knowing the desk would be manned (according to the sign at the front desk) and again tried everything I could think of. There was a sign on the front desk next to the doorbell with a phone number on it, called that, left a message, and again heard nothing. Went back to the front desk the next morning at 5:30 (knowing again from their sign that no one would be there until 7:00) went to go to my car only to discover that the front door had not been locked at all that night. Finally around &:30 saw the young man ,gave him the key and informed him about the john not flushing. I then left.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lauren Green

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very clean room. Quick and polite check in. Working air conditioner, good selection of tv stations.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Raymond

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very helpful front desk/room cleaner..
The help was awesome a d the room was very comfortable outside coups use some work and updating.maybe a small free breakfast would be nice .but i would stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

2/10 Terrible

Iris

Traveled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The hotel was very dirty, man at front desk was very rude, never made it to the room asked to cancel and the wait staff wouldn't allow me to. Very unhappy and would like a refund. The place was unsafe and very dirty.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Héctor

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Jeffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rajeev

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Anibal

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff was excellent, friendly and accommodating. Thank you! We will stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ashley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very quiet clean and nice stay
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Jason

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quiet and clean but very little service and the outside less eye appealing I guess
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Linda

Traveled with group, Business traveler
Liked: Staff & service
The staff was very friendly and personable. There was a smoke smell in the pillows in the non smoking room. Walls are thin so loud visitors was a problem.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

4/10 Poor

Paula

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointed
The room had a funny odor to it the lights in the bathroom were very very loud so that you had to use the bathroom in the dark and the toilet didn’t flush as normal. I will not be going back to this one.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022

4/10 Poor

Ruth

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Charles, Frenchtown

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Outstanding friendliness local tips.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from kim on Jul 31, 2022
Hi Charles, I'm glad you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank-You for the great feed back. Kim

2/10 Terrible

mary

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The pictures of Inn must be 25 years old. As we approached the inn, one of the windows in the front was wide open with a big huge fan in the window. We got nervous and drove around the place to see a large rat running across the parking lot, which was fortunately caught by a weasel. The landscaping is unkept. The parking lot had garbage strewn about and with broken curbs. Next to the place, is a Porn Video shop, and an old Cafe turned into a dingy bar. People were definitely living in some rooms. The reception area looks totally different than the pictures . The woman at the reception desk was extremely nice and accommodating. There was a musty smell in the hallway on the second floor. No elevator. The iron was missing from the room, light bulbs missing from lamps, the bathroom door was separating and the door knob was loose, toilet seat broken, iron board holder falling off of the wall, tub dirty and sink covered in black marker stains. I checked under the mattress for bed bugs and I did not see any but there were cigarette burns in the sheets. The front door of the hotel was unlocked at all times, so anyone can access the hotel. After 11 pm no one is at the front desk and usually no one is at the front desk. I left the room cards at 11 am when we checked out because no one was at the desk. The man working there was also very accommodating. He immediately brought an iron and the woman immediately brought new towels. We had to attend a wedding or would have left
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from kim on Jul 21, 2022
Hi, Does it make a difference if the front window in the laundry room was open? I don't have a fan for the window. As far, as the animals outside, we have no control over that. The landscaping is being worked on as we speak. The cafe that you are referring to has been there for the last 30 years, it's a great place to have a good meal and isn't a dingy place at all. I went up to the room as I always do after every check-out and once they are clean and inspect them myself. None of our sheets have burn holes in them, the mattress pad did, and it was stripped off and thrown away. The toilet seat is brand new, so not sure how you can say it was broken. And your correct, I wasn't at the front desk when you checked out, I was taking care of another guest at the time. I'm always on the property all weekend. One would think IF the hotel was that bad, you would have contacted me. Kim

10/10 Excellent

Dan

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great no frills hotel.
Kim, who owns the hotel, does an amazing job accomadating the guests. We willbe back in the future.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

Donna

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff were very friendly & accomodating. The building itself was a little rundown & sketchy-looking (though they do seem to be in the process of renovating it).
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022
Response from kim on Jun 30, 2022
Hi Donna, Thank-You for the feed back. I try to make each and every guest feel welcome. We are in the process of renovating the hotel. I hope If your in the area again, you will stay with us. Thank-You Kim (Manager)

8/10 Good

Danae

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Room was clean.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from kim on Jun 30, 2022
Hi Danae, Thank-You for the feedback. Hope to see you again in the future. Kim (Manager)

6/10 Okay

Yolanda

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disappointed
Strong smell of cigarette as soon as you walk into the lobby and through out the facility including the room and a stuffy smell that activated my asthma 😩. My boyfriend also woke up stuffy during the night (maybe the rug) ice machine only on 1st floor and with locked door and no one available to open. Asked online for accommodation due to my disability but Receptionist said none showed on my reservation.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from kim on Jun 20, 2022
Hi, I'm sorry that your request didn't show you need a first floor room. We always try to accommodate when we can. The room with the ice machine was closed by accident, I got ice for you right away. This is a non-smoking hotel, we try our best . Kim

6/10 Okay

Daniel

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
If you are just looking for an inexpensive place to sleep then this is it, I found it to be clean and the staff responsive to our needs. As far as amenities go there are none. No pool, no free breakfast or even a vending machine. that said there are plenty of restaurants' within a 5 minute drive.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Traveled with family
Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Response from kim on Jun 19, 2022
I'm glad you enjoyed your stay. Thank-You for the Great Feed Back. Kim Manager

6/10 Okay

shawn

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Staff was very nice and informative. Rooms were pretty clean. The building is in need of alot of work esthetically, but nothing was unsafe. Zero Amenities for the price, but I knew that before reserving the room.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Kim on Jun 19, 2022
Hi Shawn, Thank-You for the feed back. Kim Manager

6/10 Okay

Rachael

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
I was at foxwoods, got a message while we were at a show there that the front desk closes at 11. It was 1030pm, so we hustled to get there as we were 25 minutes away and there was no one at the desk. I rang the buzzer and a woman came out, i apologized for being late and she said "well people show up at 4am and i let them in." I was very annoyed as she made it seem we wouldnt be able to check in after 11. We werent ready to leave foxwoods at that time but the 25 minute drive stopped us from going back. I found this frustrating. Hotel needs a lot of work. The room itself was decent, the hallways are old and dingy, the numbers on the doors are written on ducktape. Breakfast area there but no breakfast. It was ok, im just not sure i would go back.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from kim on May 15, 2022
Hi Rachael, I'm sorry that you were annoyed that I did say that I still would check someone in after 11:00pm, even though the desk was closed. I wouldn't leave anyone without a room for the night. There are paper numbers on the doors, because we are remolding the rooms at the moment. We haven't had breakfast since Covid. Kim

2/10 Terrible

Kristin

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was trying to stay another night but no one was ever at the front desk you ring the bell no one comes and call the number listed and it’s not even the hotel .. tried 3 different times to extend but ended up going to another Hotel also needed a first floor and no elevator and only had rooms on second floor
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Kim on May 11, 2022
Hi, We are having trouble with our phones at the moment. We are trying to get it resolved. I was on the property all day, I was cleaning rooms and doing the laundry, so I'm not always at the desk. I'm sorry I missed you. I offered to put you on the first floor the next morning after I had guests check out and you said No. I'm sorry everything On the first floor was booked. Thank-You Kim

6/10 Okay

Marc

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from kim on May 11, 2022
Thank-You for your feed back. Kim

6/10 Okay

James

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022
Response from k on Feb 21, 2022
Thank-You for staying with Us. Kim

4/10 Poor

Susan

Business traveler
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Toilet did not flush Sheets were dirty Carpet was disgusting
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
Response from k on Feb 21, 2022
Hi Susan, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. The toilet does flush, the handle on it is hard to push down. As far as the sheets, I can reassure you they were not dirty, I checked and the mattress proctor has a hole in it so it showed through the sheets, as far as the carpet, they were vaccumed as they are at every checkout, the carpet is old. Thank-You Kim

10/10 Excellent

Darla

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Kim has done a great job with the place and we have been very happy our last two stays here. Very clean, quiet. Thank you! Darla & Colin
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from K on Jan 18, 2022
Hi, Thank you for the great review. It's always a pleasure having you both. Look forward to seeing you soon. Kim

8/10 Good

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Darla

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

6/10 Okay

Vicki

Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not worth the price
Kim was exceptional. However, the hotel itself is in need of some major repairs. The tub would not drain while you were showering, and the tub itself was slimy and dirty. The ceiling in the bathroom was peeling and falling off. The beds were the worst we've ever slept in at a hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
Response from k on Dec 3, 2021
Hi Vicki, I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. The tub was cleaned, if you were having problems with the drain, maybe the water that was built-up made the tub feel slimy. I have addressed the tub problem. I'm sorry the beds were uncomfortable, they are new beds. Had I know about the problems with the room, i would have gladly given you a new room. Thank-You Kim

8/10 Good

Arlana

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Stay
Overall it was a very nice stay. It's not very fancy but it's good for the price. Everything was very clean. The woman who checked us in was very friendly and professional.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021
Response from k on Oct 25, 2021
Hi Arlana, It was nice meeting you. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank-You for staying with us. Kim

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay. Clean and comfortable. No elevator but you can always request a ground floor room. Good recommendation for dinner. Very pleased.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2021
Response from Kim on Sep 21, 2021
We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank-You for the great feed back.

10/10 Excellent

Colin

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2021

4/10 Poor

Melody

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
No one at the desk at all times. One woman running it including housekeeping, Jack of all trades so to speak and lived there. Brother assists with items to room. Nice people but unprofessionally dressed. friend was outside smoking a joint. No continental breakfast or cots available as advertised. Needs complete updating. Stains on ceiling, lamp shades worn and torn. Says queen size beds but only queen size bedding on full size beds. Appeared to be more then hotel by the appearance of some of the patrons staying there. Sketchie to say the least.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from k on Aug 31, 2021
Hi Melody, I'm sorry you wasn't happy with your stay. I try my best to make each and every customer fill welcomed. I'm sorry I wasn't at the desk when you needed batteries, I was outside walking around the hotel as I do several times a night. I wasn't aware of anyone smoking a joint. I'm sorry you felt uneasy with the guest's that were sitting outside. I assure you, I don't allow rift raft in my Hotel. Thank-You Kim

6/10 Okay

John

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

8/10 Good

millisson

Traveled with group, Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Rooms were outdated but not in bad shape. Walls seemed solid I couldn't hear other rooms noise. Pillows were nice and thick, beds were comfortable. No elevator but it's only one set of stairs, no breakfast because of covid. Desk is only open from 7am-11pm but there is a contact person for late night issues. (My friends room key wasn't working at 330am and he was able to get in touch with someone easily).
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from kim on Aug 27, 2021
Thank-You for your feed back.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tub was not clean under bath mat; very slippery. Staff was friendly. This is a cheap place to sleep; needs updates.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021
Response from k on Aug 17, 2021
Hi, The tub was clean, that was old glue from the old bath mat, it has been taken off. Hope you will stay with us next time you are in the area. Thank-You Kim

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
The bathroom under mat in tub dirty and slippery tube almost fell 2 time was slippery tub
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from k on Jul 28, 2021
Hi, Thank-You for bringing it to our attention. The tub under the mat is not dirt, it's glue from the mat that we previous took up. We are in the process of removing the glue. Thank-You for staying with us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was fine for a night.Parking lot a little dark but bikes were still there in am.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from K on Jul 24, 2021
Thank-You for the great review.