Hampton Inn By Hilton Raleigh/Garner, Garner

Liked: The new look to the bathrooms. Much more light and bright.

This was very close to the venue. It was definitely worth driving the extra mile to have the cheaper place, but it is still so close to downtown. The only thing that I had an issue with ended up not being too big of a deal. We were staying with another couple and we got caught in traffic. They would not let me change the name on the reservation to the other couple so they could check-in without us, but it all worked out in the end. Also, the complimentary breakfast was awesome.

Liked: The breakfast was awesome; great location.

Exceptional

Surprisingly nice!

Liked: This hotel has been refurbished since last time I stayed here. The room was very nice and clean. The TV was huge. Wifi was good. Bed and desk chair were comfortable.The staff were excellent, as always.Breakfast was OK - not great, but not bad. The coffee in the lobby was surprisingly good (they had light roast!).
Disliked: Minor complaint - on one day, the eggs served with breakfast was a "cheese omelette". For people allergic to dairy, this rules out the hot breakfast.

Exceptional

Clean, pleasant, welcoming... Worth it!

Liked: Very clean! Well lit, well decorated. Everything in the room was in decent shape: I've stayed at places before with broken furniture, a rusted microwave, missing floor tiles... Things here were "gently used" at their worst, but everything was really nice. Coffee and hot water with tea bags or hot chocolate packets in the lobby at ALL hours. Even the stairwells were amazingly lit, clean, didn't smell weird, and felt safe to be in. The staff were all pleasant and polite.
Disliked: The shower head put up a FIGHT. I have never been able to make peace with shower heads at hotels. Trying to change the settings on the head resulted in unscrewing half of it and making a bit of a mess on the floor when the water shot backwards. But it wasn't difficult to get back together at least, there were plenty of extra towels to soak up the little bit of mess. And the bathroom was clean, so if this is the worst thing I had to face, I am still VERY happy.