When I am not working, one of my favorite things to do is to travel around and explore new places that interest me. Along the way, I have documented my travels and experiences on some of my trips. I always stay at branded hotels, and it’s often the same brand or within the same company. Depending on the duration of my trip, budget, and needs during my trip, the hotel I choose will vary. Below, I have listed my top favorite hotel brands I stay at and the pros and cons of each. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Home2 Suites by Hilton:

By Far my favorite Hilton brand without a doubt. Home2 Suites is an all suite extended stay hotel brand featuring larger rooms with kitchenettes, living spaces and larger bathrooms. The brand was created to complement the existing extended stay Hilton brand Homewood Suites and to compete with TownePlace Suites by Marriott and Candlewood Suites by IGH.

While I haven’t featured this specific brand on the blog , my previous stays include the following locations:

• Home2 Suites by Hilton Richmond Short Pump
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Taylor Detroit

Pros:

• Larger rooms than a traditional hotel at an affordable price. Most often cheaper than other select service hotels or full service hotels with smaller rooms.
• Curtain divider in the room makes it easy to section off the room so someone can watch tv or read a book while someone else is sleeping without disturbing them.
• Super functional kitchenette with microwave, dishwasher as well as dinnerware.
• Larger bathroom offers larger vanities and shower stalls making getting ready in the mornings and at night a breeze.
• Extremely comfortable beds, linens and pillows. I hate hotel pillows! But not at Home2! They are some of the most comfortable pillows out there.
• Home2 Suites hotels are new build hotels meaning they are built from the ground up and aren’t existing hotels converted or renovated into Home2 Suites. This means most locations are newer which means a more comfortable stay. 

Cons:

• Limited breakfast selection. This sort of makes sense since the rooms have kitchenettes most guests cook their own meals in their rooms. However, despite the smaller breakfast selection, the food is very fantastic. 
• While the locations are new builds, this often means it is harder to find a location in some areas since there are not a lot of Home2 Suites in some areas since this is a newer brand. However, as time goes on more Home2 locations are being built in certain areas and it is getting easier to find one. (Note this may not apply to cities or large tourist areas).
• With larger rooms and more amenities in the room, sometimes may come with a higher price tag. While this may not be true for every location, it may be possible in some markets where there are a lot of hotels or not many extended stay hotels.

Tru by Hilton

When I think of top hotel brands, Tru definitely has to be up there! Tru is a select service brand that focuses on minimal yet detailed oriented and meaningful design and experiences. At Tru, you get all the essentials in a perfect balance of form and function. With tons of storage, plenty of spaces to charge your devices, a mobile desk, and our big, bright bathrooms, everything you need is in easy reach. Tru really is a very detail oriented brand taking into account the smallest of details to make the overall stay better.

While I haven’t featured this specific brand on the blog , my previous stays include the following locations:

• Tru by Hilton Lancaster East
• Tru by Hilton Denver (PA)
• Tru by Hilton Roanoke Hollins

Pros:

• One thing I love about Tru is each location has unique touches and nods to the area and community it is located in. This gives it less of a cookie cutter feel despite being a franchised hotel.
• I can’t talk about Tru without mentioning the amazing breakfast! Tru provides a large selection of hot foods, baked goods and of course the main star, pancakes! A full pancake topping bar and cool pancake machine are the true highlights of the mornings.
• Considering the rooms are smaller yet more detail oriented, the bathrooms are very spacious and offer plenty of hooks to hang towels on. Finally a hotel brand got this detail right! I’m so tired of hotels forgetting about hanging towels or clothes up while you are getting ready. 
• Blackout curtains are mounted inside the window frame meaning there is no annoying gap on either side of the curtains. This really makes a huge difference in making the room dark for sleeping no matter the time of day.
• I love the lobby design! The lobby offers plenty of seating, places to get some work done and even some games like foosball and pool to pass the time.
• Tru hotels are new build hotels meaning they are built from the ground up and aren’t existing hotels converted or renovated into a Tru. This means most locations are newer which means a more comfortable stay.
• Yet another thing Tru remembered is putting in an automatic night light in the bathroom so you can see as you walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Anyone else tired of tripping or bashing their legs into furniture? I know I sure am! Thank you Tru! Someone finally also got this detail right!

Cons:

• Keep in mind these rooms are smaller and don’t offer coffee makers, microwaves or have large walk in closets. There is more focus on the small details and essentials.
• I personally wish there was more lighting instead of just having one desk lamp, and overhead lighting above the beds. While I like the lights over the bed, I wish there was a way to turn off only one side without turning off the whole thing.
• Be aware there are not many room types at Tru. Tru focuses mainly on rooms with one king size bed or two queens as well as accessible rooms. If you are looking for a suite or larger room, this may not be the brand for you.

Hampton by Hilton

Wow! Noticing a pattern here with Hilton? They are really on a roll here! I definitely couldn’t make this list and not include Hampton. 

Hampton is a midscale hotel designed to compete against other limited service brands like Fairfield Inn by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, and Comfort Inn/Comfort Suites. As of December 2019, Hampton by Hilton includes 2,544 hotels in 30 countries and territories with 266,933 rooms, including 72 that are managed with 10,061 rooms and 2,472 that are franchised with 256,872 rooms. 

In my latest post, I reported and commented on the new prototype Hampton Inn has that is about to be rolled out. In some aspects I was a little more tough on the chain since I love it so much. One of those reasons has to do with the service alone. I find that along with many other Hilton hotels, the service is unparalleled. That paired with excellent designed and modern rooms makes for a perfect stay.

A quick fun fact before we jump into our pros and cons, did you know the Hampton Inn chain was originally started by Holiday Inn? It wasn’t until 1999 that many Hilton chains like Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, and Homewood Suites would join Hilton under a massive $3.7 billion dollar purchase. Could you imagine how different the hotel industry would have turned out if that purchase never happened?

I previously featured this brand on the blog many times in the Touristician Reviews series. Previous stays include the following locations:

• Hampton Inn Salem Boston – (Not featured on the blog)
• Hampton Inn Harrisburg-East (Hershey Area)

Pros:

• Very easy to find a location especially when traveling on a major highway. You could legitimately take a rock and hit several Hampton hotels. (Although I wouldn’t recommend doing so while driving. Not only is that dangerous, it is also very illegal). 
• Extremely consistent service and rooms. There are not as many locations left that are old or run down. Additionally, the service is always impeccable and never fails to deliver. 
• While some hotels don’t provide microwaves anymore, Hampton Inn is one of the few out there that still does. 
• Plenty of room for storage in spacious closets, dressers and cabinets. Perfect for families with lots of luggage.
• The perfect place for anyone traveling for business, vloggers, or college students who need to get work done. Large desk areas with desk lamps, and amble outlets provide the perfect place to work as well as relax.
• Extremely spacious bathrooms offer oversized backlit mirrors, ample counter space, plenty of storage for liens, as well as plenty of towel racks/hooks. I always loved how Hampton over stocks the liens in the bathrooms and doesn’t put them over the toilet. (I always hate when hotels have a small towel bar and lien storage above the toilet. It is honestly disgusting). 

Cons:

• While I personally have not had this happen to me, Hampton is supposedly more noisy compared to other chains. However, I personally never had an issue with this at Hampton as I tend to stay in newer or renovated locations.
• Inconsistent bathroom design across the brand. To be honest this is to be expected with a long established chain with several thousand locations. However, I notice there are more inconsistencies with this brand than other Hilton brands. For example there are a lot of different layouts, shower designs (walk in, shower doors, bathtub combo, etc).
  • I’d suggest you do your research before picking a Hampton location. If there are multiple locations, pick the most updated and higher rated location.
• Take note because there are so many Hampton Inn locations, there may be multiple locations within the same town or city you are staying in often only minutes apart. This may confuse your travel plans. Make sure you really research and know exactly what location you are booking and going to.

Holiday Inn Express by IHG

Built upon the spirit of the original Holiday Inn chain, Holiday Inn Express was created in 1990 aimed to revolutionize select service travel for the newer generations. Compared to a full service Holiday Inn, the Express variation focuses on limited service with no on site restaurants, room service or ballrooms. Instead Holiday Inn Express features free breakfast each morning, fitness and pool facilities, and higher end more detailed rooms. 

The brand aims to provide a perfect balance between offering a place to get work done yet offering a relaxing environment to recharge your batteries with a restful night’s sleep. As of 2021, the brand hit a milestone during its 30th anniversary year opening its 3,000th location. 

I previously featured this brand on the blog many times in the Touristician Reviews series. Previous stays include the following locations:

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lancaster – Mount Joy
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lancaster East – Strasburg (Not featured on the blog)
• Holiday Inn Express Baltimore at the Stadiums (Not featured on the blog)
• Holiday Inn Express Atlantic City W Pleasantville (Not featured on the blog)

Previously I used to say this was my favorite hotel brand ever. However, this brand is starting to lose its place as one of my favorites. Last few times I have stayed there were many issues and inconsistencies some of which keep happening over and over again. The last time I stayed was the straw that broke the camel’s back. However, I did still decide to include this on my last as I did enjoy a majority of my stays before these issues and am hoping that maybe next stay will be better. 

Pros:

• Very detailed oriented rooms include embroidered pillowcases to help mark the firmness of each pillow, reading lights over the headboards, and ample storage space.
• Rooms do include a microwave which is a huge plus since most hotels do not offer this in rooms anymore. (From observation, it appears to be an industry wide trend).
• Spacious bathrooms with plenty of lien storage, backlit mirrors and plenty of counter space to get ready in the morning.
• Perfect balance between business and leisure. Rooms offer large work spaces while the hotels themselves offer business centers and meeting spaces all while keeping focus on leisure. Even if you’re not traveling for business, you’ll find this isn’t a turn off. 
• Most locations offer king size suites that feature larger living spaces, a small kitchenette area and larger bathroom. This is a huge plus since some select service brands don’t offer suites.
• Good service at the properties and very responsive customer service from the brand.
  • Honestly nothing to rave about. It isn’t horrible yet isn’t over the top amazing. I would say Hilton does a much better job with service and pulls out all the stops everytime and consistently. 
• Easy to use mobile app allows for mobile check in to be a breeze. I actually did this before and it was so easy and well worth it. All I had to do when I got to the hotel was pick up my keys. I do wish there was a digital key option for the rooms on the app, but that isn’t a huge deal.

Cons:

• Extremely inconsistent and poorer quality breakfast. Last few times I have stayed, I noticed the breakfast choices were very slim and the quality of the food went down hill drastically compared to a few years ago. Take our cinnamon roll incident from Mount Joy as an example.
• Cleanliness issues appear to be more common especially in the bathrooms, on the flooring and on the appliances (fridges & microwaves).
• Like Hampton Inn, there are so many Holiday Inn Express locations which often means there are multiple locations within the same town or city that are only minutes apart. This may confuse your travel plans. Make sure you really research and know exactly what location you are booking and going to.

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, the journey of discovering and experiencing various hotel brands has been eye-opening and enriching. Each stay has offered valuable insights and memorable encounters, shaping my perspective as a traveler. As I look ahead to future adventures, I eagerly anticipate the evolution of these hotel brands and the new experiences they will offer. With a blend of nostalgia for past stays and a sense of anticipation for the future, I am grateful for the diverse range of hospitality experiences that have enriched my travels.

What do you think of my top hotel brands? Do you agree with this list? Let us know down in the comments section below, and as always, if you are enjoying our content, be sure to subscribe to never miss a single post.