A reliable mid-scale hotel – Hampton Hotel Experience

Hampton is a mid-scale, limited service hotel chain in the Hilton portfolio and makes up almost half of all Hilton properties around the world! They have grown quickly and you can find them all over the USA – who are they and what can you expect? Read my overview to find out!

Who are they? Hampton is the biggest brand in the Hilton portfolio with more than 2,200 hotels. Most of them are located in the US, so you can often find them everywhere. More recently, they have expanded in Europe and I had a chance to stay at two of them.
Hampton Hotels Map
In their own words, “Hampton by Hilton® is about celebration and diversity – embracing local culture and giving guests a true experience during their stay. Guests experience service backed by an unconditional satisfaction promise, the 100% Hampton® Guarantee. Plus enjoy complimentary amenities like Hampton by Hilton’s free, hot breakfast and free Wi-Fi.”
Yeah… I’m not sure about the “local culture” and “true experience” – Hampton hotels are about as bland and cookie-cutter as they come, in a good way: You get exactly what you expect, every time and there is not a whole lot of variation! You get a nice room and a hot breakfast that’s remarkably similar around the world! The Holiday Inn Express brand of IHG is the closest competitor with similar free amenities. I like the slightly more modern HI Express better than Hampton, but that’s a matter of personal taste!

What experience to expect?
Hampton Hotels are part of the fast-growing mid-scale, limited service segment. You won’t find a restaurant, concierge or bellman here. The focus is one clean, new rooms, and free amenities like breakfast and WiFi. You get all the basics at a reasonable price. I generally like that concept – I usually don’t need a concierge or bell boy, prefer new, modern rooms over old-fashioned luxury and enjoy a free breakfast to get started into the day! While many Hampton hotels still have a very conservative, very 90s style, newly opened hotels in Europe and the US are more contemporary!
WAR Hampton - 1
Hampton offers a 100% Service Guarantee, but I found it difficult to get them to deliver on it and my experience has been mediocre in most cases! 
Hampton, with an Average Daily Rate (ADR) of $121, is positioned below Hilton Garden Inn (ADR $133) at the current bottom of Hilton’s brand hierarchy. The new Tru brand will be positioned below, as Hampton has moved up in price!
SFO HamptonInn - 1
Hampton participates in the Hilton Honors rewards program with 4,875 hotels in total. If you travel a lot on business and have to stay at mid-scale contract hotels, you can earn a lot of points at Hampton hotels – and turn them into an aspirational reward for a stay at a Conrad or Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel!

To get a better idea of the experience you can expect, you can read my reviews of Hampton properties:
Hampton Warsaw
Hampton Krakow
Hampton San Francisco


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