We (meaning myself, husband, and two small children) stayed a night at this hotel. The hotel was very clean, beds were comfy, and service seemed nice. We paid for the river-view and had two doubles. The view does include the river, I would say it is worth the extra $, but the view is not what I would describe as spectacular. My kids dug it though, and that is what mattered.

Complaints: The walls are paper-thin. Now it must be noted that we were staying at the hotel during St. Patrick's Day, so a bit of drunkeness is to be expected, however we were privy to a very loud, drunk exchange with our neighbors from about 3-5am. It woke my toddler up, which led to some volume coming from our room as well. Also, the hotel was really warm, I couldn't figure out how to turn on the air, I didn't call the desk, however, so that probably could have been remedied. Location, I know Madison isn't a huge city, but it would have been nice to be within walking distance to Main Street. With kids in tow, the hill didn't look too fun to scale.

Breakfast wasn't good, but free, so take that for what its worth. But even for free hotel breakfasts, it was not good.

One bonus, there is a really fat koi fish that my kids were obsessed with. Also, you can make jokes about Frank Sinatra and Shirley McClaine (who stayed there while filming). Overall, I would stay here again, just not on Saint Patricks Day, or a busy weekend.

I was there in January 2011; the Hillside provided a nice place to stay over a weekend and enjoy the beautiful town of Madison, IN. Bedding was wonderful, breakfast was adequate and the view was marvelous looking out over the entire city and river. My only real complaint was that on my floor were several smoking rooms and I had to deal with the constant odor of smoking which was frustrating. They should make the hotel smoke free!

Our stay in the Hilltop Inn, (Nov. 2010), was delightful! The accomadations were extremely comfortable and the cleanliness of the Inn far exceded all expectations. Each of the staff members were friendly and helpful. It was nice to have a smiling face to greet you upon entrance. The housekeeping; well, I'd like to have her at my house. She did a wonderful job and was very courteous. Of course there's the view. Even though it was gloomy weather, the view was absolutely gorgeous.
Transportation to downtown Madison would be a wonderful addition for the Inn or town to add for guest during the winter months.

We have been staying at the Hillside Inn since 2003. We have always found the rooms to be very clean and quiet. The staff has also been very friendly and accommodating.
The rooms have a nice closet to hang clothes, a large TV with HBO and a nice sized bath with large, fluffy clean towels and wash cloths.
Each rooms (except for the annex) has a balcony with table and chairs with the most beautiful view of Madison and the Ohio River.
Each morning they serve a deluxe continental breakfast that includes cereal, eggs, rolls, bagels, pancakes, oatmeal and juices which is very filling.
The Hillside Inn is an excellent place to spend a get-a-way night or weekend.
We highly recommend it.