I stayed at this property while on business two weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised when I walked in the door. I am used to Hampton Inns being somewhat secondary and lower end compared to the Embassy Suites, where I typically stay when I travel. Incidentally, I stayed at the Embassy next door to this hotel last summer, and was told I needed to check out this Hampton next time I was in town. I am so glad that I did.

The whirlpool suite was outrageous for what I paid for the hotel. I am a Hilton Gold member and got a complimentary upgrade, so that was a great welcome surprise to begin with. The room was huge. It had a large entry way where coffee and the closet were positioned, that truly helped it feel like walking into a home as opposed to a hotel room. The large room (probably 22 x 16) had expansive windows, making it seem even bigger. Decor was so warm; I just loved it. My colleagues in the non-whirlpool rooms all complimented their rooms, but when they saw my pad, their jaws dropped. Clearly there is a BIG difference between the standard rooms and the whirlpool suite which is far more than just the addition of the tub.

It had a desk and a very comfy chair and light for reading. Not the usual club -type chair that is so upright that you don't sit there long. It was a chair you'd want to cozy into after a long day to flip through a magazine or read for a while; it had a large ottoman, bright reading lamp and a side table. The whirlpool was easily the largest jetted tub I have seen in a hotel room before, could readily accommodate two people for a romantic weekend. The tub is in the room area, not the bathroom. That made it easy to soak and watch TV and not want to hurry out.

The bed was comfy and I slept very well. My only complaint (which is no minimal, frankly) is that with the whirlpool tubs, you may hear water draining in the pipes from the tub in the suite above you – not an issue, unless the guest is hot-tubbing at 115AM, which happened in my case – it was easy enough to roll over and get back to sleep.

Staff is friendly and very accommodating. I had one issue - with the shuttle - while I was there. The hotel team and management more than made up for any inconvenience, and in fact, they handled it so well, I will return, without a doubt. I was impressed with their proactive approach.

Breakfast was good - again exceeded my expectations. I am used to a lot of pre-packaged selections that you heat in a microwave, this breakfast had warm, freshly- cooked selections. The breakfast felt much more along the Homewood Suites type of breakfast, as opposed to Hampton Inns that I have stayed at in the past.

The Chocolate Bar, which is an attached tapas, sandwiches/ wine/ after dinner drinks type of place, was a great way to finish the day after work or continue the work day into the evening. They have a very fun menu, live music, and while I was there, they had some gals doing manicures which was really cool. The lobby has a very comfortable sitting area with a beautiful, modern fireplace that is a great visiting spot if you are in town with colleagues, or need a meet-up spot.

The pool and hot tub area were lovely and HUGE. I wasn't there long enough to take advantage of it, but wish I'd had the forethought to pack a swimsuit.

All in all, this place is AWESOME! I also hear that through the Spring and Summer months, they close down parts of Delaware street on Thursday and Friday evenings and it becomes something of a pedestrian mall and they have street festivals, etc there. The Hampton is right in the middle of that which would be fun - there are lots of cute bars and restaurants just steps from the front door. If I get to go back, I will –plan for a late week visit so that I can take advantage of the hometown fun out in the street.