Hotel Ballast Wilmington Tapestry Collection by Hilton

I loved the hotel. It was nice and clean. Our room have a beautiful of the battleship across the river. AC was decent. You just have to change the setting to on but our room was able to get to 62 degrees. So it was nice and chilly. The gym looked really nice but unfortunately I didn’t have the time to use. Overall, we had a great experience.

Great location. Horrible property. Room had a leak in the ceiling and no fridge or microwave. Towels by the pool were not restocked frequently so we had to share towels. Staff seemed entitled and for lack of better words, "done". Nobody looked happy to be working there. Not even a smile or a check in with us on our entire 3 night stay. I think we got one smile our whole stay there. Parking was $22/night with a nearby parking garage that only charged $15, but of course that option was not mentioned. We tried the restaurant on site and it was so slow and overpriced for mediocre food. Food was bland and my steak was overcooked. Everything felt dated. It was clean, but it was no where near a five star experience from the rooms to the service. They benefit from location but I would never recommend this place. I've been to 4 star and 3 star hotels that host better than this "5 star" hotel. The standards for 5 stars must have changed or they purchased those stars because this Hotel is a 5 star location but a 3 star hotel at most. We ended up forgoing our last night because we were not comfortable and chose to drive home rather than stay one more night there.

I recently stayed at this hotel and while the property itself appears nice at first glance, there are several key issues that future guests should be aware of—especially if you’re traveling with family. First and foremost, this hotel does not have in-room refrigerators, which is a major inconvenience for families traveling with young children, people with dietary needs, or anyone who needs to store food or medication. Nowhere during the booking process was this disclosed, and yet the hotel markets itself as “family-friendly.” When I asked the front desk about a fridge, I was told they could lend me a cooler for a $50 deposit—not exactly a substitute or a family-friendly solution. There is no microwave in the room either. If you need to warm up food or milk, you’ll have to go all the way to the lobby where the only shared microwave is located—again, not convenient, especially late at night or early in the morning. The bathroom plumbing was also an issue. Both the sink and the bathtub were clogged, and we had to shower while standing in several inches of backed-up water. For a hotel charging over $200 a night, this is unacceptable. Another frustration was having to pay for parking, even though we were guests at the hotel. Charging guests to park on the property they’re staying at feels like an unnecessary money grab. We were also charged $50 per night for “incidentals”, which we were told would be refunded at checkout, but that refund never came through. It’s now been several days, and we’re still waiting. Lastly, the breakfast buffet costs $18 per person, and quite frankly, it wasn’t worth the price. For a hotel already charging premium nightly rates, breakfast should either be included or priced more reasonably. All in all, this stay left a lot to be desired. The hotel might look good in pictures, but the lack of basic amenities, misleading descriptions, and surprise charges made this a frustrating experience. I would not recommend this hotel to families or anyone expecting comfort and transparency.