Hi. My parents just purchased a condo in South Hampton at Kingston Plantation, and i must say I was somewhat disappointed in how it had been kept up, especially considering how costly KP is. They pay very high Homeowner's dues.

If anyone is considering staying at KP Iwould consider the Brighton tower or the Embassy Suites. Some of the condos in my parents' building have been kept up, but many appear out of date with raggedy carpet and marks on the walls. The South Hampton building is one of the older buildings, I believe. I would ask questions about the particular condo you are renting, especially if it is in South Hampton. The weekend I went to check out their place it was noisy and the trash cans were overflowing.

I just wanted to post this so those of you considering a stay at Kingston Plantation would be aware to really look into and ask questions if staying at South Hampton.

rosebloom, each condo is owned by an individual (such as your parents) and the interior upkeep is the responsibility of the owners not Kingston.

You need to take the condition of the condo up with the former owners and not Kingston. I'm sure your parents realize this.

GoTravel,

I thought you went a little hard on rosebloom. I took her message as a heads-up to travelers considering a stay at KP. Regardless of any issues between her parents and the seller, the condition of the condos in that particular tower would definitely be of interest to travelers.

And I thought her recommendation was a fair one: recognize that there is variability among the individually-owned condos (as opposed to the two hotels on the property) and try to check out the condition of the particular condo you are booking, if at all possible.

How did I go a little hard on her? Seriously.

Quote:

"My parents just purchased a condo in South Hampton at Kingston Plantation, and i must say I was somewhat disappointed in how it had been kept up, especially considering how costly KP is. They pay very high Homeowner's dues.

If anyone is considering staying at KP Iwould consider the Brighton tower or the Embassy Suites."

From that post, she is blaming the upkeep of the condo on Kingston and not the former owners.

Since the former owners are soley responsible for the condition of the condo, it would be their fault not Kingstons fault.

The Brighton Building's condos are much newer and haven't had as much wear and tear placed on them so they would be in nicer shape.

Forgot to add that not all condos are on Kingston's rental program only those who's owners choose to rent out.

To a traveler, does it matter why a condo is not up to snuff, or whose fault it is?

I took rosebloom's message as a heads-up to those who might rent a condo in that tower--not as an indictment of KP.

I agree that her frustration with KP might be misplaced, as to her parents' predicament. But that does not dilute the legitimacy of her direct observation of (some) condo conditions in that part of KP. That's what I thought was a fair comment.

Maybe we just interpreted her post differently. Come to think of it, sorry if I went too hard on you GoTravel. I enjoy your posts.

No problem! I just didn't want roseblum to get the wrong idea.

I was a Director with a resort run the same way Kingston is run where the accommodations are owned individually.

You wouldn't beleive the amount of complaints I would have to handle because someone didn't like the sofa, the wallpaper was ugly, the balcony furniture wasn't comfortable, etc. These were complaints I could not rectify and it is extremely fustrating.

Hit send too soon.

I once had a woman (I'm assuming a mother) yell at me for 15 minutes because the corners on the living room furniture in the condo she was staying in were too sharp and could hurt a young child.

Huh?

GoTravel:

I was posting my message not as an assault on KP, but as a "heads up". KP can be expensive during peak season and I just wanted potential customers to know that all of the condos are not kept up.

I realize fully that it is the owner's responsibility to keep the condos up. The condo they purchased was on KP's rental program. The literature they received when they purchased it specifically states that if an owner wants to be in the rental program they must keep the condo up in terms of repairs, etc. An owner is financially responsible for anything that may need to be replaced.

Regardless of how the interior of a particular condo looks, there is no excuse for thefact that there was overflowing trash in the LOBBY trash cans on several occasions. This is a problem that needs not to be overlooked and reflects on KP's image. I see no reason why KP should not be concerned. An overflowing trashcan was my first impression of the place.

I also feel that Hilton (who manages KP) should be responsible for contacting owners in regards to wear and tear and complaints about a particular condo. I am not talking about silly customer complaints about furniture that is "too ugly", as that is a matter of personal preference. I am talking about obviously worn carpet (worn beyond reason), maintenance issues, and peeling wallpaper. A good management company would take that up with the owner and if the owner was not willing to comply with much needed repairs, they should be taken out of the rental program.

KP has a good image. When someone pays a pretty penny to stay there they expect quality and cleanliness. I do not feel that that was my initial impression.

GoTravel: I appreciate your posts and also feel that you are very helpful to other posters. I just wanted to let others know that they need to look into what they are getting. You seem rather partial to KP. I am not saying it is not a nice place, it was just disappointing.

My parents have approached the management about their concerns and the trash issue has been taken care of. Also, my parenta have spoken with other owners who have said they have been disappointed with Hilton's management. One woman was not contacted when renters did damage to her condo. She no longer rents out her condo through them.

I was booked into the Embassy Suites last night for a conference and was put in a condo bedroom at South Hampton. I agree with rosebloom. Stay away (if you have the option) from South Hampton. I drove up to the lobby of Brighton and it light years in difference from South Hampton.

I checked out two nights early and am now at the Hampton Inn. I had three negative experiences in less than 24 hours. I complained to the front desk manager with absolutely no concern on his part. I contacted Hilton Honors to lodge an official complaint. I will wait until there is time for a resolution via HH before I share more.

By the way, the "condo" I was placed in (instead of the Embassy Suites room/suite I expected to be in) was a locked-out single bedroom with dated decor. The room was a typical hotel room set-up and not the typical Embassy Suites room set-up.

I will not book the Embassy Suites again - no matter what.