Although we were brought to the area for a funeral, staying at the HGI in Fort Washington made our time the most pleasant it could realistically be.

- Location: The hotel is very close to a metro station connecting to downtown Philly and other suburbs. Several fast food places are also within walking distance. The interstate is just feet away as well. Far from Philadelphia as a city, but central to all the modern conveniences of suburbia.

- Atmosphere: The grounds were kept up well, and the lobby felt vibrant and inviting, as are most HGIs. My family always felt safe and comfortable.

- Service: The front desk was certainly slow, as the previous review has mentioned, and I hope more staff can be hired to speed things along in the future. It seemed as if only one individual was manning the reception at any given moment. Perhaps other members of staff can be encouraged to pitch in too? Nonetheless, each employee delivered the best, most friendly service they could provide. I appreciated their commitment to my request for a room facing the smaller south side of the property.

- Rooms: Originally I was going to sleep with my family, but at the last moment decided to snag a points reward for my own room (snoring had a bit to do with it…shh). Both rooms I’d stepped into were clean and comfortable, albeit slightly on the older side. Thankfully in my own room, I couldn’t really hear any noise from the highway or the metro train, but I could hear some while spending time in my family’s room.

- Amenities: Unless you’re gold or higher, breakfast is not free at HGIs. My family made a run to Dunkin’ across the street to solve that problem, as the paid selections on site looked just meh for the price. There’s a restaurant that serves other meals throughout the day, as well as some public computers, a pool, a fitness center, and nice outdoor areas to relax. The free Wifi was fast.

- Value: Overall I was satisfied with the value my family and I had for our stay. One thing to note, and I know it’s general hotel policy in most places—but it would have been difficult to ask for a waiver or reduction of the steep incidental deposit put on your card at check-in. As a budget-conscious traveler who never wrecks rooms or charges anything to them, I usually try to negotiate either a lower deposit or have the hotel waive it altogether…this hotel felt very steadfast about its policy. 75 bucks as the deposit for a night. I had no issues getting refunded that amount, but just a heads up. I even overheard another guest commiserating lightly about it with reception…not just me who thinks it can get out of hand!

I would gladly return to the HGI in Fort Washington if I need to return to suburban Philly in the future!

I stayed at this property on Saturday evening, April 13th. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member I like to stay at different properties within Hilton's portfolio. A train trip on SEPTA brought me to Fort Washington to I gave this hotel, a 10 minute walk down the street, a try.

As I always do, I checked in digitally and chose my room the day before arrival, as well as noting my preference for the Digital Key. In the early afternoon, I got a message that my credit card was charged for the room, and usually around that time the Digital Key is sent to my phone. It only said "coming soon" right until the time I walked into the hotel around 3:30 PM, having indicated I would arrive at the earliest check-in time, 3 PM. So since there was no Digital Key, I had to wait on line to check-in at the desk. There was a gentleman behind the desk and there was some issue with the people standing there, so the line was not moving. The man then left his post and went someplace else. Then a woman started taking the next people in line at the other side of the desk. There were people in front of me, and some behind me as well. When I inquired about the Digital Key, she said sometimes it doesn't work. She seemed to have some troubles in making my plastic keys, but I got them eventually and they worked. At no time during my stay was the Digital Key activated.

The room I had chosen was on the far end of the building, facing the SEPTA tracks. To some this might be a problem, but it did not bother me at all. Most trains (which come by almost every hour during the day and evening) do not use their horns but one can hear then gliding on the rails.

The room was ample size for me, plenty of room to spread out. TV could have had more channel choices, but with breaking international news there was enough to watch. WiFi was a little weak at the beginning but later in the evening it worked better. Thermostat was tough to figure out, but on a chilly night the heat was needed and eventually I had it.

Bathroom had plenty of counter space for my toiletries. No issues with hot water.

I did not partake of the restaurant, instead ordering app based food delivery for dinner.

Overall this place is OK, it served its purpose and it was close to a train station. I hope they get on board with the corporation and invoke the digital key the Hilton app promises, to mitigate their backlog with the busy front desk.