Needing to stay in Hoover for a couple of nights to take care of some business, I booked a king room at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Hoover near the Birmingham Galleria, just off John Hawkins Parkway. The location is near a major shopping area and there are several restaurants - Chick Fil A, Jason's Deli and Starbucks - within easy walking distance of the hotel. I was greeted on arrival with a smile at the check-in desk and offered two bottles of water to take to my room. Coffee (regular and decaf), water, lemonade, and cookies are also on offer in the hotel lobby. The room was clean and quiet. The included breakfast buffet had many delicious options available. It was my first visit to this location and would be my first choice for a future visit. I was very impressed by the facilities and the customer service.

We were arriving from out of town for a family wedding and while driving realized we would arrive 1-1/2 hours before check in. We called the front desk and asked for early check in and we told check in was 3:00 but they would check to see if we could be accommodated. We received a call a few minutes later advising our room would be ready when we arrived. This was very helpful as it allowed us to rest and recoup prior to a Friday evening pre-wedding event. The staff was very gracious in this, especially the front desk clerk.