On the edge of Newport News and Yorktown, just moments from an exit on I-64, two hotels welcome guests with an equal commitment to excellence: the Hilton Garden Inn and the Hampton Inn.
Both hotels are owned, managed and administrated by the same teams. Prashant Patel, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, describes them as separate entities but says he and Susan Womack, director of sales, both work in the two hotels. Each hotel features pet-friendly rooms, accessible rooms, an indoor pool, a fitness center and free WiFi and parking. The Hilton Garden Inn’s Garden Grille restaurant offers cooked-to-order breakfast, while the Hampton Inn provides a free morning spread for guests.
“I opened this Hilton Garden Inn on July 13, 2004,” Patel says. “Before that, I was at the Hampton Inn next door. My cousin got into the hotel business in the 80s, so when I moved here in 1998, I joined the company.”
Womack has worked in the hotel industry for approximately 20 years. After working in Richmond hotels, she began working in Newport News. “I enjoy working with the people and working with the events. I meet families when they’re planning their reunions [and] weddings,” she says. “You become a part of those families’ moments and lives. To this day, we have repeat clients because they have a good time with us, and they want to come back.”
Patel shared that both hotels recently underwent renovations that included first-floor room re-dos at Hilton Garden Inn. A renovated lobby is expected to be completed there in fall 2025.
Lorna Berry, general manager of the Hampton Inn, says, “Our hotel is located within walking distance to restaurants such as Second Street Bistro, Saisaki Asian Bistro as well as the Regal movie theater, Kroger — and many more.” Among the hotel’s amenities and proximity to local shopping, dining and entertainment, Berry says, “We have the best waffles. We serve different waffle flavors on certain holidays every year.”
Womack highlighted the hotels’ sponsorships for the Ferguson Center for the Arts and the Virginia Neptunes, pairing up visiting artists and teams with hotel rooms. The hotels’ community involvement extends beyond the guests they impact daily: staff members work with the Salvation Army, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and local churches. Womack is active on the board for the Newport News Hospitality Association and is a member of the Peninsula Chamber and a board chair for the DeGood Foundation.
“Although Susan is primarily director of sales and I am general manager, we have our hands and feet pretty much everywhere,” says Patel of the duo’s involvement around the hotels. They both enjoy the surprising and busy nature of their work.
“The day doesn’t end when you leave the hotel, sometimes,” Womack agrees. “Our jobs can go into all hours of the evening, but that’s what we signed up for, and we knew that when we got into it because we enjoy doing what we do.”
Championing quality customer service, Womack knows that mentioning clients’ and guests’ names “is still a big deal.” She continues: “I’m in the hotel industry — you have that opportunity to welcome guests, you’ve got to make it their home.”
“The reward is making sure our guests have all the best experiences,” Patel says. “If they have a great experience, so do we.” Womack agrees and remembers her interview experience at the hotels as Patel relays a common observation among visitors: “Everyone who works here is smiling.”
TO THE POINT:
Hilton Garden and Hampton Inns
Address: Hilton Garden Inn: 180 Regal Way, Newport News, VA 23602
Hampton Inn: 151 Otiss St., Newport News, VA 23602
Contact: Susan Womack, director of sales
Phone: 757-947-1080, 757-989-8977
Email: susan.womack@hilton.com
Website: www.hilton.com/en/hotels/orfnwgi-hilton-garden-inn-newport-news, www.hilton.com/en/hotels/phfhhhx-hampton-newport-news-yorktown
