photo by: Derek Redd

The Hampton Inn-Wheeling was ranked No. 1 in the world among Hampton Inns by the Hilton chain. It marks the hotel's fourth No. 1 ranking.

WHEELING — Jack Poling, general manager of the Hampton Inn-Wheeling, said the hotel is dedicated to providing premier guest service — even if it means giving a guest the belt from around his waist.

Poling remembers a guest coming from out of town for a funeral who realized he had forgotten his belt. Rather than see the guest run to a clothing store at the last minute, Poling took off his belt and gave it to the guest.

“He was really over the moon about it,” Poling said. “He told me, ‘You don’t have to do that.’ I said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it. My pants will stay up.'”

The concept of “bare minimum” is a foreign one at the Hampton Inn-Wheeling, Poling said. The maximum effort is the norm. That’s why the hotel recently earned yet another “Connie” Award from the Hilton hotel company, signifying it as the No. 1 Hampton Inn in the world. It is the fourth time the hotel has achieved that ranking.

That ranking, based on guest ratings and Hilton quality assurance inspections, puts the Hampton Inn-Wheeling above more than 2,300 other Hampton Inns in the Americas in 2023. The hotel has been guest-rated in the top five Hampton Inns for 11 years in a row. It also has been the No. 1-rated hotel according to TripAdvisor of any kind in West Virginia for 11 straight years, with a perfect rating on that website for that time period.

Owner-operators Bob and Stephanie Hitchman both were ecstatic over the win, calling it a testament to the people who work there.

“We are beyond honored to receive this first place ranking for the fourth time,” Stephanie Hitchman said. “Bob and I know we are blessed to have such an amazing team of hospitality Professionals,” said Stephanie Hitchman.

“Our goal as a hotel is to exceed every guest’s expectations every time,” Bob Hitchman said. “Our outrageous success is what I call ‘Wheeling, West Virginia can-do.’ We are so very proud.”

The Hampton Inn-Wheeling is the only hotel the Hitchmans own, Poling said, so it gets their undivided attention, and allows them to maximize every detail.

“It’s a labor of love,” Poling said. “And almost everybody here is a long-time employee.”

Poling started at the Hampton Inn in St. Clairsville in 1991 before moving to the Wheeling site 12 years ago. When he arrived, he watched Bob Hitchman build the aquatic center that has become a popular amenity at the hotel.

“What we said was, ‘hey, let’s match Bob’s energy and effort,'” Poling said. “Let’s make this into truly something special.”

The hotel always is fully staffed, Poling said. Workers want to treat guests as if they were in a four-star luxury hotel. They hold a dinner on Monday nights for the guests. On Saturdays, they’ll bring in cinnamon rolls from Sarah’s on Main to pass around to guests. On summer Sundays, they’ll serve pancakes outside.

“We try to sprinkle in little moment-makers throughout the experience,” Poling said, “what they don’t see at other places.”

And even if a guest doesn’t take a cinnamon roll or stick around for Monday dinner, Poling said they notice that it’s available to others. After Poling offered the guest his belt, he said another guest noticed and offered a glowing review.

“They saw you do the maximum,” he said. “It just adds to the vibe we want to create, to just do those things. Just make it a friendly place to work and they will, in turn, make the guests feel welcome. So they’re open to a cool experience.

“It’s hard to explain,” he added, “but it works.”