Stay Report: Hilton New York Fashion District (New York - October 2023)

   Stay Report: Hilton New York Fashion District

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was spending the weekend in New York and previously I have stayed in the Chelsea/Fashion District and really enjoyed the district.  It was within walking distance to subway stations, within walking distance to Penn Station, and easily accessible and within walking distance to many restaurants and shops.  I have stayed at the Innside by Melia many times and I really enjoyed the hotel, and I tried to stay there this time but the rate was too high so I was looking for alternatives nearby and that is when I saw the Hilton New York Fashion District.   This hotel is located in the Chelsea/Fashion District on 26th Street between 6th and 7th Ave (a block behind the Innside by Melia hotel).  Their average daily rates were high, but they had a good discount of points + cash so I was able to use some points and get a good rate for the night.  It was easy to book and manage the reservation through the HiltonHonors app and website.

I arrived at the hotel around 2:30/3pm and even though check-in is scheduled at 4pm I was able to get a room without a problem.  The hotel itself is narrow, like many New York hotels, and that was evident in the lobby which had a wide circular car entrance but the lobby itself was narrow and long.  As you entered, in front were the elevators and to the left was the small check-in desk and to the right was entrance to the hotel restaurant.  Check-in was relatively quick and as a HHonor member, I received two complimentary bottles of water.  I then proceeded to the elevator - there were 3 elevators but one was dedicated to go to the rooftop bar so was not accesible; another one was out of service and so were reduced down to 1 working elevator.  It was also a very slow elevator and very tight elevator, but because it was the only working many people tried to get in since you did not know when the other one was coming; that made it very unsafe and not a pleasant experience to get up and down.  You also needed your key card to enter the guestrooms and there were many examples of many individuals asking me and other guests to use our cards to enter their room. 

My room was on the 14th floor and the narrowness of the hotel also showcased on the hallways which were tight as well as the room size.  I have previously stayed at Motto by Hilton which is Hilton's answer to tiny/capsule hotels and the room size at that hotel in DC and this regular Hilton in New York were somewhat similar.  As you opened the door, you entered into a little hallway which had the closet, wardrobe, and coffee stand/shelves along one wall.  The closet was narrow but still contained places to hang your clothes, an iron, as well as an ironing board.  The coffee stand was on an open shelf next to the closet which contained the coffee maker and items on top, a minifridge down below, and another shelf/storage on top.  Next to that was a mini chair space to put your luggage.  Along that wall was a large desk with lots of desk space and places to plug in your electronics.  There was a standard office chair which was very comfortable.  Above the desk on the wall was the large TV and below the desk were drawers for additional storage.

Across the desk, along the other wall, was the bed along with two bedside tables.  The bed size was a large full-size or a small queen.  There were lots of pillows available and the bed was generally comfortable to sleep on - it was a bit tight so not sure if two people could fit comfortably on the bed together.  Next to each side of the bed were nightstands with nightlights and places to plug in your electronics on each side.  The bathroom was across from the bed and next to the desk.  It was narrow but did have a walk-in shower, a toilet and a sink.  There were refillable bottles of lotion next to the sink, and shampoo and conditioner in the shower and bars of soap were provided next to the sink as well as in the shower.  Like the room, the bathroom contained the basic necessities but was narrow.

I was only in New York for one day and most of my time was spent outside so I did not experience other facilities of the hotel including the rooftop bar, the restaurant, the fitness center, or the business center.  I did experience the wifi which was strong and was not limited to a certain number of devices.  I was able to stream videos on youtube with no connectivity issues.  Checkout was at 11am and I had requested a late check-out at 12pm but I was told 'to call in the morning and check'.  I called at 10:30am and they said 'no, the latest we can do is 11:30am but you can hold your luggage at the front'.   This was the first hotel that did not offer at least checkout until 12pm and the service was not the greatest in their response.  I checked out and was going to leave my stuff at the hotel and that is when I was told there is a $2 charge to leave your items at the hotel - I wish this information had been told beforehand so customers could be aware.  I am glad though, that unlike other hotels in the area the hotel does not charge a 'facility fee' per night for the wifi and the bottles of water, but $2 to hold luggage when you are demanding customers get out of the room at a certain time is a bit greedy.

Overall, its a nice location but the high rate, the narrow room, and the lack of working elevators does not make this place a favorite in my opinion.  I had better experiences, rate, and service at the Innside by Melia - and yes they charge a facility fee per night but I am willing to pay that because better service, better attention and communication to issues, and overall its a bigger room. 

Stay Report: Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center (Washington, D.C. - October 2022)

  Stay Report: Motto by Hilton Washington, D.C. City Center
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was traveling to Washington, D.C. for work and needed to stay in a specific location.  All hotels in the location I wanted to stay out were sold out so I had to look near that location and during that search I found the Motto by Hilton Washington, D.C. City Center.  This hotel is located in Chinatown right across the street from the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop.  Because I needed a hotel close to the metro stop and this metro stop was close to where my work was going to be, I booked the hotel.  I had not heard about Motto by Hilton brand so was not familiar with what to expect - an important tip to do your research beforehand because I was in for a big suprise.                                                                                                                                              I booked the hotel through the HiltonHonors website and app - both sites brought the same price and once booked I could modify either through the app or through the website.  Motto by Hilton is one of Hilton's newest brands and I was not sure about their brand nor type of hotels that they offered - this is something I should have read up on because I was in for a big surprise when I checked in.  When I got to the hotel and went to check-in, that is when the check-in agent let me know that Motto by Hilton is a micro-hotel meaning that the rooms are very small and the services are limited - basically its similar to a pod-hotel or an upgraded hostel.  I found out later that his hotel used to be the Pod Hotel Washington D.C. and that is still the name listed on some online maps.  In fact, on some online maps I had to put in the restaurant that was attached to the hotel to find the hotel as the online map had not been updated to the new hotel name.

The lobby was very small as it was a standard lobby but divided into two halves with one half being the hotel lobby and check-in and the other half being the bar area for the attached restaurant.  As you entered into the lobby, on the right were the two small check-in desks were you checked in and received your key.  Further along the right side was a couch that faced the elevators on the left-hand side; there were 3 elevators but sometimes it took a while for them to come.  My room was at the end of the hallway and tip - if you are a light sleeper do NOT get this room because the window faced the alley way with the garbage bins and between 4a-6am the garbage trucks came and made A LOT of noise.

When I opened the door, I did not realize how micro the room was - especially because the pricecharged was not micro but rather really expensive.  You enter into a little hallway with a coat hook and a mirror and then there is a sliding door that leads into the main room.  As soon as you enter the main room, on the left hand side is a small desk with a chair that blocks your entrance into the room.  Literally right next to the desk is the extra-large twin bed and right next to the next is another bedside table and the room ends.  The bed was on the left-side of the room as on the right was a stack of shelves for storage, the window that had black-out shades but was not noise cancelling, and TV mounted to the wall with a small ledge underneath.  The bed was decent and comfortable but there was definitely a lack of storage space and there was no room to move around the bed - it was very tight space.                                                                                                                                                             In between the hallway and the main room was a sliding door and that sliding door was the main door to your bathroom - so either the door slid to close the bathroom door but then left the entrance to the hallway open or the entrance to the hallway was closed and the bathroom door was open; not very good design.  The bathroom itself was a decent size and had a toilet, a small sink, and a small shower - the shower was decent but was poorly designed so that the water spilled everywhere outside when you showered.  The bathroom also had zero storage space so there was no place to put your toiletry kit or other storage.  There were refillable bathroom toiletries in the shower with shampoo and body wash and a soap and lotion were provided in the sink. 

As it is a micro-hotel, there were not the standard amenities that you would find at a regular hotel.  Instead this hotel offered wifi, a hotel restaurant, there was a gym in the basement, and an iron and ironing board in the room.  The wifi was decent and provided enough speed to connect devices and stream videos.  I was mainly there for work so did not time to checkout the gym nor the restaurant but the restaurant seemed very popular amongst locals, especially for happy hour.                                                                                                                              Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the hotel.  Yes, I was not aware it was a micro-hotel so that was my fault but generally once chooses a micro-hotel for convenience of location and because it is less expensive - you are getting 1/4 of the room so you should be paying less.  The room was definitely small but the price was that of a standard hotel room in D.C. - the hotel offered a micro-hotel at a standard hotel room rates and I think that is misleading and not right.  Also, I stayed there for multiple nights and I would not recommend staying at this hotel for more than one night - its convenient as its located across the street from the metro station but that is all the bonuses in my opinion.

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport (Salt Lake City, UT - October 2020)

Stay Report: Tru by Hilton Salt Lake City Airport
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I concluded my trip in Salt Lake City and since my flight departed from here, I wanted a hotel that was near the airport.  There were many options to choose from - it is an international airport and hub - but I had never experienced Tru by Hilton so I looked into it and the price was right so I booked it.  It was easy to book the hotel through the HHonors website and easy to manage through the app.  Given the look, the pricepoint, and the plethora of complimentary amenities, it seems the hotel is competing with Fairfield Inn by Marriott and other mid-scale brands. 

The hotel is near the airport and is located in a business park surrounded by offices, parking garages, and other hotels.  It is an odd-location in that there are no services - no gas stations, no restaurants - nothing close by so you need a car to access everything.  Also, the hotel is on the on the main road but set behind a huge parking lot and faces the highway - and shares a parking lot with a Comfort Inn; so an odd location.  When you enter the hotel, there is an open lobby with a circular check-in desks in the middle.  There are couches and lounging areas against the walls and surrounded the check-in desks, and in the back corner there was a pool table (now covered due to pandemic).  The chairs and desks would be ideal to lounge, work, meet, or gather all in one area.  Check-in took a while but eventually I received the key and proceeded towards the elevator to the room. In front of the elevator was a 'community board' which listed the temperature for the area, sights to see, notes from the staff, and other items; it was a cross between a dorm, a hostel, and an office.  

The room itself reminded me of an bigger IbisStyles room (review here).  As you entered, on the left

was the bathroom on the right-side wall was a mirror and hooks.  The bathroom was contained a sink with decent counter space, a toilet, a shelf running along the wall for decoration and more storage space, as well as shower with a glass door.  There were toiletries in the bathroom next to the sink and inside the shower - next to the sink was hand soap and lotion while in the shower was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; like the Ibis they were in the squeeze bottles but they did not smell good at all so I avoided them.  There was an open closet in between the bathroom and the main room and the closet contained a shelf to store your luggage on, an open rack and hangers to hang your clothes, and against the wall was the iron and ironing board.  Underneath the luggage storage was the refrigerator - it was a nice addition but an odd location.  Further into the room against the left wall were the two beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were a decent size and provided a good nights sleep so no complaints there; there were also plenty of outlets next to the bed and on the nightstand to charge all the electronics.  An interesting feature is that underneath the bed, part of it had been hollowed to allow for additional luggage or shoe storage; it was a good use of space.  Along the right side of the wall was a long shelf which contained the TV on stop, outlets against the wall (and you could place the electronics on the shelf) and underneath the shelf was a movable desk and chair.  There was a room AC and ontop of the AC was another shelf so I was not sure if this was a decoration piece to cover the AC or another storage area.  Overall, the average room size had decreased but the use of space was better and there was nothing extra in the room so it did not feel crowded or overstuffed - it felt comfortable and basic.

There were plenty of amenities for the guests including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, complimentary airport shuttle, complimentary breakfast, fitness center, pool table and congregating area, and lots of space in the lobby to hang out, do work, or meetup.  The wifi was really strong and you were able to get lots of work done, and complimentary breakfast was still being provided; you could stop by the front desk and grab a to-go box which contained two hard-boiled eggs (in costco package), a bagel + cream cheese, yogurt, and utensils.  Coffee, hot cocoa, juice, and water were also available so overall it was a nice option and glad they still offered it.

In the end, I was not sure what to expect from Tru by Hilton but what I experienced was a more European-style hospitality with some American-features.  The room design and utilization of space was very European but the availability of lots of amenities for the guests to enjoy was definitely American; however, for the price point the room and amenities provided were a great bargain so definitely a good competition.

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman (Bozeman, MT - September 2020)

Stay Report: Hampton Inn Bozeman, MT 
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Due to the COVID-19 a lot of travel plans had been uprooted, including my own.  Since international travel was currently out of the picture, I decided to travel domestically within the U.S. and went to visit Yellowstone National Park.  I flew in and out of Bozeman and since my flight had an early departure time, I booked a hotel in between the city and the airport.  I wanted a hotel near the airport but unfortunately there are not that many hotels in that area so I decided to book the Hampton Inn Bozeman as it was about 10 minutes away from the airport, there were some services and stores around the hotel, and I have previously stayed at Hampton Inn and enjoyed the experience.  It was easy to book the hotel through the Hampton Inn website or through the HHonors app.

With the pandemic, there were a lot of safety measures that the hotel had put in and that was evident from the lobby.  As you enter the hotel, on the right is the check-in desk while on the left is the entrance to hotel rooms and the elevator.  Straight ahead is the dining room/lounge area where complimentary breakfast is served.  The first safety measure was that there were shields around the check-in desk and you were supposed to keep social distance while checking-in.  The entire process did not involve a lot of contact and the front-desk attendant was very friendly and service-oriented the entire time.  After I received my key I went back to my car because the back entrance was closer to the elevator so I went and moved my car to that spot. 

Our room was on the 2nd floor and so after taking the elevator, we went down a couple of hallways to

get to our room.  The room had a safety seal on it indicating it had been washed and sanitized with Hilton's Safe Guarantee.  We had requested a room with two double beds and our room was a standard Hampton room.  As you opened the door, on your right was the bathroom which contained a tub, a sink, a toilet, as well as toiletries - the size was also standard, not too big but not too small.  On the left-hand side was the closet which contain a rack to hang clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well as a luggage rack.  Further into the room on the right were the two double beds – both of which were comfortable but a bit on the small side.  In between the beds was a nightstand and across from the beds were a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top, and next to that was a fridge with an ice bucket on top.  Overall, the room was decent, spacious enough and comfortable but not overly spacious.

We were only there for one night so did not experience other amenities of the hotel.  Also, given the pandemic I am not sure which amenities were open and which were not.  The hotel did provide complimentary wifi, complimentary parking, and complimentary breakfast.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted (the hotel also had plenty of outlets available to charge your device).  The complimentary breakfast starts at 6am and we had to leave at 5am to catch our plane, but the breakfast mostly had to-go items included cereal, fruit, and yogurt to go. 

Overall, it was a decent stay at the Hampton Inn.  The hotel generally provides a decent room at a good price and nice quality of rooms.  This room was not as updated as the others but it still provided a decent and comfortable night's sleep.

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - July 2020)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Travel around the world has been seriously diminished due to COVID-19.  Even when traveling, hotels and airlines are putting in special measures to ensure a safe and healthy travel experience.  I have been limiting my travels due to the pandemic, but recently I had to travel to Houston.  I have been to Houston many times and stayed at various hotels throughout the city, mostly in the Galleria area.  When I was looking this time, I found a good deal at the Doubletree in the Galleria area.  I have stayed here twice (see reviews here) and the experience was mixed - the rooms were nice but the service bad - but I decided to give it another try.

The hotel has gone through some renovations on the inside (and this was evident in my previous stay in 2017) and since then the only additions have been due to COVID, which included partitions around the check-in desk, markers on the floor for social distancing, wipes next to the elevator, and signs stating masks were required.  Other than that, everything was the same including how small the hotel entrance is; the layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two.   As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the

left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right.  As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place.  I have stayed at other hotels during the pandemic (see review here) and their restrictions were far more strict than what was done here.  There was no restriction on limiting the hotel to only guests so anyone could enter and exit as they please.  Also, even though the state had mandated a mask-wearing policy and the hotel had signs requesting masks be worn, there was no enforcement or verbal reminders regarding mask wearing.  In terms of social distancing, the only stickers on the floor were the ones in front of the check-in counters and they were not adhered to by most guests (nor enforced by the hotel staff).  Check-in was okay but there was no customer service aspect - no greeting, no welcoming a Hilton Honors member, and not checking the reservation before asking questions, in fact it was the bare minimum of service expected and required; even the cookies, which are normally handed out at the beginning had to be requested.  I received the key and proceeded to my room.  

The waiting area for the elevators can become crowded very quickly as there are 4 elevators all converging onto the same waiting area.  They did have wipes for guests to use to wipe down the surface, but this was at your personal preference.  Also, other hotels had enforced either a minimum number of guests in the elevators or only same-household groups in the elevators; none of that was mentioned nor enforced here and it was basically to each their own how they wanted to proceed.  Previously, given my status, I have been upgraded to a junior suite and those rooms, while outdated, are quite spacious; this time I was not upgraded so I was given a standard Doubletree room.  

As you enter the room, on the left was the bathroom which contained a toilet, a shower/tub, a sink with lots of counter space.  The bathroom was standard with standard amenities and toiletries needed to be requested from the front desk.  Further inside the room, on the left were two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were generally comfortable, decent in size and overall good in sleep comfort.  Across from the beds, against the wall, was a console that had a TV on top, an open shelf with the coffee/tea as well as ice bucket, drawers on the bottom, a fridge on the bottom, and a small table next to it.  There was a large window across one wall and in between the window and the bed was a chaise lounge chair.  There was a lot of furniture in the room and given the amount of things in the room, the standard size of the room, and then add people to that, the room felt small and cramped and some of the furniture needed to be removed to make the room feel more open.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise; the wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds.  

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the hotel's signature cookies, and the spacious rooms and full-size fridge in the suites.  Negatives include inconsistent and poor customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation, and particularly to covid no enforcement or adherence to public health-related guidelines.  Given the horrible parking situation, the lack of adherence to public health guidelines and overall the general lack of service provided this was my last time staying at this hotel. 

Stay Report: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Houston by the Galleria (Houston, Texas - September 2014, 2017)

Stay Report: Doubletree Hotel & Suites Houston Galleria

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

As I travel often to Houston, I am always looking for a good hotel in the Galleria area. I have a special affinity to Doubletree thanks to the complimentary warm chocolate chip cookies they provide. There is a Doubletree hotel in the Galleria area and I have stayed here twice, each with different results. Overall, the rooms are mini-suites so they are large and spacious but the parking is always a nightmare.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is set aback from the main street but as the hotel is large, you can see it from the main street; one side of the hotel faces the main street but the entrance of the hotel is on a side street. Given how big the hotel is, the entrance to the hotel is very small. The layout of the hotel is such that you have the hotel building, the parking garage, and a small connector between the two. As you enter the connector, the parking garage is to your right, the connector in the middle, and the hotel on the left; the entrance is small generally and gets more crowded once there is a rush. Both valet and self-parking are available.

The lobby itself is wide and spacious. The waiting area is right in front, while the check-in desks are to the left and the elevators and meeting rooms are to the right. As both the meeting rooms and elevators are in the same direction, it can become a bit crowded when there events taking place. As I said, I have been here multiple times and each time the check-in was different. When I first arrived in 2014, it was extreme chaos when we checked in as the hotel could not handle a crowd. The lines were long and the check-in process was very cumbersome. When we finally got to the front, there was no greeting, no apologies for the wait, nothing - and no smile on any of their faces (there were 3 people working in the lobby checking in guests, and none of them were smiling). The check-in was taking a really long time, and no explanation was given, so I asked 'is everything ok'. The attendant replied 'I am looking for a room' and went back to staring at the screen. No customer service at this hotel. When we finally finished, no cookies were given; I had to ask for the cookies even though they are supposed to be given upon check-in. In 2017, it was a different story as the check-in process went smoother, they were more customer-friendly, and overall it was a more pleasant experience (in fact, the mood of the hotel felt lighter as well - they had recently gone through an upgrade and it improved the feel of the hotel).

Photo courtesy of Hilton.com

I received my key and took the elevators to the room. Even though there are 4 elevators, they can get busy really quickly and become very slow (I don't think the hotel was designed for the large rush of crowds they now receive). All the rooms at this DoubleTree are Suites so the room was very spacious and clean, and the beds were very comfortable. As you enter, on the left hand side is a galley kitchen, which is a bit outdated but provides a very large fridge.  The kitchen also contains a sink, lots of counter space, dishes, a microwave, and a stove.  There is also a round dining table with 4 chairs in the sitting room just right outside the kitchen.  The sitting room also contains a sofa-bed/couch with a coffee table, and in front of the sofa is an chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top.  The sitting room is very spacious, has lots of features for guests to enjoy, and can become private by closing the door between the sitting room and the bedroom.

The bedroom itself is also quite large.  You enter into a long corridor, which will

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

eventually lead to the bathroom.  As you head down the corridor, the beds are on the left side In between the two beds was a night stand and in front of the beds was another chest with drawers on the bottom and TV on top.  The beds were spacious and comfortable, and provided a good night's sleep.  The bedroom area was quite spacious and easily allowed access to each item.  Continuing down the corridor leads to the open closet and the bathroom.  The closet is on the right and contains a place to hang items and a shelf to store items.  Next to the open closet is the bathroom which contains a shower, a toilet, and a double sink.  Considering how big the rooms area, the bathroom area is relatively smaller but overall its a comfortable room.

The hotel is full-service so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a pool, a gym, meeting rooms, business center, restaurant, parking garage, and wifi.  As I said earlier, parking was a nightmare both times I stayed here; you have to pay for parking so considering it requires payment, you think they would come up with a better solution.  The gym also needs to be remodeled as its small and is located on the 3rd floor, right next to other rooms (it looks like they converted two rooms into a gym).  The business center was 3 computers in the open lobby on the other side of the check-in desks.  There was complimentary printing, but there was also a lot of noise.  The wifi was complimentary and provided decent speeds. 

Overall, its an average hotel in the Galleria area.   Plus points are the location, the spacious rooms, and the full-size fridge and kitchen available in the suites (as well as the cookies).  Negatives include inconsistent customer service and horrible (paid) parking situation.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase (Houston, Texas - October 2018)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston Westchase

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

I was planning a trip to Houston and wanted to stay near the Galleria area but could not find a good deal so I expanded my search.  I had previously stayed at the Hilton Houston Westchase for a family friends wedding, and the hotel was nice and located about 15-20 minutes away from the Galleria and I found a good deal so decided to restay at the hotel.  From the outside, hotel looks like a tall office building with an attached restaurant and parking surrounding the building.  The parking is free and ample but some of the parking is a little shady so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car; the parking does fill up quickly, especially well-lit areas and those closest to the entrances.  The hotel is located next to a supermarket and easy access to many amenities and highways. 

Check-in was a breeze, the attendant gave us the key and explained everything that the

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

hotel offered. We went to our room, which was located on the 5th floor and two doors away from the elevator (we were a little skeptical about the proximity to the elevator, but no noise from the elevator or gathering around it was heard).  Both the rooms and the bathrooms had been updated with the new Hilton offerings, but the doors and other structures indicated the building itself was old.  As you entered the room, the bathroom was on the right while the closet was on the left.  The bathroom was a bit small but decent and contained a sink, a tub, a toilet, and bathroom toiletries.  The closet was also standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang items, an iron and an ironing board.  Further into the room on right hand side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The bed quality was very nice and the pillows were very nice, but the beds in the Hilton seemed smaller than the ones we got at the Doubletree (check out that review here); the bed could easily fit two people, but there is just enough room to fit 2. Across from the bed was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV as well as coffee stand on top. The bottom of the chest also contained a mini fridge a well as a safe.  The room also contained a desk and a chair next to the chest, and between the bed and the window was was a table and lamp (the window faced out onto the parking lot).  The room we had was on a corner so while it was shaped a little differently, there was still plenty of space to more around and be comfortable.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many amenities for the guests to enjoy including a restaurant, parking, wifi, a fitness center. meeting rooms, a business center, and a pool.  The parking was self-parking, there was no charge, and there were plenty of spaces available; however, as I said before some parking spots were not as well lit as others so I would be careful about leaving valuables in the car.  The wifi was complimentary and there was no limit on the number of devices that could be connected, and the speed was decent enough to check email and watch videos.  The fitness center was located on the first floor, en route from the elevator to the big conference room/meeting room, and seemed to be installed as an afterthought.  The fitness center was located next to other rooms so there is a lot of traffic passing by the fitness center and it was somewhat small as well, as only three, maybe four, people could work out at the same time; 4 people or more and the place would feel very congested and cramped. Again it seems as if the hotel took out an existing room and replaced it with the fitness center. The amenities inside the fitness center included decent equipment as well as fruit (not the best looking, but not the worst looking either), water, and cold towels.

In the end, the hotel provided a nice and comfortable room with free parking, free wifi, good customer service, and decent location with many restaurants and services within a short distance away.  While it is a bit further away from the Galleria (about a 15-minute drive) the added benefits of the hotel make the drive worth it.

Stay Report: Hilton Houston North, IAH Airport (Houston, Texas - December 2014)

Stay Report: Hilton Houston North, IAH Airport
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

We were flying in and out of Intercontinental Airport (IAH) so needed to find a nice, clean hotel that also provided easy access to the hotel.  We found a great hotel in the Hilton Houston North which provided great airport hotel (though not connected to the airport).  The Hilton Houston North is located about 15-20 minutes away from the airport and is situated between a business park and a mall. The property is very large, has ample parking with security around it, and is able to handle large crowds (many flight staff were staying at the hotel and many large holiday parties from the surrounding businesses were also taking place at the hotel)

As you enter into the lobby, the first thing you notice is how large it is.  Straight ahead is the restaurant and coffee area while to right are the check-in desks and waiting area as well as the elevators to the guest rooms (meeting rooms are to the left).  As the hotel is designed to handle large groups, check-in was smooth and efficient so we received our key and went to the room.  

The rooms are spacious and looked modern and updated with new Hilton amenities. We had a room with

photo courtesy of Booking.com

2 double beds so as you entered there was a bathroom to the right and a closet to the left.  The closet was standard and contained a shelf, hangers to hang your clothes, an iron and ironing board, as well additional blanket and pillow.  The bathroom contained a toilet, an updated sink and tub as well as bathroom toiletries but the bathroom had nod been renovated as much as the main room but it was still large and pleasant.  Further into the room on the right side were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle while across from this was a chest with drawers on the bottom and the TV stand and coffee stand on top and a mini refrigerator as part of the chest.  Next to the chest was a desk with a chair and between the bed and window, which faced out onto the parking lot, was a chair and a lamp.  The room was spacious and comfortable enough for an overnights sleep. 

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

As a full-service hotel there are many amenities for the guests including a fitness center, a pool, meeting rooms, a business center, parking and wifi.  The wifi was complimentary and it had decent speeds, enough to check email and watch videos.  The business center was located next to the meeting rooms on the first floor and contained 4 computers - 2 macs and 2 windows - which provided access to internet and office documents and could easily print out materials.  The hotel also offered late night dining (when we arrived around 11pm - both a cafe and room service were still available) as well as a breakfast buffet. There is a Starbucks in the lobby, but it was closed the morning we were there.  Self parking was available at no charge and there were plenty of spaces available as well.  The hotel did provide a shuttle to the airport, there were lots of shuttles, but this shuttle was combined with other hotels in the area (the Hilton, the Marriott, and the airport) but as I said the shuttles were plenty and ran often.

Overall, it was a nice stay at Hilton Houston IAH Airport.  I was traveling a lot to Houston during this December and I enjoyed my stay so much that I had rebooked the hotel for my other stays as well.  The positives are the spacious rooms, the complimentary self parking, complimentary wifi, and frequent shuttles.  The negatives are the distance away from the airports and the hotel easily sells out.

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Houston/Galleria Area (Houston, Texas - November 2012)

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Houston/Galleria Area

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

picture courtesy of Booking.com

I am always on the lookout for good, quality hotels within the Houston Galleria area.  I have previously stayed at other Hilton Garden Inn’s so when they opened up a property near the Galleria, we were excited to try out the product.  The hotel is located right behind the Galleria – the Galleria is located on the main street Westheimer and from there you go down a side street and 2 blocks later is where the HGI is located.  There are a lot of other hotels in the area, including a new Homewood Suites, a new Courtyard, and an older hotel that used to be the Staybridge Suites.  The location and the surrounding hotels are the positive about the location – the negative about the location is that the hotel is located right next to a gentleman’s/strip club.  By next door I mean the two businesses share a wall; they are that close.  While you cannot hear the noise from the club inside the hotel, it is still a little odd that you are pulling up to a hotel next to a strip club.

The hotel itself is the standard HGI – there is nothing fancy about it but the hotel provides a good HGI experience.  The hotel's entrance is situated close to the street so that the main entrance is right off of the street and the parking area is behind the hotel; there is plenty of parking available, but the hotel does charge for the parking.  Inside the lobby of the hotel is a restaurant, the check-in desks and the guest waiting area.  The waiting area has seats for guests to lounge in as well as additional seating area to do work and/or eat.  Once check-in was done, we received our keys and took the elevators up to the room.

The rooms were standard HGI rooms; a decent size so it did not feel too cramped but did provide enough room to more around.  We had chosen a room with 2 double beds so as you entered the room, on the left hand side was the bathroom and on the right hand side was the closet.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, a shower, as well as bathroom toiletries.  Again, the bathroom was a decent size so not too small but also not grand.  The closet was also decent in size and had a place to hang your clothes, a shelf on top, as well as an iron and ironing board.  In the main area of the room, on the left were the 2 double beds with a nightstand in between.  In between the beds and the window (which faced out onto the parking lot) was a sitting chair.  Against the opposite wall was a desk and a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV stand on top.  All the furniture and decorations were modern and up to do date HGI furnishings so the hotel did not look old.  The beds were comfortable and provided enough room for a comfortable sleep.

The hotel provides certain amenities for the guests to enjoy including wifi, parking, a restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, a business center, and meeting rooms.  Since I was there only for a short period, I was only able to enjoy the wifi (which was complimentary) and the parking (which had a costs).  The restaurant was available in the mornings and there are certain rooms/rates in which breakfast is complimentary but generally breakfast is not included.  The wifi was complimentary and the speeds were decent enough for email and videos.  Overall, the hotel provides a comfortable stay near the Galleria – nothing fancy but a good stay.  The only negative would be the location of the strip club next door, as that does not elicit a family-friendly atmosphere for the hotel.

Stay Report: Hilton Addis Ababa (Ethiopia - January 2014)

Stay Report: Hilton Addis Ababa
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

Photo Courtesy of Hilton.com

I had a really long layover in Addis Ababa (over 14 hours) so instead of spending it at the airport, I decided to use my points and relax at the Hilton Addis.  Overall, the hotel is very large and expansive with lots of amenities, but definitely needs to be updated.   

After you exit customs and enter the arrivals hall, there is a Hilton booth/stall where you can wait for transportation.  The hotel does not provide complimentary transportation, rather there are two paid options; either the Hilton shuttle or a private car.  The private car costs a little more, and since I had been flying all night and had assumed the private car would be quicker, I had booked that option; I was very wrong.  I entered the booth/stall with another couple who had paid for the shuttle; they waited for 2 minutes and went into the shuttle while 15 minutes later I was still waiting for the private car.  When the car finally showed up, it was dirty with trash all over the floor, looked run down, was uncomfortable, and the driver was playing a rap song with a lot of cursing and inappropriate language.  It was definitely not the way you want to start your trip. 

Photo Courtesy of Hilton.com

The hotel is located near the UN building but there is not much around it in terms of walking. The hotel does provide maps for shopping and other amenities if you want to take a cab or private car.  The hotel is a big complex with lots of people and is very busy. From the outside, the hotel looked like it was nicely built for the 1980's and has not been updated since then.  From the entrance, you walk up an outside walkway to the main lobby.  When you enter the lobby, straight ahead are the check-in desks while to left is the sitting area and to the right are other services/desks (see below for the facilities available).  Check-in went smoothly, I was given my key and quickly went to my room.  The first room I went to had an odd smell to it so I asked to be switched to another room. 

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The room was a decent size but was very outdated as both the room and the bathroom looked very good for the 1980's.  As you entered into the room, on the left was the bathroom while on the right was closet.  The bathroom had a sink, a tub, and a toilet, all of which looked outdated and were very low to the ground.  Further into the room, against the left wall was the bed while against the right wall was the chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top and a desk next to it.  I had a room with a king size bed, so that was against the wall with a nightstand on either side.  The bed itself was large and decent but not extremely comfortable; it was not uncomfortable but not extremely comfortable either.  

We had access to the club lounge and we went there for breakfast as well as cocktail hour.  The Club is not that big and it is divided into two sections – the first section on the left contained the food and drinks while in the right section was the seating area.  The seating area was enough for 15-20 people, which was fine for breakfast as there were not many people; however, for cocktail hour there were TONS of people so it felt congested and tight. 

As I said earlier, the hotel has a very big complex and there are lots of facilities for the guests to enjoy including:

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

• a money changer with good rates (note: remember to keep your receipt as we had charged food to the room and needed to pay that but the hotel needed a receipt from the hotel money changer to verify the exchange)
• Airline offices – Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways
• Safari and Tour Group Bookings
• An Olympic size pool (which was very busy in the evening time)
• a promenade with shops
• a restaurant near the pool (with decent food but service was a little slow and hectic)
• a spa and sauna with one of the best, and cheapest, massage I have ever had.

Photo Courtesy of Hilton.com

While the facilities provided for the guest are a great positive, a huge negative was the lack of customer service.  After the issue with the airport pick-up, I had asked the hotel to make note of it when I checked in.  When I followed up, I had to talk to multiple individuals because nobody spoke to each other.  It was very frustrating repeating the same information due to lack of communication amongst the staff.

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Hilton Addis.  The positives were the nice facilities and amenities available to the guest.  The negatives were the poor room quality and the poor front desk customer service.  It was definitely not the Hilton experience I was expecting, but it was better than sleeping at the airport.