Hilton HHonors - What are the best Scotland/ireland hotels

I did a search but there was nothing really current except Conrad Dublin. I am off to the north for my first jaunt around and need a Hilton bed run. but do not want to stay at dumps. :(

flying in and out of Glasgow but the 2 nights special finishes the day after i arrive so thought Id hit dunkeld first
I am considering 2 nts Dunblane 2 dunkeld 2 caledonian EDI 1 Hilton Glasgow that leaves 3 either dublin or where else should i attempt?
I am diamond and probably cant afford to eat so a club would be great. :D

also where MUST I see?

Hi tinkybelle,

All of the hotels you mentioned are good hotels ( Have not stayed at Dunkeld but it looks nice).

The only hotel with a lounge is the Hilton Glasgow.

When are you plannig on travelling as Dunkled is more suited to outdoor activities and in winter it might get a bit wet!!

Healthclubs at the Caledonian,Glasgow and Dunblane are very good.

Regards

TBS

PS What to See

Glasgow- the Burrell Collection , University area and art collection and shopping down Sauchiehall Street.
Edinburgh- Princes Steet/The Castle/RoyalMile/Holyrood house/Dynamic earth/arthurs seat ( if you like walking)/Scot monument
Dunblane- close to Stirling so you can visit the Castle and the Wallace monument.

Hi ya Callum
thanks for the prompt reply as its getting a bit close and I am ashamedly void of knowledge of this country!

Im arriving on 4th sept so should be ok?
do I need a fur coat?
winter woolies
I imagine it is windy @:-)
are u gonna be around?

Hilton Belfast is nice and has an exec lounge. Hilton Strathclyde isn't and doesn't.

Come prepared for every weather. You'll probably get it.

also where MUST I see?

If you are interested in your family history, and if you have any Scottish ancestors, then a visit to the general Register House in Edinburgh can be most rewarding. Also, if you happen to have any Scottish convicts in you family tree, you may be able to read a very detailed account of their "crime" at the National Archives.

Just as in Australia, pub meals can be excellent and cheap.

I did a search but there was nothing really current except Conrad Dublin. I am off to the north for my first jaunt around and need a Hilton bed run. but do not want to stay at dumps. :(

flying in and out of Glasgow but the 2 nights special finishes the day after i arrive so thought Id hit dunkeld first
I am considering 2 nts Dunblane 2 dunkeld 2 caledonian EDI 1 Hilton Glasgow that leaves 3 either dublin or where else should i attempt?
I am diamond and probably cant afford to eat so a club would be great. :D

also where MUST I see?

Hi Tinkybelle,

There is some useful info on Scottish Hiltons in this recent thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446970&highlight=caledonian
As already stated, the Glasgow Hilton is the only Scottish Hilton wth an Executive lounge. Vey nice hotel, but not the best of locations. For one night, I would certainly recommend it. From there, assuming you're hiring a car, there is a great drive over to Dunkeld and the Hilton. You travel on the A82 road via Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Great drive with wonderful scenery. At Crianlarich, follow the A85 and then the A827 alongside Loch Tay. It's about 120 miles of winding country roads but with a few sightseeing stops, this would take a day and get you to Dunkeld House Hilton. Much better than the motorway routes via Stirling or Edinburgh, but I would assume you would return via Edinburgh for your stay there. I also like the Craigendarroch Hilton, but that's quite a bit further north towards Aberdeen.

With regard to the 2-night specials which include dinner on the first night and breakfast both mornings, these are usually ongoing and when the summer specials end, the similar or even cheaper autumn specials usually start. However, they may not advertise these until early September. They're usually good value and you get HHonors points for these stays. You have to prepay, so it might be worth making normal bookings and seeing if you can change to these nearer the time.

Have a great time - if the weather's good, Scotland takes some beating! We'll be up there at the end of September.

Thankyou all for the suggestions. i feel a lot better now!
I was getting so confused with all the names etc.

yes my husbands family owned kilravock castle so we plan staying there
(and I loose 2 very needed status nights!what cant every castle be a hilton??)
so how cold will it be?I am traveling with 3 others so 4 suitcases!
whats the best type of car to get? and has anyone seen any good deals there.
yes I will book the cheapest changeable and await some good deals in sept.

keep the suggestions coming as i will print out the thread and tick everything off as I go!
NOW Im getting excited! :D

tinkybelle, you might gleam some information from my Honeymoon TR (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182359&page=2) (read from post #22) which included a stay at Dublin and Belfast Hilton's. Belfast was by far the better property (as we were upgraded to Exec Floor :cool: ).

that leaves 3 either dublin or where else should i attempt?
I am diamond and probably cant afford to eat so a club would be great. :D
also where MUST I see?

Tinkybelle - another suggestion. Instead of flying to Dublin, you could continue and drive south on the A1 road to the Newcastle/Gateshead Hilton, about 100 miles south of Edinburgh. On the way, stop off in the town of Alnwick and visit the Castle. This is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland and they have spent several years developing the Alnwick Garden in the castle grounds. It has waterfalls, fountains and a huge tree house.

Newcastle and Gateshead are situated on the banks of the River Tyne and the hotel overlooks the Quayside and the bridges. The Tyne Bridge is very similar to the Sydney Harbour bridge, but smaller. The new impressive Sage Music centre is very close to the hotel. This is a good base for touring round the area. Newcastle has a small Chinatown area and plenty of pubs and restaurants. Durham City is only 20 miles south and has a very picturesque cathedral and castle overlooking the river. On the way there, drive past the Angel of the North, a huge sculpture overlooking the A1 road in Gateshead. Gateshead also has the Metrocentre, one of the largest shopping malls and entertainment centres in Europe. The Northumberland coastal region also has several castles at Lindisfarne Holy Island, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Tynemouth as well as loads of deserted beaches, especially in September, when the weather is starting to get a bit chilly!

The Hilton itself is only 2 years old and does have an Executive lounge. We stayed there 2 years ago for our wedding anniversary and were very impressed, getting upgraded to the Executive Floor. However since then, I have read mixed reports, so I am not sure how they currently treat Golds and Diamonds. They charge for parking but do have an underground car park. One word of warning. Newcastle itself gets extremely busy at weekends and on Friday and Saturday nights can be a bit wild and rowdy with the pubs and clubs full to capacity!

You could return to Glasgow via a stop in Keswick, a lovely town situated on Lake Derwentwater in the English Lakeland. There are some great walks around Derwentwater and a visit to Ashness Bridge, a few miles drive along the lake is highly recommended.

It is difficult to predict the weather at any time in the UK. September can be sunny, but don't expect very hot weather. Nights are starting to get chilly. I would certainly expect to get some rain at times but I don't think you'll need fur coats. Certainly bring an umbrella. I accept no responsibility for that weather forecast. :D

Hilton Dublin Airport is good and rates are very low, approx 98euro/night

flying in and out of Glasgow but the 2 nights special finishes the day after i arrive so thought Id hit dunkeld first


Was just checking some future stays myself and most of the UK Hiltons are showing the UK special offers after 5 Sept now. As stated, these rates include breakfast on both days and dinner on first night. They are non-refundable pre-paid rates - a bit like Net Direct rates in the US.

Just spent four days at Hilton Dunblane, love the hotel (2nd visit), great castle exterior. They have club level rooms that are nice. Like I said I love the location, we used it as a base for the British Open.

A couple of days ago I posted a reply in this (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=440551) thread re: two rewards stay I had last month.

Bottom line: Hilton Belfast: ^ , Hilton Dublin City Center: mediocre

So far I have edinburgh caledonian inc dinner 2 nights at 249 pound.
then thought we would head for ireland 2 nights conrad dublin then 2 nights tullow. then back to aberdeen 1 night 2 dunblane then glasgow where our friends drop us off as we have to leave
they are there for another few days. :cool:

can they do day trips or do they need another few night trips out of town? :(

So far I have edinburgh caledonian inc dinner 2 nights at 249 pound.
then thought we would head for ireland 2 nights conrad dublin then 2 nights tullow. then back to aberdeen 1 night 2 dunblane then glasgow where our friends drop us off as we have to leave
they are there for another few days. :cool:

can they do day trips or do they need another few night trips out of town? :(

Tinkybelle,

The Caledonian is doing the UK Specials (pre-paid) for the 1st week in September (excluding arrival 5 Sept)at £164 per night per room, which includes dinner on the 1st night. This is a much better deal than £249 per night you've quoted above and the saving over 2 nights would more than pay for dinner and wine on the 2nd night. Also as Diamond, you should get upgraded to a better room.

The Glasgow Hilton is certainly suitable for day trips - they may actually want to relax after your hectic schedule! Have a great time.

my rate is 249 pound fr 2 nights inc dinner.so 125 pound pn
I had to race there from glasgow airport though as the rate does finish on 5th

I did a search but there was nothing really current except Conrad Dublin. I am off to the north for my first jaunt around and need a Hilton bed run. but do not want to stay at dumps. :(

flying in and out of Glasgow but the 2 nights special finishes the day after i arrive so thought Id hit dunkeld first
I am considering 2 nts Dunblane 2 dunkeld 2 caledonian EDI 1 Hilton Glasgow that leaves 3 either dublin or where else should i attempt?
I am diamond and probably cant afford to eat so a club would be great. :D

also where MUST I see?
Dunkeld is great and although the wife and I are members of the health club at Dunblane Hilton it is not that great a place to stay in my opinion. Dunkeld is set in over 350 acres of lower Scottish highlands(breathtaking scenery) with outstanding food (if a little pricey). We stay there at least 6 times a year for lesiure. The other great thing is that mobile telephones hardly work at all!

my rate is 249 pound fr 2 nights inc dinner.so 125 pound pn
I had to race there from glasgow airport though as the rate does finish on 5th

Sorry, my mistake - I assumed you meant £249 per night. £125 is an amazing rate for the Caledonian in September, especially including breakfast and dinner. Even though I've complained about the hotel in the past, I will try it again after the refurbishments and hope it's improved as it's in a great location. Certainly hope I can get rates that good.

Yes the "normal" hilton website says 164 pouind per night but
the www.hilton.co.uk

click on the specials for scotland and ireland and
there it is 249 pound for 2 nights inc breakky and dinner.
500 pound for 2 rooms 2 nights -bargain!!!
I would imagine that as diamond we would get breakky but
also

we really dont want dinner on the first night. has anyone had a problem with having in on the second.
we will be so stuffed from our trip from oz that I doubt we will be around by 7pm!!

we really dont want dinner on the first night. has anyone had a problem with having in on the second.
we will be so stuffed from our trip from oz that I doubt we will be around by 7pm!!

Your best bet would probably be to email the hotel direct and ask if you can switch dinner to the second night, seem a reasonable request to me

Yes the "normal" hilton website says 164 pouind per night but
the www.hilton.co.uk

click on the specials for scotland and ireland and
there it is 249 pound for 2 nights inc breakky and dinner.
500 pound for 2 rooms 2 nights -bargain!!!
I would imagine that as diamond we would get breakky but
also

we really dont want dinner on the first night. has anyone had a problem with having in on the second.
we will be so stuffed from our trip from oz that I doubt we will be around by 7pm!!

Yes, I keep forgetting to check out the UK site. I find it's not so user friendly. Sometimes can get good deals by ringing the hotels direct. I would certainly try e-mailing them to explain about your long journey and ask to have dinner on the second night. When we were staying at the London Hilton on Park Lane a few months ago, they even gave us the option of having dinner on first or second night. As regards the weather, it's been very pleasant lately, so I hope it lasts for you!