aleph08

I have booked via the Hilton website a stay at Hilton Nagoya for this coming Sunday.
Their cheapest corporate rate was 20,000yen (+ 10% service and 5% tax).

They had a Smart Basic Plan for 21,000yen, including buffet breakfast or buffet lunch. Since I am Gold VIP, I thought that if I get upgraded to the Executive Floor I'll choose lunch and if I am not, I'll probably choose breakfast.

I found out on their Japanese website that the Smart Basic Plan is inclusive of 10% service charge however, there is a surcharge of 2,000yen per person if the following day is Sunday or a public holiday (Monday 8 is a public holiday). Meaning 4,000yen more if two people are staying.

I called Hilton Nagoya to check and the lady at reservation told me that I would be requested to pay for the plan + surcharge, i.e. 25,000yen + 5% tax at check-out. I told her that the same Smart Basic Plan (code number was the same) could be booked on the Hilton website without the surcharge for Oct. 7 but she said that the surcharge would be added all the same.

She also told me that an upgrade to the Executive Floor would be very difficult because the following day is a public holiday.

I now have booked a Deluxe Room Floors 23. 27 for 21,000yen on the Hilton website. I have a printout with me showing the rate and all the details. I am thinking to bring it with me on Sunday.

Before I check-in, I will clarify all this and if Hilton Nagoya is not willing to honour the rate of my website reservation, I will simply cancel it. I hate to argue and I think that the rate, once booked, should be garanteed. Any similar experience?

thezipper

Here is some advice... I stayed at the Osaka Hilton last month and didnt get upgraded, although the web site said there were rooms available on the executive floor. When talking to Hilton after I got back, they said that if the web site says "rooms available" then either they are or someone didnt upload the hotel load factors that morning. If you dont get the UG, check the site, then point that out to the HHonors manager and let them try to explain that. In addition to not getting the upgrade in Osaka, they also denied me access to the exec floor lounge, just got the breakfast coupons. Good luck in Nagoya!

aleph08

Thank you for your advice, thezipper.
My main problem this time is that the reservation staff at Hilton Nagoya said it will not honour my guaranteed reservation rate of 21,000yen booked at the Hilton.com website and automatically add a surcharge according to their own surcharge scheme.

Of course I'd love to get an upgrade to the Executive Floor, but I'm not very optimistic here...

thezipper

If you have a problem.... document it all!!! Walk in there prepared with a pen and paper and take all the names, their titles, etc. Ask him/her how she spells Matsumoto.... etc. Then take it up with corporate. I've heard from the boards and my experience that Hilton Japan likes to try and play by their rules. Stick to your guns, if you have to pay, I'm sure you'll get something better in return from corporate once they settle the mess out. Also CC adam burke on any e-mail. He is THE Hilton Customer Service God when it comes to making wrongs...right.

aleph08

Later, I will post about what happens tomorrow. As I said, if they are going to even start making my stay an unpleasant one by asking me a surcharge because it's their rules, I'll just cancel it and walk away.

I hate to think that I'm going to argue for things I should be entitled to, especially as I will pay more than 20,000yen. It's rather depressing. I mean, sometimes I feel like begging things, and I'm not even talking about Executive Floor Upgrades.

But anyway, enough ranting.
One last thing: does anybody know if there is a line somewhere in the website that the rate booked online is a guaranteed rate?

aleph08

Here's my report. I had sent an email to Hilton's Internet Help Desk to confirm that a rate booked on the website was garanteed. The agent had forwarded the email to Hilton Nagoya, which had arrived to the Front Desk Manager, who rectified the situation before I checked in. I found out later on that he had sent me an email, and he explained to me that he believes the problem occurred because the worldwide on-line reservation system does not read Japanese holidays, and as a meaning of his apology, he informed me that my rate of yen 21,000 was garanteed for that day.

Anyway, I didn't know this at the time of check-in, so I went, without a lot of expectations at about 4pm.

So I was presented a pre-typed sheet with my name and a rate of 21,000yen but on the 20th floor, not on the 23rd floor as confirmed with my booking (why would hotels garantee the floor level if they cannot really garantee it?) But anyway, I didn't want to argue and just asked 'is there a chance of upgrade to the Executive Floor?'. The lady at check-in made a phone call and she said that there is only a two-bed room available now so if I needed a king/queen size one-bed room, I'd have to wait for an hour more or less. I said I'd wait! Then she went back to the phone and a room was ready right away. I was taken by another lady to the Executive Floor lounge/check-in on the 26th floor.

They assigned a smoking room but I wasn't bothered by the smell at all so I didn't complain (they could have told me that it was not what I specified). The room was quite plain but all the bathroom amenities, including the Molton Brown shower gel/shampoo/conditioner/lotion/soap are very nice. One complimentary bottle (500ml) of mineral water.

They were having a dessert buffet at the lounge so we went and had some tea and cakes. We also had breakfast at the lounge, which was very nice, they had scrambled eggs, bacon/sausages, fruits, yoghurt, various bread/toast, cereals, orange and grapefruit juice. Very nice.

Service of the lounge concierge was very discreet and helpful.
As we had breakfast at the lounge, we had lunch with the Smart Basic Plan coupon at the Terrace on the 2nd floor and it was a Pasta Buffet Lunch, which was very nice.

So, all in all it turned out to be quite a good stay and I sent an email to the Front Desk Manager for his gesture.

Fly Boy

Does anyone have recent feedback/experience with the Nagoya Hilton? Any comments would be much appreciated

Fly Boy

I am scheduled to visit Nagoya and would be grateful if any of you have some feedback on this property, it's Executive Floor, etc. I have tried searching for info but there aren't really any posts about this hotel.

Thanks!

Dr,Lion

Hilton Nagoya is a very good hotel. It takes about 15minutes from Nagoya station or 3 minutes from nearest subway station on foot. There are 7 direct buses from airport a day. Hilton Nagoya may be, IMHO, better than Hilton Tokyo & Osaka. If you are going to stay there, then, don't miss the exe-lounge. The people is very helpful. Every saturday afternoon, you can enjoy the desert buffe in the EXE-lounge.

Fly Boy

Thanks for the feedback! I am looking forward to seeing this hotel. Hopefully they will honour the HHonors policy re access to Exec Lounge and fitness facilities!

Dr,Lion

In my experiences, they always honoured Exec upgrade if available or breakfast coupon for two, when fully booked, and fitness facilities without asking! I have once asked about it. But, at that time, the hotelier was trainy!

Fly Boy

I have noticed there is a conspicuous lack of feedback on this property so I thought I would post this review here as opposed to in Trip Reports etc

I must say, the service at this property was great. Literally immediately as I walked through the main lobby door, I was whisked up to the Executive Lounge to check-in, bellhops in tow with the baggage. Check-in was swift, and the agent apologised that only a queen room was left as opposed to the king I had requested. I was offered a beverage by the lounge attendant (but declined) and then proceeded, with bellhops in tow again, to the room to deposit the luggage.

Wow. These rooms are much nicer than those at the Tokyo Hilton. Stunning apholstery, and state-of-the-art technology, complete with automated "Do Not Disturb" signs, an automated toilet with all sorts of neat features, and remote-controlled lighting. The usual Japanese amenities were in the room (ie green tea, slippers, yukata etc). Note that in this hotel, for those that prefer traditional Japanese-style rooms, they are apparantly considered suites on the Executive Floor. As I was leaving to go for a walk, when I was half-way down the hall I noticed 3 staff members trying to get in my room. When I returned, there was a card with a hand-written note from the General Manager and a fruit plate. A very nice touch.

In the evening, the lounge has snacks, but they are nothing to write home about. They didn't seem to have Champagne, but had a good bottle of Nihon Shu which was pretty much emptied every night. Also a good offering of beer including Guiness, Heineken, Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin, etc. Note that in this lounge they have far more beverages available than are on display, so if you want something else or would like a fancy cocktail of some sort, ask one of the attendants. You'd be surprised what they have back there!

Attendants were excellent sources for advice and seemed to double as concierges. They speak English well, and one used to work as a tourguide in Toronto, Canada. However, some of their information was out of date. For example, I had hoped to visit the Nagoya Noh Theatre but they said there were no performances while I was in town. I later discovered that there was indeed a performance. So I would take their advice more for restaurants etc, but do your own due dilligence for bigger outings if you get a negative response. The Business Centre in the main lobby may be good for this. The small room has English and Japanese computer terminals, and a printer. There is a charge for using the facility but it is waived for Exec Floor customers and from what I understand HHonors VIP members (for short visits)

The lounge also has a wide range of books (including novels - they even had a Harry Potter novel!) magazines and newspapers, including Japanese travel guidebooks - eg Frommers, Lonely Planet etc (in Engligh) as well as coffee table-style books on Japan. They even have National Geographic magazines. They also have a CD player with a selction of CDs that guests can peruse/listen to.

Breakfast in the lounge is great - I preferred it by far to some other Hilton properties, although the Hilton Cavalieri is tough to beat. They have a great offering of hot and cold Japanese and Western food. Just as an example, for fruit they often have things like casis-poached pears, strawberries, mango, etc. Wide variety of yogurt and cereals; eggs, bacon & sausage; and Japanese offerings such as scallops, baby octopus, and pickled vegetables as well as traditional Japanese porridge. There were also salad choices and cherry tomatoes, and cold cuts etc. Anyway to sum it up - breakfast here gets high marks from me. Only problem was they brought out green tea by the cup, and after 3 cups I started to feel bad asking the staff for refills.

The piece de resistance however is the cake buffet which appears late afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays. I unfortunately missed it this time around but wish I hadn't. It is said to be an amazing array of deserts.

If you are in the hotel around lunch time, check out the hotel Japanese restaurant, Genji, for their Japanese buffet lunch. It is a great selection of food (including some Kaiseki stuff) for a reasonable price at about ¥1200.

Health Club facilities are simply amazing. Swimming pool, saunas, whirpool, and - get this - TENNIS COURTS! Even though this hotel is smack in the middle of downtown Nagoya, they have cleverly designed tennis courts. And if you don't happen to have any tennis shoes or a racket with you, they can fit you with both at the health club reception. The hallways have posters basically explaining why americans are obese and the health complications that arise from this. They were a bit graphic and sort of a turn-off. Other amenities there are a gym/excercise room, and traditional Japanese baths (hot & cold!) as well as a wide array of toiletries, mostly Molton Brown, which also comprised a good part of the in-room amenities. Each room has a guide for running around the local area, for those that are so inclined.

Check-out was efficient and pleasant, and a bellhop took my luggage to the lobby. This hotel has a shuttle direct to Nagoya Airport, but it has blackout times each day and mainly services international flight times. Alternatives are taxis or the other shuttles that leave from the Nagoya Station area.

I was not only pleased with this property but will return here without question on my next visit. Only concern is that traffic has been so low, there was talk about some of the Exec Lounge staff being made redundant. I hope they can maintain the service level because as nice as the property is, the amenities are a major draw for business and leisure travellers alike.

m

I stayed here 2 years ago, and I second most but not all of your post. My room was only okay, and my bed was the hardest bed I have ever experienced. But the health club, inc. health club and pool, was outstanding. Also their Clubroom was great. What made it super was the staff - the best possible. They were the nicest, most responsive staff imaginable. They always brought an Asian Wall Street Journal to my executive level room. Every request was greeted with a smile and immediate response. You have to ask for every little thing, though, except at breakfast, when food items are displayed. Again, the staff are the best possible!

m

Also, the Sat. and Sun. afternoon dessert feasts are marvelous

63A?-OK!

Good morning!
Your description of life at the Nagoya Hilton (I am there 4or5 nights a month) is almost perfect...
I'd also like to add that the 26th floor staff will give you a coupon if you choose to take breakfast at the 2nd floor restaurant (larger buffet).
A note: while there is a 3000yen charge for the health club, Elite members are given free admission (combined with a 2000 yen breakfast and free drinks from 5PM in the lounge makes for an affordable stay).