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Old Feb 13, 2009, 4:56 am
  #61  
 
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Exec. Room Upgrade during reward stay (14nights/Dubrovnik)??

I have read so many great things about the Dubrovnik Hilton that I would like to spend my summer vacation (14 reward nights/July/HH Diamond) at this property. Any thoughts or comments on my chances to get upgraded to an exec. room?
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Old Feb 13, 2009, 12:30 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by HorstGHermann
I have read so many great things about the Dubrovnik Hilton that I would like to spend my summer vacation (14 reward nights/July/HH Diamond) at this property. Any thoughts or comments on my chances to get upgraded to an exec. room?
It is one of the best Hiltons I have been too. I as there on the 5 night reward and got an EX Plus corner room, with a very nice view. I did email the Hotel before my stay asking (and playing dumb) if I would get an upgrade on a reward stay. I was told yes, and was pre-assigned to the RX plus room. I would email not matter what and make sure you are in the main building. From what i'm told VIPs do.. Good luck and you will love the area.. Drive into Montenegro, also a very cool place..
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Old Feb 15, 2009, 12:28 pm
  #63  
 
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We got an upgrade for a 4 night stay (I'm Diamond) on arrival. 14 nights sounds quite a long stay though!
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Old Feb 16, 2009, 7:36 am
  #64  
 
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Originally Posted by HorstGHermann
I have read so many great things about the Dubrovnik Hilton that I would like to spend my summer vacation (14 reward nights/July/HH Diamond) at this property. Any thoughts or comments on my chances to get upgraded to an exec. room?
great location- beautiful hotel
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Old Feb 16, 2009, 9:40 am
  #65  
 
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Dubovnik Hilton

We had a three night award stay at this Hilton last May.
We are only Gold and were upgraded to a wonderful
corner room in the old building. The restaurant is
also especially nice and the breakfast was excellent.
Lounge was just ok...14 days is a rather long
stay in Dubrovnik...do plan some side trips.

Last edited by Flyer100; Feb 16, 2009 at 9:47 am
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Old Feb 16, 2009, 12:00 pm
  #66  
 
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Originally Posted by Flyer100
14 days is a rather long
stay in Dubrovnik...do plan some side trips.
Agree.. but there is stuff to do if you get a car, or do a boat trip. Split is very nice, but doing that in a day would be too much, unless you fly for the day.
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Old Feb 17, 2009, 1:23 pm
  #67  
 
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Oh, no. Unless you have some real plans for traveling I really don't know how you could spend 14 days in Dubrovnik. I was there this weekend for the first time and 4 days was 1 day too much.

However, the hotel was great (with a few minor hitches) and I will be posting a full review (with pictures!) very shortly.

FYI I was upgraded to an executive plus room as a Gold, although the hotel was quite empty as it's off season and several people were upgraded to executive rooms/lounge - including those who booked on a deal through Expedia.....
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Old Feb 17, 2009, 2:35 pm
  #68  
 
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Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik review

Had a great stay at the Hilton Dubrovnik recently but not quite a 5/5. First the background: my wife and I booked a long weekend Thursday through Sunday on the Hilton Eastern flavours promotion. This included 1000 extra HH points and a free guided tour of the city. As an HHonors Gold I booked directly through the Hilton website – in this case a normal King room.
It was our first trip to Dubrovnik (and Croatia) so spent a little time finding our way about. The currency is the local Kuna (@7.4Kn to one GBP at this time), Euros did not seem to be used outside of the hotels. Most credit cards incl. Amex are usable in almost all places.

From the airport you can take a shuttle or taxi. The shuttle is located directly outside of the airport to the left and costs 35Kn per person (@5 GBP). The shuttle will take you to Pile Gate (pronounced Pee-lay). The distance is about 17km and in light traffic takes 20 minutes. I’m told in the peak of summer it can take up to 2 hours!

The Hilton hotel is perfectly located about 100m above Pile Gate. You will see the Hilton on the hill directly across from the bus stand and you need to cross over the street and take the stairs up to the main entrance. Bear this in mind if you have lots of heavy luggage.

On arrival we were greeted by the receptionist who was, as were all the staff, exceptionally friendly and helpful. We were upgraded to an Executive room plus on the 4th floor South East side with a balcony and fantastic view over the Old Town. Although I am an HH Gold, this is off season and the hotel was about a third full, if that. So several people, including those on package holidays with no HH status were also upgraded. As the hotel only has 140 rooms and is one of the few hotels close to town, I don’t know how easily one might get upgraded in peak season. Breakfast was also included free, although not part of my room rate. This is probably because breakfast was not available in the Executive Lounge. Flights out of Dubrovnik are late afternoon and the hotel was happy to offer late checkout (3pm in our case) free of charge.

Contrary to other reviews, we found that the executive lounge (also on the 4th floor) was not great. There was rarely any food at all and the few snacks in there pretty awful (time of year?), but it is also quite small and when there are a few people in (10+) it feels quite claustrophobic. However, there is a balcony you can move on to. Top tip: make sure you get lounge access added to your room key when you check in as it appears not to be done automatically.

In retrospect, I would include breakfast as part of your room booking or HHonors My Way as there are no alternatives close by (i.e. cafes) unless you go into the town and find a tourist trap.

The room itself was very nice and like the hotel, exceptionally clean. I did feel it was very plain and lacked character, but I guess Dubrovnik itself makes up for that. Our room has a balcony overlooking the Old Town ( believe the balcony is the difference between Exec room and Exec room plus) and although only big enough for a table and 2 chairs, it was great to have tea out there in the morning and watch the town wake up.

Room views depend very much on the room. I only had a quick scout, so please take this as a guide only, but I worked out the following room guide:
The hotel front faces approx SSW and so has sun from mid morning to late afternoon. The lounge is on that side and takes up most of the floor, however the corner rooms on either side 422 & 427 have great views. Of those two, 427 seems the best as it is on the side by the Old Town. The other Exec Plus rooms with views of the Old Town (ESE) are the even numbers 438-444. All other rooms will be Exec rooms on the inside with views of the rather dark inner courtyard, or on the North side above the reception and car park.

I’m guessing the same number guide will apply to the floors below (336-348 evens) for the East South East view of the Old Town (just due to another building in the way). On the South side, the suite appears to be 325 in the middle with rooms 327 and 323 on either side (also good rooms I’d judge).
Food: We didn’t eat in the restaurant as it was typically expensive and, well, it seems only right to visit the town if you’re only there for 3-4 days. Breakfast was a wide choice but the quality was perhaps not quite up to other Hiltons I’ve stayed at recently. It does include, however, pretty much all you’d expect from cereals through to cold meats, cheese, pastries and cooked foods. To be honest there was little local alternative and when we were there was no food in the exec lounge.

There is a bar on the ground floor which is also typically expensive (@5 Euros +for a beer) and if I have one complaint about this hotel it is that smoking is still allowed in public areas. Because of this we avoided the bar and restaurant. I can’t really blame the Hilton for this, I guess that some parts of Europe still haven’t caught up yet and they have to roll with it – it did cost them my business though.

As mentioned elsewhere, the lift system is a bit odd, lifts go from 0-4 and separate lifts go 0 to -2 where the fitness centre is. This means changing lifts to go to breakfast or the pool/gym. Not a problem….just quirky.
The pool area (open 7am to 10pm) is indoors, covered and really quite nice with sunlight through the glass ceiling. The pool was warmi(ish) and about 20m square. With 4 or 5 people swimming it does feel a little crowded. I’d hate to think what it might be like if the hotel was busy. I’d also like to see them ban mobile phones as the room is quite echo’y and people jabbering away was quite annoying. The pool area also has a sauna and steam room which were nice, although not as hot as hoped. Likewise it is also used by locals who whilst pleasant enough, seem to be stuck in Speedo hell. Urrrrggghhh, not so nice! Please, please people, communism and stone wash jeans are out. Ditch the Speedos!!

There was also a well equipped gym (open 24hrs) and spa area. The spa treatments are fairly priced, quite varied and after my wife tried 3 or 4, come recommended. Although she though the massage was perhaps a little too light. I can’t comment! There are changing rooms, showers, towels and lockers in the gym/pool area so no need to change beforehand.

The hotel itself was recently renovated and has a very new and bright feel. It has a number of business rooms and would no doubt make an ideal conference hotel. There is no free wi-fi in the public areas as in other hiltons, but there is a business centre on the ground floor. Internet access is charged by the minute here (2.45Kn per minute, 4.5 Kn per A4 print). It is quite slow and to log on to check in and print a boarding pass tooks about 3 minutes. However, I now realise that you can’t check in online from Dubrovnik so don’t bother.

The hotel is ideally located for the Old Town. There are very few other quality hotels in this area. Instead they tend to be beach hotels a few Km away. If you want to visit the Old Town, this is THE hotel for you. However, the town is very small (3 hours and you have seen every nook and cranny), so if you are here for beaches or more than 3 to 4 days I’d consider another option. Alternatively, a car is an absolute must.

We were here off season and the town was very quiet indeed. I’m told in the summer it gets crazy and you can barely get into the town, let alone walk around it. I really couldn’t visit in those times. I gather tourist season starts in earnest in April but really kicks in from June when cruise ships start arriving, plus more flights from the US and Japan. I was hoping more from the restaurants in town, especially good, fresh fish, but this wasn’t to be. I found eating here really disappointing. I’d get out and find something along the coast, but I couldn’t tell you where.

The trip back to the airport was by taxi as the shuttle buses do not run from Pile Gate to the airport. The cost was 200Kn @ 40 Euros (I though this was very expensive) and took 20 mins. This was on a quite Sunday afternoon though. The fare is metered by the Km and time so be aware that in the summer when traffic is bad this could be a lot more. The airport is new and quite small, but there is a large duty free shop airside (although not particularly cheap either). Forget the airline business lounge, it was small and dreadful! I’m sure this is what communist days dentist waiting rooms looked like. Eek. No food, but drinks in the lounge.

Overall then. Fantastic town, location, hotel and staff for a long weekend off season. However, location is not great for a beach holiday or long stay, particularly in the summer. Get breakfast included somehow, either through HHonors or room and be aware that the public areas are smoking allowed. Finally, take your gym kit/swimming costume but please leave the speedos! Enjoy.

Photos of room, hotel and views attached on Tripadvisor review.
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Old Feb 17, 2009, 5:28 pm
  #69  
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Nice review; we stayed there on an Award last June.

I could envisage it as I read and the picture is basically as I remembered is except there was quite reasonable food in the Exec lounge. We did use the restaurant one eveing and it was very good (if, as posted, somewhat exy).

It did take us an hour to travel to the airport (we had a hire car).
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Old Oct 14, 2010, 9:34 am
  #70  
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Currently here on a 6 nt award stay. Got a (larger than normal) room on the 3rd floor, end of the wing with a view of the walled city and large patio + lounge access. Too bad the weather has been bad except for the1st day.

Meal services are breakfast from 7-11a. Just cold stuff but more than adequate for the Germanic soul (except no boiled eggs). Nothing but nuts and wine from then until 3p when a tea (with pastries) is served until 5-6p (they said 6p but it's 530p here and the pastries have gone. Very small selection of hors d'oeuvres from 6 until about 9 with spirits. Same stuff every day pretty much and don't count on it for dinner unless your appetite is light. Lounge is open until 11p but the drinks are put away well before that if you want a digestif.

Got water in the room (not today so far) as well as dessert plate on the first day and hors d'oeuvres plates since. Was invited to one Diamond reception. Just some cocktails and pretty much the same hors d'oeuvres.

The inhouse restaurant (pricey) is said to be one of the best places to eat (Croatian food isn't very inspired). WIll go there for the incidental. Report: food isn't very good here, and surprisingly pricey (makes the Villa Igiae in Palermo seem reasonable. Food in Croatia is quite pricey compared to southern Italy.

For cheaper food, try the Taj Mahal (Bosnian) in old town. One of the better places if you're sicked of fried fish and over-salty Croat cooking.

Last edited by YVR Cockroach; Oct 28, 2010 at 11:39 am
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Old Oct 14, 2010, 9:55 am
  #71  
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Thanks for the updated report, YVR Cockroach!

An excellent restaurant in my experience is near you - no, not the overpriced very tourist-infested Nautica, but below and behind Nautica on the rocky cove, Orhan. <link>
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Old Oct 14, 2010, 10:02 am
  #72  
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Thanks. We did pass by Orhan and heard good things about it (both as a cheap but good place to stay) and a good place to eat. Croat food has just got us down.

This place also sells UGs to the exec facilities to those staying on tours. Large group of older U.S. tourists just did that an hour or two ago, with one complaining she got a 3rd floor room with balcony and view (could have gotten a 4th floor courtyard view but I digress).
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Old Oct 15, 2010, 4:17 am
  #73  
 
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Hi YVR Cockroach, I reported problems with a Reward Stay at this hotel earlier in the year, I think I probably posted it in the Upgrade thread or one about "not being given breakfast" or probably both.

I failed to post it here so apologies.

The Manager has been very stringent in the past on Reward Stays with regard to not giving Lounge Access to Gold/Diamond VIP (citing that it was full when it was not) and I suspect that the sparse provision of drinks etc. is a further cut back. We did manage to have breakfast in the restaurant downstairs and it may be worth you enquiring if one day you could avail yourself of this facility.

We found a very simple but lovely little restaurant just inside the city walls high up near the highest tower. To get there; pop through the Pile gate and when possible turn left and keep climbing up the steps until you reach the city walls, follow this round to the right and you should find it on the right hand side. I think it is called Lady Pi Pi and has a disconcerting fountain outside but the food, whilst simple is very tasty. I expect that the weather may not permit the outside upper seating area to be used at present but there is a wood burning pizza oven upon which they cook varius dishes including a lovely lamb dish and the fish is always fresh. We ate here a lot during our week in Dubrovnik.

Many of the other restaurants in this upper part are a bit touristy and priced accordingly. The restaurants to the right of the main thoroughfare after you have passed through the Pile gate tend to be more reasonable.

I hope you have an enjoyable time and do go on the little ferry boat across to the nearest island. There's a nice little place to grab a sandwich 100m up from where the boat drops you off.
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Old Jan 22, 2011, 7:57 pm
  #74  
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any recent experience at the Imperial? Looking to head there in May, most likely on an AXON stay. Anyone have any idea of spa treatment prices?

Thanks
FDW
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Old Feb 2, 2011, 7:41 am
  #75  
 
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Flying Doctor - I will be staying there in mid-March and will give you an update, if no one sheds light on it before Got a pretty good rate too - 84EUR/night for King, and already got an upgrade confirmed....
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