FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Hilton Garden Inn Bristol City Centre {GBR}
Old Jul 12, 2013, 5:14 am
  #11  
BotB
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol, UK
Programs: HH D, Rad Plat
Posts: 5,352
Part 2 of review:

When you enter the room, the bathroom is on the side and is a decent size with good quality fittings:


bathroom by BA_pics, on Flickr

Behind the toilet, you find a nice selection of Neutrogena amenities:


amenities by BA_pics, on Flickr

Sink area:


sink1 by BA_pics, on Flickr

Powerful shower and plenty of HOT water ^^ :


shower by BA_pics, on Flickr

Park view, with St. Mary Redcliffe Church in the distance (where the DT Bristol is located).


view towards redland church by BA_pics, on Flickr

A small but opening window for fresh air if you prefer that to A/C.


window by BA_pics, on Flickr

The 5th floor plan (which is the same I imagine for the remaining 4 other floors):


5th floor plan by BA_pics, on Flickr

So, a nice hotel, very friendly staff (especially in the restaurant at breakfast! ^^) The breakfast was good and you could order eggs from a cook if you didn't want the scrambled eggs in the buffet. The waffle machine was working and very popular. It looked like you could order special coffee as well but I felt like tea this time so didn't try that myself.

Would I come back? Yes, it is a nice hotel and good value for money compared to the Holiday Inn Express nearby or the Novotel next door…however, if I had a choice and the price was the same I would personally stay at the Doubletree just 500m down the road. The DT is newer and the staff even more friendly and willing to go the extra mile to help guests, parking was comp'd for me as a diamond there instead of charging £10 and there was just generally a nicer quality and a bit more individuality to the DT over the HGI. Don't get me wrong, both hotels are a credit to the Hilton brand and far better than many older 'Hilton' hotels around the country, so you won't go wrong in either here in Bristol city centre, I would personally just prefer the DT myself.

My only real advice is to avoid the 'Hilton' Bristol hotel (located near the motorway) with the address in Bradley Stoke (or sadly broke as it is known locally) which is a classic example of an older Hilton that has charges too much for too little.

Some nearby attractions that one should definitely have on the 'to do' list when in Bristol:

The Clifton Suspension bridge designed by the great engineer Brunel, which you may have seen in some pictures of the last flights of the BA Concorde (which also was designed locally):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge

which you can also see and admire the views from this terrace at the Avon Gorge Hotel (and has some lovely pints to try as well…but you need a cab to get there):

http://www.theavongorge.com

The SS Great Britian (before the days of airlines and FF schemes but the Concorde of her day:

http://www.ssgreatbritain.org

The street here for sitting down and people watching while enjoying a pint and listening to music or admiring one of the oldest pubs in Bristol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Duke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llandoger_Trow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Old_Vic

Visit the M shed (Bristol's Museum):

http://mshed.org

Catch an indépendant movie and free wifi at the watershed downtown:

http://www.watershed.co.uk

Eat at a great local restaurant on the floating harbour:

http://www.riverstation.co.uk/home

across the way check out the Arnolfini for arts:

http://www.arnolfini.org.uk

Find out about where the expession 'to pay on the nail' came from and how railway caused two minute hands on a clock at this location:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exchange,_Bristol

Have a look at the Matthew which is a replica of what John Cabot sailed to North America from Bristol in 1497:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_(ship)

Cabot Circus for shopping nearby (walking distance):

http://www.cabotcircus.com

Clifton Village for bars, restaurants, shops and people watching:

http://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-...village-p23191

and much more, for ideas about the music, arts and vibrancy of Bristol this is a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_underground_scene

Park Street for bars and a feel of what Bristol is like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Street,_Bristol

Anyway, hope this review is of interest and use. I love this city and live here by choice, if you are in the area please do send me a PM and I'll try to meet up ^
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