HKY-HTR

Hi,

I have a short overnight trip in London coming up. Does anyone know if there is a Hilton thats offers Shuttle service to BOTH LGW and LHR? I arrive in LGW, and depart LHR the next day. Thanks.

mjgodden

I think you're out of luck - don't know of any hotel that offers this.

I would suggest your best option would be via public transport. You don't mention where you are hoping to stay (near airport or city centre), but there are plenty of options available to you.

This website will let you plan from door to door and check out all of the public transport options available to you.
http://www.traveline.org.uk/index.htm



Mark

Bondiboy

There are Hilton hotels at both Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and both are very convenient.

You will have to arrange your own transfer between the airports and the moct convenient and reasonably priced is the National Express bus which has many departure times.

See:

http://www.nationalexpress.com/airpo...orts.cfm?t=air

From memory, the Hilton Gatwick may be the cheaper of the two Hiltons

xooz

My recent trip found the Trafalgar as the hands down winner, compared to the Waldorf. I spent 2 nights at the Waldorf. First night in non-upgraded room 525, then was upgraded the second night to a larger suite-like room (236). Lounge was not impressive, with fewer food alternatives than the Canary Wharf or even the Kensington. They did serve alcohol until 10pm however. The upgraded room faced the street and was incredibly loud. As a light sleeper, it did not work for me.

The Trafalgar put us in Room 205 (non-upgraded). While it also faced the street, there was no appreciable noise. They offered breakfast downstairs which was very nice.

Next time I have the choice, Trafalgar will get my business over the Waldorf.

SuzyB

I love London, and have been staying at a different Hilton each time I go. Was at the Waldorf in late November, and was quite underwhelmed. Location is good, but the nearest tube stop is about a 7-10 minute walk. The hotel itself was unremarkable. No concierge level or executive lounge. No bottled water or fruit/snacks in the room. Breakfast was crowded, and was a notch above a Hampton Inn.

Trafalgar is modern and edgy, with beds on a step-up platform and an abundance of glass in the bathroom. Received three strawberries on a plate for my "welcome". Certainly the location is marvelous, but overall, the hotel felt cold. Staff wasn't friendly, and after two days, we were glad to go.

My favorite London Hilton? Green Park! On cozy Half-Moon Street, with a tube stop at the corner and across the street from St. James Park. Fresh bottled water and fruit every day, large rooms, and excellent breakfast! Staff is freindly and helpful.

Park Lane is great, too--an amazing Executive Lounge with breakfast, tea, and cocktail hour. Not handy, location-wise, and the rooms aren't much to brag about, but it does feel upscale, with its big lobby and gleaming interior.

xooz

Yes, I forgot that we got a complimentary bottle of wine and fruit at the Trafalgar. Sounds like I need to give Green Park a try.

cup.of.jo

I tried Tower Bridge last time (point saver) and it was very nice. Large modern room with separate shower/tub and nice lounge. Only a block or so from the tube, though I always take cabs in the evening regardless of where I stay.

Explore

I'll be the first to post to this endless thread in 2008.

I'll ask a very targeted question: for a one-night award stay on a Monday in late January, where am I most likely to score lounge access as Diamond, where there's a good spread of evening hors d'oeuvres? I recall that Park Lane had a very adequate evening spread a few years ago. Perhaps Park Lane also has less competition for upgrades these days?

I'd like to try Canary Wharf, but wonder how packed it will be early in the week.

xooz

I haven't missed out at Canary Wharf or Kensington for lounge access. Much prefer Canary Wharf though. I'd check regular availability and see if all room classes are offered for sale, which might be a good indicator of upgrade possibilities. Canary Wharf had a nice spread, better than the Waldorf certainly. Never been to Park Lane.... it's on my list.

jaguarpig

Was upgraded on 100% of stays at the Park lane Hilton last year and there is a good spread of food and drink in the lounge.

Football Fan

Hilton Olympia is going to renovate its rooms. They have two rooms which are already in the style of the new rooms. I did test the room and gave them very detailed feedback. It is a step in the right direction (e.g., much better shower, flat screen TV), but there are still some kinks they need to work out.

jasonbrockman

I have read back quite a while but I know things change. I am doing a last minute trip to London in two weeks and will be using the 175K poins for the weeks stay at any category 6 in London as all are available to my Diamond status.

First, what happened to the COnrad? I assume it is no longer a part of the Hilton program any more? Second, understanding that this is our first trip to London and will spend mosto f our time between shoppping and the basic tourist sites, I need advice on where to stay. I am not familiar with the locations of everything, but I have seemed narrow it down to 2 based on all of the previous reviews. The Waldorf and the Paddington. Is one hotel much nicer than the other? I seem to get the convenience on arrival and departure for the Paddington and the convenience of the city center for the Waldorf.

Is the Waldorf anything like the one in NYC? Is the pool that good in the waldorf? Has anyone stayed r been to both properties? I do look for a good potential upgrade, the executive lounge (that is why I didn't consider the trafalgar) breakfasts, etc. Rooms in both comprable? Is the location of Paddington really a bad thing for a full week first time trip?

Also any feed back on concierge service at either of these? I appreciate any help as this is coming up very quick and need to book. Price is not a consideration because of points, just want the best hotel London has to offer. It doesnt seem to be as easy as in Rome at the Cavalieri or Prauges, etc. London has many to chose fromand nothing seems to absolutely stand out. Thanks, JB

Land-of-Miles

The Waldorf and the Paddington are very different properties and whilst the Waldorf is more luxurious but the situation is complicated by the fact that the Waldorf rooms can be quite noisy (given the location) and if you do not get an upgrade, possibly rather small and dingy. The Paddington can also be slightly noisy but much less so than the worst rooms at the Waldorf. All rooms at the Paddington seem to be a decent size. Paddington is not a great location however by London standards whereas the Waldorf location is very good.

You should ask yourself what do you want most? If the thing that is most important to you is a lounge, then the London Hilton on Park Lane is probably your best choice. I personally think that the Trafalgar is the best Hilton property in London, closely followed by Canary Wharf (not a great location for a tourist) and Tower Bridge (not a bad location for tourists).

The following would be my order based upon the importance of various factors:-

Lounge

Hilton Park Lane
Paddington Hilton
Tower Bridge Hilton
Waldorf
Trafalgar (no lounge)

Room Size

Paddington
Trafalgar
Park Lane
Tower Bridge (a limited number of rooms are however much bigger than the average rooms)
Waldorf (has a good room size if you are upgraded to Exec room or above)

Service

Trafalgar
Tower Bridge
Waldorf
Park Lane
Paddington

Ambience

Trafalgar (if you like the concept)
Tower Bridge
Waldorf
Paddington
Park Lane

Location (for Tourist)

Trafalgar
Waldorf
=Tower Bridge
=Park Lane
Paddington

The Conrad is now a Wyndham.

I have no idea about the concierge services at these properties however I would expect the Waldorf and the Park Lane concierges to be reasonable.

jasonbrockman

We do not like the contemporary designs that I have seen in someof the hiltons. I think the trafalgar and the tower property if I remember right. I think for me, the biggest concern is how far out is the paddington. Is it really that far from the attractions? Is it that big of a deal if we are going to be on the bus or tube to get back and forth anyways between sites? I kinda looked at a map and saw that depending on what you do, it lookslike you will need to get transportation anywys. harrods looks like quite a ways from the Tower of london etc.

This considering, would you have this keep you from staying at the paddington? (Location)

Have you been into or stayed at the Waldorf and the Paddington? have you seen or participated in the executive lounge? I have read on trip advisor that the waldorf is run down and maybe the reviews are not that good because people are expecting too much. THe review rating for the paddington was actually better.

I think I had read that hte paddington had an internet cafe accross the street, 3-4 underground lines and the heathrow express. I am not sure what level of importance to put on that. ANy additional info considering the decor or location questions?

Land-of-Miles

I have stayed at every Hilton property in London (most on mulitple occasions).

The better properties have contemporary decor it is true, for me the decor would not be a determing factor above service and location but we are all different.

The long and short of it is practically anywhere you will go to as a tourist from Paddington will involve getting on a tube, taxi or other means of getting around, there are not many places to walk to (although the area gets "interesting" later at night). At the Paddington, the lounge is quite nice and the rooms are a good size, I cannot really say anything else positive about this property since my recent stays were marred with bad experiences, which centered around unprofessional and uninterested staff (some of whom struggled to communicate at all in English).

The Waldorf (like some of the other properties) would allow you to walk to and from some of the main tourist sites rather than relying on public transport. The fact that it does not seem to be a long distance when you look at a tube map between Paddington and Temple (for the Waldorf) is extremely deceptive. The gamble at the Waldorf is really the room, if you get a good room you should have a great stay, if not, you will probably hate it. In some ways it is similar to the Waldorf in New York (but with a slightly more contemporary - there is that word again - twist on period design). The location of the Waldorf is MUCH better than the Paddington and in my experience the staff are MUCH better. It is almost like the difference between a nicely restored 3* hotel in the garment district in NY compared to the Waldorf, but London is more spread out than New York.

I always carry my laptop and 3G data card and thus would not use an internet cafe so I cannot help you there, however there is a Starbucks immediately next to the lounge at the Paddington so you might pick up a wi-fi reception from their t-mobile network at a fairly reasonable cost.