Well when you get to own Hilton one day. The shareholders will run for miles and dump all the stock. Retail motto #101, especially in hospitality, and especially in the USA.

You may not have noticed, but EVERY Hilton has a "We'll Make It Right" postcard in each room. And has had those for years.

Customer complains, Hilton fixes it. Corporate policy. "The customer is always right."

I dont necessarily agree that the customer is always right in the logical sense. But certainly when something ticks a customer off which could lead them to never return again, businesses certainly should do something to at least mitigate the damage supposedly suffered by the customer.

It is hospitality after all, so if properties arent prepared to 'make it right', they certainly dont deserve your money, no matter how trivial they might perceive a customer's claim to be.

Uber or Train to/from SYD Airport?
 

In a few weeks 2 of us will be arriving at the SYD International Terminal around 6:30 AM on Friday morning, and I was wondering if it was worth using an Uber to get to the hotel, or just take the train (we're getting OPAL cards anyway)?

Same for the return, planning on leaving the hotel around 7:00 AM on a Monday morning.

It seems cost wise to be a wash from what I can tell, but the Uber gives you door to door service, but traffic could make it a much longer ride.

Go for the train as it stops pretty much just next door (Town Hall Station).

Going by car can get you stuck in traffic closer to the hotel because of narrow streets and one way roads.

Train fare will be 17.40 AUD pp one way. :)

Thanks for the exact fare, X2, about same as Uber, so that is why I was wondering..

At many times of the day a taxi for 2 people is the same price or cheaper than two train tickets IF you ask the driver to take the non toll route. That may not apply at 0730 on a weekday morning though!

Ive never taken an uber into that area of town from the airport, but a taxi costs about 50 aud.

Either way, the difference isnt much, and you cant go very wrong either way.

According to Uber's fare estimate it was $35-$44 from the airport.

I didn't take Uber from the airport, but I had issues trying to get an Uber to pick me up at the Hilton last month. My ride was accepted but then I watched the car drive around in circles and then cancel. The Hilton employees told me that Uber in Sydney isn't great and that I wasn't the only person to have issues that day. I ended up just having the hotel get me a taxi which worked fine - the only reason I wanted to use Uber instead of a taxi was that I wanted to just pay with my credit card and save my Australian cash.

Well you could've paid for the taxi by credit card albeit with an over the top 5% surcharge.

I find the train very easy, even with a bigger bag on some trips.

With bags you can get by elevator from the platform the train arrives at, at Town Hall station, to the station concourse. From the concourse if you exit the station through the exit gates at the Queen Victoria Building end and walk ahead, keeping to the right, you come to a short escalator which brings you up to street level. It's then a short walk, less than 50 metres, to the entrance to the Hilton.

Early Checkin Chances
 

We're scheduled to land at SYD around 7:30 AM so should be at the hotel by 9:00 AM. The last time I did this, I was able to get my room around that early, but that was a few years ago.

Any recent experiences with getting a room early (especially useful since there is no arrivals lounge at SYD :( )?

Any recent experiences with getting a room early (especially useful since there is no arrivals lounge at SYD :( )?[/QUOTE]

I got a room around that time last visit a few months ago. YMMV, but it's possible and a pleasant surprise.