Fraser

I'm staying here on a Saturday night soon. What time is the lounge open until?

Got myself the standard room and put a comment in the booking asking for a room (didn't mention the word upgrade) in the new wing. Based on previous comments here hopefully this, along with my HH Gold will get my one of the newer rooms. I've read on TripAdvisor (and it seems here) that the old rooms are a complete let down whereas the new ones are great.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Land-of-Miles

The new rooms are nothing fantastic but are at least modern (think the Newcastle Hilton etc.). The idea of a seperate Wing is nicely executed too. The lounge is open to about 22:00 or 23:00 I think but obviously free drinks and nibbles end at around 20:00 IIRC. I quite liked the lounge but it does get a little busy.

Fraser

Just got here. A few thoughts:

-The area outside the hotel for dropoffs/pickups is woefully small!
-Managed to skip a bit of a line by going to the Exec Lounge to check-in.
-Although only four floors the hotel is very big! I can see what people mean by two hotels, going across the skybridge into the newer part it feels very different!
-Nice and friendly check-in people, was told I'd got Exec Room in the new wing.
-Have only dropped off my bags in the room but it seems quite spacious and modern. ^
-Enjoying a beer in the lounge (happy hour until 9pm, lounge open until 10.30pm) after getting a little sunburned at Farnborough. ^
-As I'm laptop less the free internet computers (three of them) are quite handy

Canarsie

I am currently posting from the Executive Lounge at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport.

So far, I find the service friendly and accommodating.

I arrived early in the morning and went to the Executive Lounge on the fourth floor to check in. Despite my reservation being hours later in the day, I was not only able to check in, as my room was already ready, but also invited with a smile to partake in the breakfast in the Executive Lounge, which I thought was quite generous.

My room was smallish but nice, as it was located in the new wing of the property. There was no welcome amenity but I really did not mind as I thought the extra Executive Lounge visit more than made up for that. I also did not mind the fact that my room was quite a distance from the Executive Lounge.

Offerings for breakfast in the Executive Lounge included but was not limited to smoked salmon, cold meat and cheese, yogurt, assorted pastries and breads, assorted juices and waters, and cereal. Soft drinks are available throughout the day. This evening were a variety of four hot vegetarian Indian appetizers, assorted cold appetizers that included red and black caviar, two kinds of olives, assorted crackers, potato chips, assorted vegetables, and two kinds of grapes. One could make a dinner out of these offerings if one wanted to do so. Before these were displayed, jars of assorted cakes, pastries and Otis Spunkmeyer cookies were available.

At this point so far, I would highly recommend this hotel, especially also because of its convenience to London Gatwick airport and the train station, where one can catch a train to either Victoria Station or London Bridge station in London.

BamaVol

Tuesday night, I'll be making my 3rd stay here this year. I think the place is great and I think they like me. I always check in downstairs at the HHonors desk and have never had to wait. I've always been upgraded to the new wing with lounge access. I've always taken advantage of drinks, snacks, breakfast and check-out there.

One word of advice: I found the Hilton restaurant food a little boring and overpriced. There is a Sofitel attached to the other terminal with 3 or 4 restaurant choices, one asian, one bistro, not sure of the rest. I found the food much more interesting and less expensive than the Hilton. The servers were all cute and friendly girls from Eastern Europe which didn't hurt either.

exree

I made several stays at the Hilton Gatwick between 04-06. The food at the Sofitel (was a Le Meridien at the time) was more varied and quite good at the restaurants there. It isn't exactly convinient getting there, however. This requires riding the tram to the other terminal and walking from there. And for atmosphere, I found the bar at the Hilton (lower level, not the open area in the lobby) to be a great place to catch a football match and share a pint or 3 with fellow travellers. From this to the rooms in the new wing and the convenience of the lounge, I always looked forward to my stays there.

BamaVol

I actually ate at the bistro place last night and the food and service were not what I had remembered. I had a recommendation from a restaurant manager I met on the train between Birmingham and Gatwick - a 10 minute taxi ride to the Gatwick Manor. I'd have done so if I was not so tired.

mikeparis75

Deleted...

Canarsie

I returned to the Hilton London Gatwick Airport several days later for a second stay. The room was slightly larger and better, and it was closer to the Executive Lounge. The second stay was consistent with the previous stay, including the offerings of the Executive Lounge, which were exactly the same. The service by the staff was friendly and just as great as it was the first time.

The Executive Lounge has three computers with access to the Internet and a color printer available, which I found to be convenient.

I truly like this property and would stay here again without a second thought. I highly recommend this property.

PaulRO

Imagine being a Hilton Hotel Housekeeping Manager, and having to come to a client with a face towel (flannel) and two bars of soap, and a bucketful of contrition, and admit that what had just been told to the client by the room staff was true. The hotel had no face towels, and the hotel had no soap.
It happened. I was the client. This morning, 14 September.
Actually, last night, sorry chaps, I transitioned a bar of soap from the Lounge loo (WC) back to my room.

A Hilton! With no face towels (removed from amenities, available on request).
A Hilton! With no soap (the order had not come).

I spend about 120 nights a year in hotels. In many emerging and developing countries, and North America, North Asia and northern Europe.

And where did I encounter a hotel with no soap?

London Gatwick Hilton. London Gatwick SoapFree Hilton.

They have removed their face towels.
They have no soap.
They have lost their face.
They have no shame.

PaulRO

An update on the removal of face flannels, and absence of soap, from LGW Hilton.

I returned to the property in early October. Soap had been delivered. My observations had also arrived at the right place.

I was greeted by name at the lounge to check-in, properly looked after, fed with apologies, fed and watered with succour, accompanied to my room by a cogent and informed supervisor. It was a very decent suite, the best in the house, I was told.

And in the bathroom, half the length of a cricket pitch (well, almost), stacked discreetly on the second shelf was ..... a pile of at least 10 face flannels.

Say no more.

msnz

Ah, let me guess, you got a suite upgrade as an apology? Me too, for a separate issue, of course. It was some apology. The non-smoking suite I had reserved - and *checked into online*, no doubt - had been given away to the current guest, who wished to have a late check-out on a whim. Shocking! I don't think they even remembered that this was supposed to be an apology. I was given a smoking suite instead. Which, to be fair, did not smell of smoke, but the bathroom developed a sulphur odour so foul from the drains, we could not even go into it in the morning.

The lounge was a joke - some old muffins around, very strange service from the attendant, who said she was glad she wasn't the one who checked us in, as she wouldn't have known how to explain the situation. It must have been some guest they allowed a late checkout to. Oh, I'm Diamond VIP. Anyway, the attendant went back to folding serviettes in the 'chill out area' opposite where we were sitting. Nice look.

stc

I wonder if the recent declines at the Hilton Gatwick are an echo of the declines at the airport as a while. Besides the whole global recession thing, Gatwick seems to have lost all of its high paying London to US Market on carriers that didn't have slots at LHR. Since the business travelers (to the USA) are all at LHR now, why spend money on Gatwick or the Gatwick Hilton?

B747-437B

The Hilton Gatwick is in the middle of a major lobby and restaurant renovation and remodelling program. They have just completed a refit of the entire TV system and prior to that an entire bathroom remodelling. When you have 800+ rooms and 90% occupancy, these are very challenging programs to manage. I know the GM quite well and while business is definitely down as far as yields go, the Hilton's location alone ensures that they can maintain occupancy rates no matter how sour the economy goes.

FWIW, the plurality of the Hilton's clientele are not business customers but rather package tourists using the hotel as part of Park N' Fly packages or as a stopover at the start/end of their vacations. There is also significant business from delayed/cancelled flights and also airline crews.

The hotel continues to deliver a high standard of service and most importantly, are receptive to any complaints received, no matter how minor. With over 300 nights spent there in the last 5 years, I've gotten to know most of the long term staff very well and quite honestly, there is nowhere else I would consider staying when in the Gatwick area.

stc

I would have thought a large part of the clientele were business travelers about to leave or arriving for a couple of days, I know that certainly seems to be the case at the LHR Hilton, Sheraton Skyline, and so on.

In any case, I'm glad to see the hotel ownership continuing to invest in the hotel. I know that when I was flying into and out of Gatwick, the Hilton was certainly the only hotel in that area which I would stay in.

In a sense, I'm sorry that Delta and Northwest now have slots at LHR because I'll probably never have the chance to stay at the Hilton Gatwick again.