Much appreciated ^

LOM I have to agree with you regarding the floor. On thinking about it I should have realised this as they fitted one a few years ago to a B & Q store I was managing.
Regarding the Champagne It was labelled Charles Heidsieck. Perhaps they were feeling generous, or just got it wrong on this day. However I did not try any on this occasion to verify its quality.

What type of food do they serve in the restaurants?

Hmmm not sure how to describe it really I suppose "international" is roughly the right word, typical upper end brasserie sort of stuff. I would say that the food has been very good every time I have eaten there. I am sure you could ask them to email their current menu (which I think changes reasonably regularly).

Hmm strange, I have been served Piper here before (when they first opened) but they seem to have reverted back to the bog standard Aussie sparkling Chardonnay. Looks like your good fortune and my loss, since I quite like the Charles Heidsieck ;)

I've stayed at this property several times since opening, and generally find the staff quite helpful and moreover the bell desk staff will always provide car park passes, if you ask (no inquiry either as to status in HHonors, so I think the free overnight parking applies to anyone who asks).
Regarding the restaurant for dinner, while it is quite nice, the service is painfully SLO-O-O-W. Perhaps some people really enjoy a 2 1/2 hour meal, but for a family, it was way too slow . . .

Stayed here last week for 1 night as a Diamond.

1. No upgrade offered.
2. No breakfast offered.
3. No Diamond recognition.
3. Dirty floor in bathroom (didn't have time to complain at 9:30pm as had meeting and did not want ot change room).

It's just another one on my list of no-go's, soon to include anything with the name Hilton the way it's going!

Hey pmcg (was it pat?) after a long time I have seen you around the FT forums. Saw your name and thought about the days of the old FD program. :D

IMO it's one of the best in the UK. My only adverse comment about staying there, was that I could hear the sound of the nightclub, from directly across the river (I had an exec room), which kept me awake till 0100.

Notwithstanding that, it's a very nice hotel and I'd stay there again (but no river view, next time!)

I have only ever had a river view room at this hotel and would agree that with the exception of perhaps Cardiff and a few London Properties, this is almost certainly the best Hilton in the UK.

Maybe that's why I didn't get an upgrade as they wanted me to get a good nights sleep. ;)

Did you check in at the Exec lounge?

No, was in a bit of a hurry and reception Check-In was empty.

Suppose with hindsight I should have but then again this makes no difference at the Glasgow Hilton so who knows.

My two penn'orth after a recent stay -

The nightclub opposite (actually a moored ship) is now closed so no noise issue.
Upgraded at checkin to exec floor level with no fuss (am gold).
Great exec lounge open on a friday night, lots of great snacks (e.g. smoked salmon canapes with caviar) and ok free drink selection.
Excellent breakfast in the main restaurant and and a perfectly fine continental in the lounge.
Modern hotel and room, good views, good service, nice atmosphere, thoroughly recommended.

Likewise, last week. No complaints.

Is the Lounge open on a sunday?
 

anyone?
Also confirmation that it still opens friday pm would be helpful,
thanks

anyone help re the sun night opening of lounge please?

Was there a few weeks ago on a Sunday and the Exec lounge was open all afternoon and evening until about 11pm. Alcoholic drinks were served from 6pm.

many thanks, just what i wanted to hear

Another great stay at the Newcastle Hilton. Booked two rooms via the 50% off promo and requested connecting. They gave us 421 and 423 which are a king suite with dinner table, separate shower (and foot washing bathroom appliance ;) ), extra toilet, and a connecting twin bed room. Exec lounge open but very quiet. No problem getting access as a diamond, nor with 2 kids in tow. Bargin at less than 100gbp for 4 in two rooms inc full breakfast

My first stay as a Gold VIP proper was at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and I was not disappointed with the perks that came with my Gold VIP status, i had booked a 1 night stay on the January Sale rate of £69.50 in a Double Guest room, my wife and I arrived at the hotel at 2.30pm and upon check-in were duly upgraded to the Double Executive room on the 5th floor, our room however had not yet been serviced so we were directed to the Executive Lounge until the room was available which incidentally wasn't until 3.30pm, we weren't too bothered by this as we wanted to see what the Lounge had to offer us.
The Executive Lounge is very spacious on two levels with a spectacular view over the River Tyne and the Tyne Bridge. Teas, coffees and soft drinks are available throughout the day and a good selection of alcoholic drinks are available from 6pm until 10pm whilst the Lounge closes at 11pm.
I don't think that the Executive room itself was any different to the standard rooms apart from the fluffy robes and slippers but did have the same view as the Lounge so was impressive, every member of staff that we came into contact with all seemed happy in their jobs and this came across well with there attentive service in particular the lady on reception upon check in and the hostess in the Executive Lounge.
We were disappointed with the Living Well Fitness centre as it was small and the changing rooms were not the cleanest, in general we thought it was a little shabby and could have done with a good clean throughout.
Breakfast was served in the 'Windows on the Tyne' restaurant on the same level as the reception, we had to queue for a few minutes before we were seated but the waiters were very good and the breakfast equally good.
Apart from the free drinks that we consumed in the Executive Lounge the next best thing about this hotel is it's location, a 5 minute walk over the Swing Bridge brings you to the Quayside where there are plenty of upmarket bars and restaurants including La Tasca, Charlies champagne bar and restaurant to name but a few and a further 5-10 minutes away is the city centre and the Eldon Square shopping centre where there is a multitude of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, Grey Street in particular has a great selection of upmarket bars and restaurants to choose from including The Living Room, Barluga, La Tasca, and many more.

http://everyoneisavip-vip.blogspot.com/

Any current review of this property including executive lounge and bennies for HH Gold?

Most of my stays there have been as gold. Always been upgraded to executive floor. Its worth contacting the hotel prior to arrival and requesting river view room. Also as gold they let you take breakfast in either resteraunt or EL if upgraded.

Alcoholic drinks are served in lounge Sunday to Thursday 1800-2200 , Friday & Saturday 1800-2000

There is a nice local lady called Jeanette who works the EL she has a wealth of local knowledge and history and knows all the best places to go.

The hotel can be very busy Friday and Saturday due to people going to Newcastle for the excellent nightlife.

Great New Pub in Newcastle
 

Last week a new pub just off Grey Street opened called Lady Grey's. it's owned by the same folks as Blakes coffee house on Grey St. Food was excellent (try the wild mushroom & asparagus pie) bartenders very friendly and helpful, good selection of local beers + trappist Belgian beers. Nice atmosphere but pub needs more tables. Located 20 Shapespeare St www.ladygreys.co.uk

As for the Hilton, we found the lounge lacking in quality and selection of food. Wine was not drinkable. No clean plates, forks, tables needed busing. The attendant at night (not sure if was jeanette referred to above) walked around chatting with the guests instead of keeping the area clean and the food replenished. Most of the hard liquor bottles were empty or near empty. Probably the worst kept Hilton lounge I've ever seen overseas.

Exec floor doesn't have rooms with 2 beds. As Gold we were upgraded to a lovely room with floor the ceiling windows overlooking the Tyne. However, room sorely needs better lighting. At night we could barely see and read.

Great location.

Jan 2012 Report
 

First Gold booking; booking showed various rooms allocated in the days leading up to my stay, also showing NOR e standby offers. e-Checking offered but didn't work the day before.

Arrived and got upgraded from £99 booked standard room to Exec Double with River and Balcony (£179) on exec (5th) floor.

Room doesn't disappoint. Standard full service Hilton. Stocked mini bar, bottles of water. BT Openzone internet login provided at check in for my stay.

Lounge very nice. Breakfast served here and drinks in the evening. Good coffee machine and nice views. Staff all very friendly.

Laundry very expensive. £7 for a shirt.

Great location and views. Good option for business or leisure.

Any experience of Diamond treatment here?

I'm Diamond and last stayed here on a cheap advance rate last September so not that recently. We got a nice upgrade to an Executive room overlooking the river, lounge access and internet access. We also got a welcome gift of a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale. So overall pretty standard but was a nice stay.

Diamond Stay May 3rd 2012 with pics
 

Recent stay experience

Stayed mid week last week. Had booked quite late paid stay 'double family room' as it was the cheapest and was upgraded to 'double executive room plus' on 4th floor. (Exec rooms are on 4th and 5th floors here). No idea if a suite was available or not on the day, I was happy enough with this room for my purposes on this short stay.

The hotel has it own garage underneath the hotel and this costs £ 9.- per night for guests. If you are trying to drive here then use Bottle Bank street address to get to the correct location.

When I tried to check-in early (13:00) the room was not ready, however, I was given a key to the exec lounge and could leave my bag with the concierge.

The exec lounge is on the 5th floor and has quite nice views over the river Tyne.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/7...31549de5_b.jpg
Bridge view from room window on 4th floor by BA_pics, on Flickr

There was no one else in the lounge (including staff) while I was there between 13:00 and 13:45, thereafter some staff did come in. You use your room key to get access. The usual assortment of cold drinks and nibbles were out and the lounge was clean. The lounge is nice with the space divided up over two levels and it has a bathroom guests can use without having to leave the lounge.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7...4931f497_z.jpg
Newcastle Exec Lounge Upper floor by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/6...b2fc3e2e_z.jpg
Exec lounge lower floor by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/6...d2185bf4_z.jpg
Exec lounge bar area by BA_pics, on Flickr

I came back to the hotel around 18:00 and the room was obviously ready by that time. The views were nice from my room which faces the bridges and gets some of the best views…however, my preference of being away from the elevator was obviously not considered as the room was directly opposite the elevators…I didn't find it a problem for the one night I was there but it could have been a problem if there was a noisy group coming back at all hours…

The room itself was nice and is apparently 32 m2 in size which was plenty big for me and one night.

The bed is a king bed and was very comfortable. There are two big relaxing chairs in the carpeted bedroom area and the two windows gave nice views to the Tyne and surroundings…shame the windows were filthy!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/6...952d6b72_z.jpg
Bed by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/7...061d16e5_z.jpg
bedroom area1 by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7...c33bc356_z.jpg
main room area by BA_pics, on Flickr

The entrance area is either real wood or laminate flooring (I think it was real wood but others may correct me). There was a wardrobe in the hallway with the usual safe, ironing board and such items in there along with the bathrobes and slippers.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/6...3639989e_z.jpg
View to door and bathroom by BA_pics, on Flickr

The bathroom was clean and nicely tiled with a separate shower and tub. The sink area has two side strip lights and the window to the rest of the guest room is opaque so does light up the main room if the light is on.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6...f138af88_z.jpg
Bathroom shower by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/6...3457698b_z.jpg
bathroom sink by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7...0a6f61e3_z.jpg
bathtub by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/7...169d511b_z.jpg
shower by BA_pics, on Flickr

The work desk area is behind the bed and extends nearly the whole length of the room which is nice to do work on and gives plenty of space for papers and such.

There was a fairly fancy phone system but I had no need of it…Both wireless and wired internet were available (cable in desk drawer) with the wired speeds far superior to the wireless in the room I was in. There is no internet code...you use your name and room number to log in on a browser page and then if you are diamond or gold it recognises this and informs you it is free. I did need to log in with both wifi and Ethernet on two different computers and this did not appear to cause any usage problems and I was not billed for any of it.

I should also mention that there was a Bose wave radio under the big flat screen TV.

A minibar was also built in but I didn't actually check mine to see what was in it (if anything).
Two small still bottles of water were in the room along with a small bottle of red wine and chocolate covered strawberries (assume this was the Diamond welcome gift)…a small note to say welcome was also placed beside this.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/7...0c3e4895_z.jpg
Work desk area by BA_pics, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7...ef557e18_z.jpg
Diamond welcome by BA_pics, on Flickr

I had breakfast in the main restaurant around 09:00 and there was no wait at that time. The offering at the buffet was fine and similar to many other Hiltons in the UK. Breakfast as a Diamond was free and there was also a breakfast offering in the lounge but I did not use this.

I did find the climate controls to be a bit flaky and the display would just jump around with values when you tried to adjust the heat or cold buttons but in the end I managed to get it to heat…You also need to use a room key to get power or climate controls to work so best to use another card such as the Hilton honours card or another similar loyalty card to ensure the room is continuously cooling/heating as you wish.

All in all, a decent stay and I would definitely go back, prices are a bit higher than the premier inn just across the river but depending on what you want or need this can be a great alternative if you can use the lounge, get breakfast and need internet, etc...

There is a nice pub/bar just up the street from here called the central bar which is really 4-5 small rooms in this quirky building that has been recently renovated.

Central Bar Gateshead info

Without having to walk downhill or uphill you can cross the river to get to the drinking areas and other food locations on the Newcastle side. ^

The costa coffee machine in the Hilton bar area was broken so hopefully they get this fixed shortly. :td:

Also one of the three elevators was down so the queue and wait times could build up around meal times or check out times… :td:

Hope this is of use and interest.:)

I cannot add a great deal to BotB from my recent stay, but will make the following observations:

• I got a full bottle of wine in my room (but couldn't use it as I don't drink and was leaving by air with no checked luggage).
• The hotel had two separate hen parties checking in at the same time as me and it got quite boisterous.
• Lounge has an official guest fee of £10 before evening snack time and £20 after. I asked in advance and the lounge dragon waived the fee "because it's quiet". I think this follows from the immediately preceding point.
• Sunday to Thursday evening drinks are served until 10:30pm in the lounge. Friday and Saturday they finish at 8 or 8:30 (forget which).
• The restaurant breakfast is very good.

Things are changing at this hotel. Lots of cut backs in lounge.
Also getting very dirty.

Full review here: http://upgrd.com/blogs/damian/hilton...gateshead.html

Is the Lounge "Guest Fee" just for people not already granted access to the lounge?
In the case of the Hen Parties you mentioned, if one of them had exec lounge access, would the others be able to get in for £1 a head?

Lounge guest fee is for people not otherwise entitled to access. The fee is per person, so a hen party of 10 would need to pay £200 during booze hours, although one would hope the lounge dragons would politely direct them elsewhere.

There is no more booze hours at this lounge. Beer and wine only if you are lucky they have it stocked. Was here over the weekend and a lot has changed from May, hotel sucks now. A fast fail!

Any recent experiences here, stay planned next week?

Haven't been here for a couple of years, sounds like it may have gone downhill!

They have stopped serving spirits in the lounge, so just beer and wine (there might have been something fizzy also). I think food is more limited also.

Can't stand one of the lounge dragons in there... forever licks the behinds of a certain selection of the guested in there (to the point where it is cringe worthly), and ignores the other 90% of guests. She is also the one that told me "Hilton Corporate forced us to take the spirits away" ...uh uh, sure they did :)

Staying in the doubletree at the Airport the night before, it will be interesting to compare and contrast!

I could not agree more. This hotel and mostly the lounge is one of the worst. I also strongly dislike that one in the lounge. My room was dirty and run down. I posted some photos on my blog, http://upgrd.com/blogs/damian/hilton...gateshead.html

The Doubletree is a fantastic hotel, and knows how to treat Gold/Diamond members. The italian restaurant within the hotel (Fratellos I think) is brilliant and very reasonably priced. Bar is also reasonably priced (for a Hilton).

Parking is cheap, breakfast is good and is literally 2 feet away from the metro and airport. Enjoy!

The Gateshead hilton is not worth the extra money, in my opinion.

Probably right, but need two separate stays for tier qualification and second night planning on meeting a friend in the city centre and trawling some pubs.
So Gateshead is more suited to that.

Ye, Gateshead is good for crawling back to (from experience ;)).