DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London ExCel {GBR}
Mar 17, 2019, 1:06 am
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
I am curious about the bathrooms here. On DoubleTree's website, the photo of the bathroom has tiles. It seems pretty old. However, on TripAdvisor, there are photos where the bathroom has marble. Is it because some rooms are renovated and some are not? Or, the photos on TripAdvisor are wrong?
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
Mar 17, 2019, 1:36 am
#77
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: IHG - spire amb, Marriot - tit, Radisson - plat, Hilton - gold, Accor -gold, GHA - plat
Posts: 282
I am curious about the bathrooms here. On DoubleTree's website, the photo of the bathroom has tiles. It seems pretty old. However, on TripAdvisor, there are photos where the bathroom has marble. Is it because some rooms are renovated and some are not? Or, the photos on TripAdvisor are wrong?
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
Mar 17, 2019, 1:50 am
#78
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 284
The ExCel was good enough, a little dated but my bathroom had marble. I had a junior suite looking room with a sofa area and balcony. Two drinks vouchers and a excited welcome from the receptionist. The breakfast was really good with a nice view over the river.
Mar 17, 2019, 2:37 am
#79
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
I am curious about the bathrooms here. On DoubleTree's website, the photo of the bathroom has tiles. It seems pretty old. However, on TripAdvisor, there are photos where the bathroom has marble. Is it because some rooms are renovated and some are not? Or, the photos on TripAdvisor are wrong?
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
Trying to decide between here, Greenwich and Hampton Inn Docklands... The room I had in Greenwich was very nice but just felt very small... How are the upgrade chances at ExCel for Diamonds?
Thanks.
I’m confident the rooms are quite nice at excel as I’ve stayed a couple of times and the upgrade chances are much better than Greenwich too.........I only have a single room booked at Greenwich and yes they look small.....I probably won’t get upgraded as they have become tight on upgrades just lately, however Greenwich has guaranteed parking, where excel although free is nearly always full.
I guess none of this answers your question but if upgrade is king then it’s excel but for location it’s Greenwich.
Mar 17, 2019, 4:04 am
#80
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,870
I am curious about the bathrooms here. On DoubleTree's website, the photo of the bathroom has tiles. It seems pretty old. However, on TripAdvisor, there are photos where the bathroom has marble. Is it because some rooms are renovated and some are not? Or, the photos on TripAdvisor are wrong?
Mar 17, 2019, 12:18 pm
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
Thanks for all the answers. ExCel also costs fewer points for the time I am looking at. I guess I am also curious how much better the breakfast is.
I guess neighbourhood-wise, Greenwich has more places to walk to although ExCel might be nicer to walk around as the area is newer and more open?
Thanks.
I guess neighbourhood-wise, Greenwich has more places to walk to although ExCel might be nicer to walk around as the area is newer and more open?
Thanks.
Mar 17, 2019, 1:29 pm
#82
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
Thanks for all the answers. ExCel also costs fewer points for the time I am looking at. I guess I am also curious how much better the breakfast is.
I guess neighbourhood-wise, Greenwich has more places to walk to although ExCel might be nicer to walk around as the area is newer and more open?
Thanks.
I guess neighbourhood-wise, Greenwich has more places to walk to although ExCel might be nicer to walk around as the area is newer and more open?
Thanks.
Excel on the other hand is fun!, royal Victoria dock is a joy to walk around, watching the planes come in by the bridge is a blast as they are pretty close, you could cross the bridge just past excel and walk around the back of the dock, even take a cable car over to the o2.
Mar 17, 2019, 5:33 pm
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
Thanks. I really enjoyed walking around Greenwich - even walked to Lewisham last time. This time the weather hopefully will be warmer and days longer. I love watching airplanes so I guess ExCel will be good on that front.
Mar 17, 2019, 11:04 pm
#84
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
Ha, you sound a bit like myself!.......... did you walk to lewisham via ravensbourne park? , that’s a great walk by the river quaggy and yes you would definitely like excel for the planes , if you position yourself by the railings beside the west side of the connoght bridge it almost feels you can touch them when they come in, noisy, childish , but great fun.
Mar 18, 2019, 11:05 pm
#86
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
Ok, cool.....but if you ever do it again follow the path beside deptford bridge DLR station as if you was walking under the rail bridge , this leads to a nice park which stretches nearly to lewisham via the river quaggy......it’s just more pleasant than walking the road.
Mar 18, 2019, 11:06 pm
#87
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,727
To be honest both areas are great for walking around but for different reasons, Greenwich has lots of nice little shops, cafes, bars and a great street market......oh and the best Chinese in London !.....along with some old fashioned pubs along the river, I was there Friday lunchtime and it’s my favourite place in the whole of London
Excel on the other hand is fun!, royal Victoria dock is a joy to walk around, watching the planes come in by the bridge is a blast as they are pretty close, you could cross the bridge just past excel and walk around the back of the dock, even take a cable car over to the o2.
Excel on the other hand is fun!, royal Victoria dock is a joy to walk around, watching the planes come in by the bridge is a blast as they are pretty close, you could cross the bridge just past excel and walk around the back of the dock, even take a cable car over to the o2.
Mar 18, 2019, 11:12 pm
#88
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
It’s on the corner of creek road , basically behind the famous Cutty sark ship in the centre of Greenwich, it’s not posh but the food is huge portions and extremely tasty , I always go for mixed meat noodles and a Chinese beer @ £8 ......... I’ve been eating there since 1996 and never found better!
Mar 19, 2019, 3:38 am
#89
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The Excel hotel was built in 2003, so none of the bathrooms are that old, but having stayed there I can't recall seeing a bathroom there that needs to be renovated. The bathrooms are mainly tiled, but yes some have been renovated in the last 2 years. The rooms are larger than Greenwich, Greenwich is a converted Victorian police barracks, Excel was purpose built so Excel has bigger rooms. There are various factors in favour of Greenwich, but if it's bathrooms it's a draw (Greenwich will be newer but smaller), if it's room space it's Excel, if it's upgrades it's Excel, mainly because there are more rooms and more differentation between them. Excel has 224 rooms with 9 suites, Greenwich 146 rooms and 2 suites.
The Excel is a fairly decent property and comes with a shuttle into Canary Wharf at peak times. Most of the rooms are decent sizes but in my view there isn't a huge amount of things to do around you.
I haven't stayed at the Greenwich property yet but isn't it really in Deptford rather than Greenwich proper?
Mar 19, 2019, 4:14 am
#90
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
Excel must have really cut down the number of suites as part of the refurb, I haven't had a suite upgrade there (which used to be practically guaranteed). As I understood it the part of the property that looks a bit like a cloverleaf (at the other side of the restaurant from reception) was originally all suite in the former guise of a Ramada.
The Excel is a fairly decent property and comes with a shuttle into Canary Wharf at peak times. Most of the rooms are decent sizes but in my view there isn't a huge amount of things to do around you.
I haven't stayed at the Greenwich property yet but isn't it really in Deptford rather than Greenwich proper?
The Excel is a fairly decent property and comes with a shuttle into Canary Wharf at peak times. Most of the rooms are decent sizes but in my view there isn't a huge amount of things to do around you.
I haven't stayed at the Greenwich property yet but isn't it really in Deptford rather than Greenwich proper?
Greenwich has much more to see than deptford.