stepfel

hugolover

Land-of-Miles

stepfel

layz

Stayed there recently and liked it. A bit shocked that the free beer option is limited to bottles of Peroni most Hilton group hotels* tend to me a lot more flexible with what they give away. I actually wasn't going to have any alcohol that night but the free vouchers had made me decide to have a couple of beers but I ended up paying for something better and using the vouchers for bottles of Coke.

I like the design of the rooms (not sure what type it was but it ended in 01) and loved the breakfast. It's nice to get made to order for a change.

One thing I've not seen mentioned, there's fresh milk in the minibar (free), a nice range of teas, a Nespresso machine and a nice selection of cups. For those who like milk in their tea/coffee it's a vast improvement over the UHT stuff you normally get. I just drank the milk on its own as I drink tea black.

I found the gym without having to ask, it's not exactly obvious. If you take the lift to the basement the doors open out into the area where the meeting rooms are. You have to walk through a section of the basement which is undecorated so looks like customers shouldn't be there. The gym has a lot of cardio equipment (forgot to look at the range of weights) and seems to be open 24 hours (I was there until 10pm and there was no sign of closing). Nobody else was using it. You can take a look at the pool from here as well, there's a (locked) glass door separating the pool from the changing rooms.

They also have their own shop which is also intended for locals (the building has residential apartments too) it has an interesting range of beers and other drinks that you can't get in most supermarkets, so I decided to get a selection to take home and try (plus point: I can charge to my room so I get points for beer tasting!). If you want something a bit more usual there's also a Tesco across the road.

If you stay in hotels a lot I'd advise giving it a go, the a la carte breakfast is a good change to the standard offering you get from most hotels. My guess is they're experimenting at the moment as to what is a good selection of benefits v the cost of providing them.

* the most generous Hilton group property I've experienced is the DoubleTree Manchester Piccadilly, it's been two years since I was last there, but then they gave two vouchers (presumably as two guests) for every night booked, so when I went there for Manchester Pride I ended up with 8 drinks vouchers! It works though, as it encourages you to use the hotel bar.

diamond club freeloader

Thanks for the report. As a matter of interest, what exactly was the diamond breakfast offered? Just one item from the menu? one 'starter' item + one cooked item? or as much as you like??

wizla

Yeah I’d be interested too....... I wandered over there during my last stay at Hilton Canary Wharf, seemed like a hotel within a tower block, that said I liked it, I’m tempted to stay sometime but no parking and the Hilton executive lounge option seems to sway me ( now the lounge is good again ) ....will see.

layz

Very good question, the menu states that those with a breakfast inclusive rate will get one item from the bakery section (included cereals), one main item and a choice of hot and cold drinks. As that's all I wanted that day then I didn't ask if diamonds could have more.
You sign a bill at the end of it which is then taken off by the front desk. I'm guessing if the bill doesn't look too high they'll not question it.
I've not tried the Hilton Canary Wharf, I will do at some point, but as I used to until recently live nearby I never had the reason to. That means I can't say which of the two is better.

If you do try ordering some extra items then let me know how you get on.

Land-of-Miles

The Diamond option was the same as those on full breakfast inclusive rates.

One cold drink (juice or smoothie) plus one hot drink (including Barista coffees), plus one cereal or bakery item (the bircher muesli was very nice) plus one cooked item (e.g. full English or eggs benedict etc.).

It was a very good selection and well executed except that they tended to bring hot and cold together unless you asked them not to.

It is probably the most civilised breakfast option in any hotel in London at the moment (far better than the Intercontinental Park Lane Lounge which I take as a reference point for cooked to order). I loathe breakfast buffets especially when going to work as I don't want to spend 15 mins making toast and assembling beverages and breakfast ingredients I just want to sit down and eat.

The Lincoln Plaza puts the fairly dismal breakfast offering at the nearby Hilton CW to shame.

layz

I feel the opposite, the buffet breakfast gives you more control of your time so is ideal before work. I find the ŕ la carte ideal for leisure trips or weekends where you can take a more relaxed form of service. I must admit I rarely bother with toast at a buffet, that's one of the things I wished most hotels would offer to bring to the table along with tea and coffee.

As I've never been to the CW Hilton do you think it's dismal compared to other UK Hilton buffets or do you think most breakfast buffets are dismal?

Land-of-Miles

diamond club freeloader

Thanks very much for the info. It sounds like a great breakfast - now I just need to find an excuse to be in Canary Wharf asap...

wizla

Haha, that’s how I see it, “ what excuse can I find to go to ****** “. ( insert city ) . My current one is Edinburgh, I really want to try the new Hilton out but I can’t just drive the 800 mile round trip just to stay in a Hilton and unless some books me for a show I need an excuse.

It does sound like a great breakfast I agree...... to be honest I didn’t think the CW breakfast was that bad but I agree with the overcrowding and setup, that said I totally agree about Hilton Liverpool, very basic breakfast and noisy room.

florens

hugolover