waltluv16

Has any gold member visit the downtown hilton in Charlotte? How are the upgrades?

fromYXU

Never stayed there, but a quick search came up with:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/005052.html

milesmilesmiles

Will be staying at the Charlotte Hilton Towers next month. I called there last week and got a vague answer as to whether they allow Golds in the Lounge. Any recent reviews would help - thanks.

Janjanjan

I've stayed here numerous times, the most recent in early April. Although I've never been on the executive floor, I've always gotten lounge access.

cblaisd

OT: The Hilton Garden Inn is a few blocks away, very new. Free hi speed wifi. Very good free breakfast, and Gold upgrade was to a suite that was huge and had a nice, freestanding whirlpool tub in the bedroom.

Travelin2005

We recently stayed at the Hilton Charlotte Center City and had a wonderful stay. We needed non-smoking connecting rooms because of a family member's medical condition. We were able to arrange this in advance with no problems.

Everyone we came in contact with at the hotel was as nice as could be. We asked for the rooms to be cleaned early one morning, and they were able to do it.

We also ordered room service one evening. The meals came as ordered and arrived at the time promised.

This was our second stay at this hotel, and we are looking forward to staying there again.

The last time we were at this hotel, we were Hilton Honors Silver members - this time the stay was as Gold members. Both times the service was excellent.

kansaitim

I have a stay next month at the Charlotte Hilton Center City, and am wondering if anyone has had a recent experience staying there, especially as a gold. Do golds get lounge access? Any side of the building better than others as far as noise or view? Any recommendations re restaurants within walking distance?
I also understand there is a downtown trolley - is it worth a trip?
Thanks!
Tim

EricH

I stayed there about a year ago. It's a pretty new building and the rooms are okay. My chief memory is that the staff were pretty uniformly clueless. The gym facilities are excellent; there's a Y attached to the hotel and it's got great facilities. I don't recall a lounge and I was Gold when I stayed there, but I probably never checked.

As for the trolley, it's pretty worthless for you if you're at the Hilton. Downtown CLT is pretty small and you're about in the middle.

dapastaguy

Just completed a stay there and, being a new gold, I dedcided to take advantage of the Executive Lounge instead of the extra points. I was disappointed in what was available. I guess the lure of "executive lounge" makes it sound great to the newly ordained golds but, to me, it was not as I imagined. Snacks during the day consisted of cookies and brownies and soft drinks, the hors douveres at night were pigs in a blanket & quiche, the late night desserts were the best, and the continental breakfast was not as good as at a Hampton Inn. Give me an Embassy Suites with the cocktail reception and cooked to order breakfast everytime. Maybe Ijust expected too much, but I will be taking the extra points from now on.

ScottMinos

I stayed at the Charlotte Hilton in April 2006 and was upgraded to the Concierge Floor with its Executive Lounge. The rooms were very nice bt a bit smaller than I expected. The lounge was fine, in my opinion. It was typical of what I have found in many concierge floor executive lounges.

PHL

During a 6 night stay at the Charlotte Hilton, some of those nights covered a weekend when the towers lounge is not open. In lieu of offering a continental breakfast (per the Diamond benefits when lounge is not available), they drop the rate $15/night for those days when the lounge is closed.

Since I am on a business trip, and therefore being reimbursed anyway, I find the convenience of grabbing a quick continental breakfast worth more than a $15 rate reduction. I would probably argue the same if I were on a leisure trip. But the front desk receptionist said that is their "Diamond Benefit" on weekends. A rate reduction. Hmph. Doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the defined benefits. Am I wrong?


A space-available room upgrade, including breakfast.**
You will be upgraded to an Executive Floor room (where/when available) at time of check-in. If an Executive Floor room is unavailable, you will be upgraded to the next best available room from the room type booked. Upgrades exclude suites, villas and specialty accommodations. At hotels with Executive Floor lounges, if an Executive Floor room upgrade is available, you will also receive access to the lounge. In addition, you will receive complimentary Continental breakfast for you and up to one additional registered hotel guest each day of your stay.

BamaVol

Couldn't you use the $15 credit to order room service continental? If it doesn't cover the cost, then, no, it is not a fair trade-off.

PHL

I could. But....

What if John Q. Diamond were arriving on Fri and leaving on Sunday, booked on hhonors.com on a standard rate, which happens to be the rate that my nightly cost drops to for that weekend. He has no idea about this price change, but rather he figures it's a good rate for a weekend stay.

When Mr. Diamond shows up, they are unable to provide the listed Diamond benefit of lounge access, since it's closed on weekends. Fair enough. John Diamond is well versed on the Diamond benefit and inquires "No problem, where shall my wife and I go to have our continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning?". The front desk receptionist says "Well, you have a rate that doesn't include that on the weekends since we lower it to make up for the lack of this benefit". If this is permissible, then it's a slippery slope. How is a guest to know that their rate is a $15 discount from what it would otherwise be with lounge/breakfast benefits??

MisterNice

I agree it doesnt sound correct to me and some FD clerk/mgr is making up new rules. I would call the Diamond desk immediately or talk to the local HH manager. Often I dont have a car to go to a local restaurant so will the hotel provide free to/from transportation? They pulled the no breakfast stunt on me a couple of times in Europe claiming I got a "upgraded room" I never re quested. I stood and argued loudly at the FD until they removed the 30+ euro breakfast charge.

MisterNice

PHL

All's well that ends well. I stopped down to the desk to talk to the manager on duty. I was told she was in a meeting, but the agent offered to assist me. I simply asked "Since the lounge is closed on the weekend, what are my breakfast options?" She looked up my folio and handed me 2 continental breakfast coupons to the restaurant and 2 evening appetizer coupons for Sat/Sun. She never made mention of what the previous, apparently uninformed, agent told me.