Hilton Glasgow {GBR}
Oct 16, 2018, 6:17 am
#198
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Aberdeen, UK
Posts: 322
Considering the vast range of Scottish ales that's available these days, that's simply embarrassing... it's not even beer.
I have not stayed at this hotel for a few years now - much better location, rooms and lounge at the DoubleTree.
I'm there next week for the first time in a few months. Let's hope both lifts are working and that Leffe is still on tap in the bar.
I have not stayed at this hotel for a few years now - much better location, rooms and lounge at the DoubleTree.
I'm there next week for the first time in a few months. Let's hope both lifts are working and that Leffe is still on tap in the bar.
Oct 16, 2018, 6:27 am
#199
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Cheshire
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Am Elite, Best Western Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,713
Yep quite sad really considering as you say the range of Scottish products that they could showcase.
I’m in the Doubletree this evening and will partake of a brewdog in the lounge, where the other alternative is Estrella.
I’m in the Doubletree this evening and will partake of a brewdog in the lounge, where the other alternative is Estrella.
Oct 16, 2018, 8:11 am
#200
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,593
Indian snacks meaning deep fried crap from Brakes (other catering firms are available)?
Yes Hilton will suffer. Sales managers of new properties are always very aggressive, will undercut competitors by miles and at silly prices just to break even and poach business. Once its all settled down, they say ciao to the unprofitable accounts and keep the clients worth having.
Negotiated corp rates at DT were as low as £65 when it first opened, now nearer to £100. Hilton undercuts DT by a few pounds.
Yes Hilton will suffer. Sales managers of new properties are always very aggressive, will undercut competitors by miles and at silly prices just to break even and poach business. Once its all settled down, they say ciao to the unprofitable accounts and keep the clients worth having.
Negotiated corp rates at DT were as low as £65 when it first opened, now nearer to £100. Hilton undercuts DT by a few pounds.
Oct 17, 2018, 12:56 am
#201
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Cheshire
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Am Elite, Best Western Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,713
Initial impression = average.
underground car park about one third full, parking bays near the entrance door marked as “Hilton Honors”, plenty available!
Lift up to reception and into the lobby, lobby area completely empty, one other person checking in.
Easy check in and informed I’d been upgraded to an exec room on the 18th floor.
Room looked in a decent state of repair although I was conscious it seemed smaller than the Doubletree.
Bathroom same as they have been since early 2000’s, same showers with the bizarre combined temperature and volume control. Let’s see how it performs in the morning!
Looks like they may have updated the wardrobes, but it now has two sliding doors, only one of them opens to allow you access to the hanging space which is to the left. If you slide open the left side door it doesn’t open wide enough to access the hanging space. Right hand side space is not usable. Layout doesn’t really work.
Room felt cold, so tried to alter temperature on air con dial, difficult to know whether it actually works and it is surrounded by masking tape holding it together. You start to get an idea now of the work needed to modernise.
Went down to the lounge which at 18:30 had only about 8 people in. Larger selection of hot items than the Doubletree, but mostly Indian type snacks which were all tepid rather than hot in temperature.
Only beer was bud light, so left alone and just had bottle of water. It appeared they had 4 spirits on a rotating optic stand which was self service.
Cheese and biscuits and a couple of cold meats etc.
Overall not very athmospheric and I didn’t hang around.
On my way out passing through the lobby, still very empty and only one person in the seating area.
The bar area that serves food had about 6 people in it.
Overall seemed very empty which may explain why it was the cheapest Hilton option.
Passed Blythswood Square on my walk into town, which I think is about to be IHG’d. I think when that converts the Hilton will really suffer.
Particularly with corporate custom where guests have several loyalty accounts and will be encouraged to chose the most cost effective.
Let’s see what joys breakfast brings!
So a rather uneventful breakfast in the restaurant, no attempt made to inform me of or impose the bacon tax.
Room was like most of the hotel, pretty empty, only about 10 people in there and there were probably as many staff than customers most of the time.
Decent selection of hot food.
Orange juice better than in the Doubletree, I think chrism20 has highlighted this previously.
Still got the fenced off self serve coffee machines / toasters, which is bizarre!
Popped into the exec dungeon on the way back to room, cold selection only apart from a bucket of porridge and a toaster with barely any bread.
Selection of cold meats / cheeses pretty similar to the evening offering!
They use the number plate recognition parking system and when i asked about providing my reg number I was told that they were having issues with it. When I left the barrier didn't raise and I had to call reception, I hope I don't receive a penalty notice through the post now as a result!
Overall the hotel is not very inspiring for me, as with the £12 parking fee which is comped for Diamonds at the nearby Doubletree and HGI, this Hotel is automatically £12 more expensive. If they apply the bacon tax it becomes £22 more expensive.
It looks like a hotel that has lost it's way and the competition from other Hilton and other brands upcoming will further impact it.
Typing this from the Doubletree where I experienced no issues and where everything works, the hotel was sold out last night yet I still got an upgrade before arrival without needing to negotiate.
My choice based on my experiences is still the doubletree, the Hilton is only an option when the other options aren't available!
A couple of photos below;
Welcome letter showing no mention of the bacon tax, have they dropped it?
Air con control, on off button missing!
Masking tape holding together the air con control!
Last edited by adobbing; Oct 17, 2018 at 1:18 am
Jan 7, 2019, 2:44 am
#202
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: BA Blue :-) AA Gold Million Miler; Accor Platinum; IHG Spire Elite Ambassador;
Posts: 21
Hilton Glasgow Gouging Diamond's for breakfast
Being Marriott Platinum, I signed up for the Hilton Diamond Status Match.
Booked in to the Glasgow Hilton to find that they adhere to the Continental breakfast in the lounge. I could opt for a full breakfast in the restaurant for a £10 supplement. The price differential is actually £6 between buying a continental breakfast or a full breakfast.
This does not sit will with me. Fair enough if the difference charged was applied but why would Hilton gouge their Diamond members like this?
Seems to me, short sighted at best the best, interested to know of this is consistent across the Hilton brand and that they value their Diamond or potential new, Diamond customers, so little.
Booked in to the Glasgow Hilton to find that they adhere to the Continental breakfast in the lounge. I could opt for a full breakfast in the restaurant for a £10 supplement. The price differential is actually £6 between buying a continental breakfast or a full breakfast.
This does not sit will with me. Fair enough if the difference charged was applied but why would Hilton gouge their Diamond members like this?
Seems to me, short sighted at best the best, interested to know of this is consistent across the Hilton brand and that they value their Diamond or potential new, Diamond customers, so little.
Jan 7, 2019, 3:16 am
#204
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,593
Yes it’s bad, but I just don’t see a reason to stay here over the DT on Cambridge Street. Special order breakfast items are free for Diamond and so is the parking! It’s £12 at the Hilton. Nothing free for Diamond at the Hilton.
Luckily, unlike when I first visited Glasgow and there was only the Hilton and Grosvenor we now have a choice of 5 properties, soon 6!
I know the DT hammers the Hilton so you would think they would be trying their best to win that business back.
Luckily, unlike when I first visited Glasgow and there was only the Hilton and Grosvenor we now have a choice of 5 properties, soon 6!
I know the DT hammers the Hilton so you would think they would be trying their best to win that business back.
Jan 7, 2019, 3:20 am
#205
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, England
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, BMI Gold (RIP)
Posts: 8,021
It isn't unique to the Hilton Glasgow, but it is unusual in the UK at least.
It doesn't sit well with me either and I try to avoid properties that stick to the minimum. Last time I stayed here last year, they were restricting lounge access for children due to pretty much selling the Executive rooms as block booking to a corporate group. They tried to tell me that they were going to apply an upcharge to a full breakfast even though we couldn't use the lounge that morning. That was swiftly dismissed by me as an option, at which point they decided that we could only have 2 breakfasts and would have to pay for the child breakfast. I would normally accept that hotel policy where they don't have a lounge, but all 3 in the room should have had access to the lounge and breakfast. So again, I pushed back on this.
Eventually after some grumbling and a duty manager getting involved they decided to offer us all breakfast 'as a one time exception'. For some reason I found it one of those properties that shoots itself in the foot for no apparent reason with little decisions like this.
It doesn't sit well with me either and I try to avoid properties that stick to the minimum. Last time I stayed here last year, they were restricting lounge access for children due to pretty much selling the Executive rooms as block booking to a corporate group. They tried to tell me that they were going to apply an upcharge to a full breakfast even though we couldn't use the lounge that morning. That was swiftly dismissed by me as an option, at which point they decided that we could only have 2 breakfasts and would have to pay for the child breakfast. I would normally accept that hotel policy where they don't have a lounge, but all 3 in the room should have had access to the lounge and breakfast. So again, I pushed back on this.
Eventually after some grumbling and a duty manager getting involved they decided to offer us all breakfast 'as a one time exception'. For some reason I found it one of those properties that shoots itself in the foot for no apparent reason with little decisions like this.
Jan 7, 2019, 6:02 am
#206
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Newcastle, UK
Posts: 2,379
That's the first I've heard in a long time of any Hilton or Doubletree in the UK only giving Diamonds continental breakfast in the lounge and charging £10 to upgrade to the full buffet in the restaurant. Haven't stayed in every UK Hilton, but have stayed in quite a few. Always given full breakfast in the restaurant up to now. Many years ago, Manchester Airport Hilton used to do this but then they changed their policy. Even when UK Hiltons have Exec lounges serving breakfast, they've always given us the choice of having full breakfast in the restaurant at no extra charge.
Jan 7, 2019, 8:03 am
#207
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 759
This unfortunately isn't the case for myself. I called Hilton Manchester Deansgate to enquire about their policy with Breakfast for HHonors Gold Members and they said unless you are in an executive room you can dine in the lounge alternatively you would have to pay full price for breakfast down in the restaurant!
And this is meant to be one of Manchester's top hotels...
And this is meant to be one of Manchester's top hotels...
Jan 7, 2019, 8:34 am
#208
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: BA:Silver (thanks paternity perk) , HH:Diamond
Posts: 190
I remember when the doubletree LHR added an charge even for diamonds for hot breakfast.
believe enough folk complained including myself and the charge was soon old news. (No lounge)
sad the Hilton in Glasgow are doing something similar.
i’d be disappointed to see any fee’s added for breakfast. They are clearly tying to make a buck or two extra here.
believe enough folk complained including myself and the charge was soon old news. (No lounge)
sad the Hilton in Glasgow are doing something similar.
i’d be disappointed to see any fee’s added for breakfast. They are clearly tying to make a buck or two extra here.
Jan 7, 2019, 10:07 am
#209
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: HH - Gold, BA - Blue
Posts: 188
This unfortunately isn't the case for myself. I called Hilton Manchester Deansgate to enquire about their policy with Breakfast for HHonors Gold Members and they said unless you are in an executive room you can dine in the lounge alternatively you would have to pay full price for breakfast down in the restaurant!
And this is meant to be one of Manchester's top hotels...
And this is meant to be one of Manchester's top hotels...
If it's breakfast then you have a free breakfast awaiting!
