levman

Does anyone know whether there is a laundry/dry cleaners or self service laundromat within walking distance of the Hilton Tel Aviv? Or some other way to get laundry done for a reasonable cost (in other words, not the in house laundry)?

When I stayed at the Jerusalem Waldorf a few years ago, the concierge made me aware of an unpublished offer - you give the concierge a bag of laundry, and they will have an outside laundry wash and fold your laundry for about 100 shekels (they charge by weight), which was a great deal and way less expensive than the in-house laundry.

Dustin Carter

I am looking at staying at the Hilton in early June of 2018. The regular rooms are priced around $470 and The Vista standard room is around $520. Is it worth the $50 up charge? I am a Gold member and will probably be Diamond by the time I am there so should have Lounge access regardless of which I stay in. Is the separate Check-in and Lounge worth the trouble? Any pool or beach perks for Vista rooms?

TravelersWife

We recently returned from a stay in the Vista section of the Tel Aviv Hilton. We booked through FHR paying $590/night (weekdays) - the "other" Hilton was $50-80 less per night, I don't remember exactly. I thought it was worth the extra $$ - but we were a party of two.

We were upgraded to a King Plaza Vista Suite, having booked a regular king room. I love having a separate sleeping room but the only thing I didn't love about this room was that the bathroom was bigger (no complaint) so it was very close to the bed. It had a translucent sliding glass door and a light switch in the bed area. The switch offered all or nothing for lighting, so if you needed light in the middle of the night, it glared into the entire bedroom area. We managed of course, but have never encountered this situation anywhere else. Our room was very clean and the housekeeper assigned to our area was excellent. The room was stocked with a fruit bowl, a few sweet snacks, a nice bottle of red wine, large bottle of sparkling and still water and the two regular smaller water bottles, two plates and appropriate silverware. All the water options were replenished as needed at our daily cleaning or our turn down service.

We enjoyed the Vista Lounge. The staff was wonderful and the offerings were more than a regular lounge. Our favorite was their desserts - very detailed, attractive and delicious. It seemed they were created by a true dessert chef. The breakfast is Israeli style - cheese but no meats. We did not take advantage of the light dinner so I am not sure what they offered. There were four chaffing dishes ready, the same as they used for the breakfast along with a large cold or room temp. buffet section. They had two coffee machines/a regular coffee urn/hot water/tea options/cold beverage options/orange,grapefruit and ? juices/a bar set up. We didn't need anything they didn't offer. On occasion the staff came through the lounge offering a special drink - my favorite was a cute little mojito. The lounge is quite large, always a space available.

We received a $100 restaurant credit and 4 pm check-out. We were offered breakfast in the Vista lounge or the restaurant buffet. (FHR benefits) There is another lounge on a lower floor that serves the Hilton. We did not visit that lounge. We did not check for benefits at the pool or beach but I know we had spa access if we wanted it. The elevators use the system where you indicate the floor you need before entering an elevator and you are directed to a particular cab. I sensed that we got rides straight down when we chose the lobby. I only remember stopping on Vista floors and the Hilton Lounge floor and never more than one stop on the way to our destination. We would choose the hotel again.

If you have a Vista reservation, you can go straight to the 17th floor to check in. I never saw a large back-up in the ground floor lobby, although the lobby was busy and loud on occasion.

BOStonTravels

What is recent treatment of Diamond at Hilton Tel Aviv since the hotel is split into Hilton and "The Vista" ? Are there still upgrades to renovated rooms, late checkout, etc? Thanks!

levman

We stayed there on points in late December - two rooms. One of our rooms - where the adults were - was upgraded to a two room, two bath suite. We discovered that my 15 year old wasn't allowed in the lounge, which has a minimum age of 16. When I complained, the concierge in the lounge got us all upgraded to the full breakfast buffet for free (it's normally an extra $11 per person). We were also given a couple of drink vouchers when we checked in (the bar offers some very creative and tasty seasonal cocktails - highly recommended).

And there was a bottle of wine in our room when we arrived, along with an Ahava gift bag and some fruit and chocolates.

FYI, I emailed the property a week before our stay to nicely ask for an upgrade if possible, pointing out that we'd be celebrating my wife's birthday. It never hurts to be proactive!

BOStonTravels

Abidjan

Going to Tel Aviv in a few months and will be digging through this thread, shortly. Thanks for the recent updates.

timfountain

The Vista level is super exclusive. I've stayed in the hotel many times and the Vista level is never offered. As you can see from the Hilton website, the Vista level makes the 'normal' level look like a bargain! Upgrades in the main Hilton part have been sporadic, I find it helps to check in at the diamond desk in the lobby and gently ask about room availability. The hotel is always busy so upgrades really are space dependent. Try to get a room towards the front (sea side) of the hotel as the road outside the hotel is noisy. The view is also better on the front side. All rooms I have ever stayed in have been very well maintained. I have managed to obtain a late checkout when I asked, but for the midnight flight to SFO, I usually pay for an extra night.

BOStonTravels

Thanks, just to clarify, I read "The Vista" is a hotel within hotel concept and therefore have zero expectation of an upgrade in case this was confused. I did see some reports that some regular Hilton rooms did not have updated bathrooms/renovations. Is this the case or are all the rooms in the Hilton updated?

timfountain

Yes, Vista is a separate level inside the hotel and I've never been moved to those rooms. They have a separate lounge up there also.... I obviously can't comment on every room in the Hilton levels, but all the rooms I have stayed in over the years have been impeccable.

BOStonTravels

I love Israel, it is home to me...but really...the rooms at the Hilton are impeccable? This is a country where many hotels havent been updated since the 80's and luxury hotels (not on same level as worldwide standard) with the exception of a very few cant/dont last.

ijkh

We are currently staying here on points during the holiday season. We arrived prior to the holiday and are leaving after. As Gold we are able to use the Executive lounge which offers buffet breakfast and light fish dinner offerings. It also offers dessert stuff later on. If you are traveling without kids it works well during even the busiest seasons. Most of the large families go downstairs leaving the lounge quiet and pleasant. We have not had any issues with out stay at all. We got a south facing balcony ocean view room. So one more positive experience with this property. We still have 6 more days here. It seems like a good use of points to us in our situation. I can't speak to the upper floors. It doesn't seem necessary for us for the extra points or dollars required.

AnaTravel

Your recommendations regarding room request - nearer the sea - are a good idea. I like the higher south facing rooms. The Vista Lounge offers spectacular panoramic views. The Hilton Vista in Tel Aviv is well worth the extra money in my opinion. Even the sale prices made me flinch a little but this option delivered value for money. Early check-in was possible when I stayed there recently (at no extra charge) but the hotel is incredibly busy. The same applies to late check-out.

AnaTravel

The hotel stock in Israel isn't the best, I agree. I love the location of the Hilton Vista and the spectacular views. The rooms don't match the high price in terms of size, decor or amenities but this hotel is all about location. Rooms offer, comfort, incredible balcony views and cleanliness.

lewinr

I'll be here for the first time in a few years in February.... just wondering if anybody has anything new to share as the last information is around 9 months old... maybe no news is good news...