Hilton Surfers Paradise {AUS}
Oct 13, 2014, 12:16 pm
Looking at going in May 2014 (so place should be fairly dead) and trying to decide if I should book now, or sit it out just incase a sale comes along. Do sales ever happen in the Aussie Hiltons??
Thanks!
May 3, 2015, 3:55 pm
May 3, 2015, 6:58 pm
Booked the 2 bed deluxe again. Good to hear Diamond gets lounge access! Was it just beer & wine I take it, no spirits?
Jun 8, 2016, 12:07 am
Also they are now charging $10 extra for breakfast at the restaurant. Diamonds can have breakfast in the lounge but there are only cold items. This is disappointing as even when I stayed there last year as Gold, I had full breakfast at the restaurant for free. I have read they were given residence upgrades before so it would appear there have been some policy changes.
Jun 8, 2016, 8:30 am
Also they are now charging $10 extra for breakfast at the restaurant. Diamonds can have breakfast in the lounge but there are only cold items. This is disappointing as even when I stayed there last year as Gold, I had full breakfast at the restaurant for free. I have read they were given residence upgrades before so it would appear there have been some policy changes.
No additional $10 charge, although it would certainly be worth paying an extra $10 AUD. However I was staying in the hotel section, not the Residences. Maybethis makes a difference?
Jul 12, 2016, 4:24 am
No additional $10 charge, although it would certainly be worth paying an extra $10 AUD. However I was staying in the hotel section, not the Residences. Maybethis makes a difference?
With thanks
Jul 12, 2016, 3:12 pm
My only disappointment with my stay at Hilton Surfers Paradise was their slow Internet Wi-Fi speed.
Jul 14, 2016, 5:31 am
Dec 12, 2016, 2:45 pm
Beer, sparkling wine and red/white are on show, spirits are by request as they are hidden out the back (and appear to be poor quality).
Mar 18, 2017, 7:51 pm
Hilton Surfers Paradise Residences
6 Orchid Avenue Surfers Paradise, QL AU 4217
Aircon, what aircon? Overpriced for a property built by the lowest bidder (2 Photos)
Hilton Surfers Paradise Residences
Check In
Things did not get off to a great start, finding a car park was fun and the design of the hotel means the garbage permeates through the car park in the form of a horrid smell. Although I didn't know it at the time you need a separate lounge access key and this was not given to me on checkin, despite being mentioned that I had lounge access. As it was late Friday, I had no intentions of using the lounge until the next day.
Room
First room I had was in the residential only tower, on level 15. Unfortunately it had an aircon problem that saw it shut down after five minutes, and the noise from the street was loud. As a result we moved on the second day which took some organising, to a residence in the main tower on the 25th floor, and while the aircon worked well in most of the apartment, the main bedroom seemed to lack any ventilation, a second average night of sleep was experienced. At least the street noise was more subdued in the main tower.
Dining
Breakfast was good, taken in the restaurant for no extra charge as a diamond. On,y beef was the extra charge for espresso coffee, a continuing issue I have with sadly many properties. I also used the apartment to cook a meal, we had to ring for a frypan and one bowl was missing. Seems housekeeping don't keep track of what should be in the kitchen.
Service
Service was very good, especially in the lounge.
Location
Location would be the main selling point of the property, but also a downside. You are in the heart of the surfers area with eateries, shops etc, but the hotels main entrance is located in the nightclub area, somewhat seedy.
Overall
I really struggled to see any merit in returning to this hotel. Two nights on a weekend in the off season for $800+ is hardly a bargain. The rooms were OK but feeling the results of a few years without love. The hotel is also poorly designed, with long walks to get anywhere, even if it's just to the restaurant for breakfast. The pool area is nice, and unusually the water was cold despite it still being summer in temperature, a nice surprise.
The lounge is nice and a standout, but why have it on a floor that requires a change of life to access it if your on floors 16 through to 55?
Overall the property reminds me a lot of the Sydney Hilton, high rates, small to average rooms and a real focus on making sure the money is in their pocket not yours. Poor and/or non working aircon in a building of its age is unacceptable, as is the lack of care shown by housekeeping and maintenance staff in general. The lounge chairs were feral with stains.