It's really a DoubleTree hotel with worse-than-Hampton-Inn breakfasts

1   Not Recommended
Room 502 , King
December 8, 2016 by

 Map | 1 Review | 0% Recommended
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Hilton Newark Penn Station
 Map | 1 Review | 0% Recommended

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Room 502

King

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
Stats
Room
King

Check In

Arrived to locked front doors. Attempted to use my digital key to unlock it, and the door wouldn't unlock. Pressed the button to page the front desk... no response. Took three tries before the doors magically opened. Front desk agent apologized and explained that the card reader/page button didn't work and that he saw us on the security camera.

Across the street from Newark Penn Station at 1am is not the place you want to be standing locked out of a hotel.

 

Room

Regular king room that I'd pre-selected during online check-in. No mention or offer of an upgrade at any point.

Soundproofing is non-existent. You can hear everything in the hallway and from adjoining rooms. Lots of city noise too, although that's pretty much expected for a big city hotel.

Bed was fine, room was clean, but overall feels worn.

Dining

As a Diamond member I had the choice of breakfast in the executive lounge or continental breakfast in the lobby with a $7 upcharge for hot items.

The contiental breakfast is a joke. Fruit, bread, bad pastries, and I think yogurt. Worse than what you'd get at a Hampton Inn. The hot items looked fine, and on my first day despite being told by one server it was an extra $7, another server came by and told me I could have the hot items for free.

The other two days I tried the executive lounge. Exact same food options as the continental in the lobby restaurant except for one hot item serving dish that had eggs one day, eggs and ham the second day, and eggs and sweet potatoes the third day.

Oh, the executive lounge did have oatmeal. In instant packets. To mix with hot water.

Location

Location is where this hotel wins. It's directly attached to Newark Penn Station so you can come and go pretty much at any time of day and take a train into/from NYC. It's a 20 minute ride to NYC Penn Station on NJ Transit and about the same via PATH to World Trade Center. Incredibly convenient if you are looking to spend less than $500 on a hotel in NYC.

Overall

The convenience and rate ($200/night) doesn't outweigh the sound issues, crappy breakfast, and tired rooms.

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