Review: Hilton Jaipur

On arrival, as is the norm at many hotels in India, our car was visually inspected before we were allowed to drive into the hotel compound. At the entrance to the lobby, our bags were x-ray scanned and we had to go through metal detectors.

I asked the staff in the lobby if it was possible to check-in in the Executive Lounge and was told that check-in was only possible at the front desk.

At check-in, the front desk associate wasn’t particularly welcoming or friendly. In accordance with government regulations, our passport biodata and visa pages were scanned. I enquired about the possibility for a room or suite upgrade as a Diamond member, and was told that the hotel was fully booked that evening, so we were allocated a standard twin room.

Photo of the lobby:

Photos of the corridor:

Our room (standard twin guest room) was clean and comfortable. The size was adequate.

There was no welcome letter or amenity.

As I noted on another thread, the ‘premium’ wi-fi connection (complimentary access as an HHonors Diamond member) was painfully slow.

Bathroom:

View from the room:

In Hilton Jaipur, odd-numbered rooms are standard rooms, whilst even-numbered rooms have a view of the Aravalli Range. The 8th and 9th floors are the Executive floors.

The hotel's website has useful photos and 3D floorplans for the King Suite and Deluxe Room (the highest room category, which includes a terrace, as well as access to the Executive Lounge).

The Executive Lounge is situated on the 9th floor. As mentioned above, it is not possible to check-in or check-out in the Executive Lounge at Hilton Jaipur.

Photos of the seating area:

View of Jaipur and the Aravalli Range from the Executive Lounge:

There was a selection of drinks and small bites available during Happy Hour (6 to 8pm). Hot food included spiced fish, spiced chicken, rice balls and beetroot kebab. We enjoyed the Indian wines (Fratelli Classic Merlot and Fratelli Sauvignon Blanc) which were served.

As the Executive Lounge is not very big, by 6:20pm it was completely packed (there were around 25 people). If you want to go for Happy Hour, I would suggest arriving by 6pm.

Photos of the Happy Hour food and drinks:

Breakfast is served in the Lounge from 7 to 10 am (until 11am during the weekend). The breakfast buffet included fruit juice, pastries/bread, hot food, cereal, cold cuts/cheese and fresh fruit. A coffee machine was available.

Photo of part of the breakfast buffet:

Although the sign at the entrance of the Lounge says that the opening hours are from 6am to 8pm, when I went to the Lounge just before 7am it was still locked, and a member of staff came to unlock the entrance at around 7:05am.

The staff in the Executive Lounge were not particularly friendly and welcoming. They also chatted among themselves quite loudly.

A more comprehensive breakfast buffet is available in the Aurum restaurant on the ground floor. It was very busy as there were many tour groups from China, Japan, Europe and Latin America (I took the photos below after they had left). The service here was better than in the Executive Lounge (the staff were welcoming and friendly, proactively asked if we wanted tea/coffee and cleared plates quickly). There was a decent selection of Indian, Oriental and Western cooked and continental food items. Eggs were made to order.

There is an outdoor swimming pool, gym and spa in the hotel. However, during our stay, we did not have the opportunity to use these facilities.

I felt that there was little recognition for HHonors Diamond members (no room/suite upgrade, no welcome letter and no welcome amenity). Other weaknesses include wifi (very slow) and the Executive Lounge (no facility for check-in/check-out there, average service and very small size). Our standard guest room was, however, clean and comfortable and the food in Aurum was acceptable. On the whole, I am not rushing to return to Hilton Jaipur and would consider other alternatives.