The Hilton ClubThe Hilton Club
We arrived at 2pm and went to the concierge lounge on the 37 floor to check in ,John the Hilton Club rep. was very pleasant and told us he was upgrading us to the best one bedroom suite at the Hilton. WE opened the door to our one bedroom suite and WOW, our granddaughter screamed wow. The view was breathtaking, we had a view of Central Park including the lake the carousel and the rest of New York City on the other side of the lake. The room was also on the 37th floor, as stated above, the rooms have no kitchen or microwave, it does have a mini refrigerator stocked with drinks, soda and juices etc., but not complimentary, you have to pay for anything you take as its inventory and restocked each morning.
The plasma TV in our living area was only black and white picture so we called the concierge and informed them, again we got John and he told us that somenone would be there in a few minutes to see what the problem was. In 10 minutes someone was there, he checked and informed us that the wire from the central control panel was bad and would have to be replaced, but had to be ordered and it would take 1 day, they would switch us to another room. My wife and I decided that we would not switch but stayed with the view out of our window in living color! There was a color TV in the bedroom that worked fine.
We own several weeks at the Manhattan Club, the other timeshare in New York City including the penthouse and we have Central Park view, but not like this, so we were not going to give it up. We have stayed in a studio on January 30th of this year and all the rooms are luxuriously finished with king size beds etc.
We rate this resort an 8 due to the fact it does not have a mini kitchen or microwave, but service and accomodations are second to none.
In addition, on and off for the past two years, we have considered buying a timeshare. Having already heard the Disney and Marriott pitches, we thought "what a great opportunity to investigate ownership through Hilton." Hilton Grand Vacations Club advertised an attractive preview package on their website - only $199 for four days and three nights in a standard room, plus a $100 gift certificate, in return for 90 minutes at the timeshare presentation. When booking the package, for an extra cost, we upgraded our accommodations to a one bedroom suite.
Check in was at 3:00 pm, so upon arriving in the morning, we stored our luggage with the bell captain and spent the day on the invigorating streets of New York City. At 2:40 pm, I went to the Concierge Lounge at the Hilton Club on the 37th floor of the hotel. I was greeted by two friendly people at the desk who checked on my reservation, and told me that our suite was almost ready.
Steve was apologetic and explained that because the hotel was sold out, housekeeping was overloaded, and the room would normally have been ready. He offered us a drink and some fruit, and invited us to make ourselves comfortable. The concierge lounge, for owners and guests only, was beautifully decorated and plushly furnished, complete with plenty of seating areas, an assortment of major newspapers, and a wall mounted plasma TV.
At 3:05, I checked again with Steve, but the suite was not yet ready. It was still being cleaned. At about 3:20, Steve apologetically explained that although housekeeping had made up the suite, the previous occupants had vacated, but left their luggage in the room. Hilton was not permitted to move the luggage, so we could not enter our suite. Quite a predicament, that is until Steve checked us into a TWO bedroom suite, at no additional cost.
The hallway approaching the suite was an indicator of what awaited us. The entire suite was clean, and obviously newly renovated. Upon entering the foyer, there was a curved, built in, wooden, walk in coat closet complete with iron, ironing board, plenty of wooden coat and suit hangers and a safe. The large marble foyer led to a generous living area with a pull out couch, two chairs and coffee table. Built in Biedermeyer style casework with a granite counter top flanked one wall, above which was mounted a plasma TV and a Bose speaker system. Unlimited Internet access was only $10.95 for the complete stay. Upon discovering that the remote keyboard did not work, one quick call to the concierge was all it took. Moments later, an engineer appeared with a new keyboard.
There was more than sufficient lighting, including table and floor lamps, while the tray ceilings were accented with wide crown molding and plenty of recessed halogen lighting. A glass top bistro table and two dining chairs were perfect for room service.
Although the unit was not equipped with a kitchen, there was a mini bar area, equipped with a serving tray, ice bucket and wine glasses, sitting on a curved granite counter top, on which sat a futuristic, opaque glass sink bowl. A mini fridge was hidden underneath and the complimentary water bottles were replaced daily. There were ceramic mugs and a coffee maker with plenty of coffee packets (regular and decaf), filters sugars and creamers.
Both bedrooms were decorated with custom fabrics and silk throw pillows. We all agreed that the king beds with pillow top mattresses were the most comfortable we ever slept in, complete with a duvet and duvet cover, triple sheeting, and downy soft pillows. TV's were skillfully hid in each bedroom inside armoires that matched the inlaid style of woodwork throughout. Also included were large windows, individual climate controls, and a chaise longue in the master suite.
The master bathroom was unusually large with a long granite counter top and a basket filled with Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries, blow dryer, and a magnified make up mirror. The glass enclosed glass tiled shower was large and equipped with an adjustable, removable shower head, along with numerous jets on the walls. The giant marble tub was equipped with a waterfall spigot. The fans sucked out all the steam, and there was no shortage of extra plush towels. The second bathroom was smaller, but still luxurious. Nothing was forgotten, or overlooked. All in all, the decor was highly stylish and expensive. In addition to full daily maid service, evening turndown service was also offered.
The hotel condition and services outside the club level were very good. We grabbed enough brochures for discounts on admission to area museums. The lobby concierge who arranged for Broadway show tickets was pleasant and accommodating. Hailing a taxi was always easy, thanks to the doorman and lineup of taxi's in front of the hotel. There was also convenient underground parking for those brave enough to drive in the city. In addition, there were plenty of dining choices within the hotel. Our only experience was ordering dinner from room service. The waiter removed everything from the linen covered cart and set the table for us. The food was excellent.
One negative about our stay was that the hotel was sold out, which meant that several times we found ourselves having to wait for an elevator, and at that, an elevator that wasn't stuffed with people. Another negative - those who attend the timeshare presentation will definitely "feel the heat" during the close.
Area attractions never end, and in this one of a kind city, there's plenty for singles, couples and families with children. The hotel is perfectly located in midtown Manhattan, whether hoofing it, or going by taxi, subway or train. You'll find some of the best restaurants and entertainment in the world here, and precisely why the Hilton Club at this location does not have planned resort activities and programs. The activities and entertainment are built in, just outside the hotel doors. Regardless, for those who need advice the concierge staff was at our disposal to assist with our plans.
The absence of a full kitchen was hardly missed since eating out was such a treat, while on the other hand, the concierge lounge services filled in the gaps. Breakfast was complete, including fresh fruit, juices, and bakery assortment of Danish and cereal. Cocktail hour included a complimentary bar (hard liquor and wine), and a variety of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and crudite. Additional fees and costs could include tips to staff, parking, and phone charges, but nothing hidden or unusual.
The Hilton Club is a shining star and most luxurious. We look forward to visiting again, and rate this property a 9.
The property is in a great location -- 6th Ave between 53rd and 54th Streets. This is a very safe part of town (one block north of Radio City Music Hall, about 7 blocks south of Central Park), and is close to lots of attractions - within about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, you can get to Fifth Avenue (Tiffany's, FAO Schwarz, Banana Republic, etc.), Central Park, Broadway, Times Square, as well as subway lines taking you anywhere in town. There are a couple of gourmet delis nearby (one open 24 hours). This Hilton Hotel is huge - but Club members get to skip the long lines in the lobby and check in at the Club's main desk on the 37th floor. This is very convenient and saves loads of time checking in and out.
We stayed in the smallest room available - a studio - and found it plenty big for two. The Club's guest rooms are nicer than the Hilton's regular hotel rooms (we had stayed in the same hotel, in a regular room, in June 2001 - it was nice, but not as nice as the Hilton Club rooms). The room is divided into a sleeping area and a small sitting area, divided by a wood and glass screen-style divider. It also has a bar fridge (not a mini-bar - just a fridge in which you can keep your left-overs or a small amount of groceries). There is also a coffeemaker with coffee and fixings, but no microwave or other cooking tools.
The rooms are well-appointed, and feature a large plasma-screen TV with gaming and high speed Internet capability (billed to your room) - there is a large variety of free TV, as well as video on demand available (billed to your room). The bathroom was especially funky - Kohler fixtures. It didn't have a bathtub, but the shower was great: in addition to the shower head, it featured two wall jets, and the fan system was such that the mirror never steamed up from the shower. Blow dryer and Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries are provided. Other than the regular hotel tax, there are no additional fees levied unless you use any of the pay-per-use services.
The Hilton Club offers a free continental breakfast every morning, which is excellent -- a wide variety of fresh fruit (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, fresh berries, apples, bananas, etc.), baked goods (fruit breads, danishes, croissants, bagels), cold cereals, etc. They also have a toaster for the bagels, and cream cheese, jam, etc. For beverages, they offer fruit juices, milk, coffee and tea. In the afternoons, they also have a cocktail reception, with cheese and crackers -- however we never made it to this, so can't comment further.
The staff was friendly and responsive in general - cleaning staff was very thorough (they came in every day). However, this was our only negative experience, and it was a significant one: we came back at around 5 pm one afternoon from a day out on the town and found the door to our room open (not just unlocked, but open, with the inner latch pulled between the door and the frame to keep it from locking). Nothing had been stolen from our room; however it wasn't a good feeling to know our room had been un-secure in midtown Manhattan for the afternoon. Our neighbour's room was also open. We reported it to the Hilton Club customer service, and they promised to look into the situation immediately to determine what had happened, and to get back to me with an explanation. I also asked them to let me know how long the door had been left open.
Despite my following up with them on two additional separate occasions, I was never offered an explanation or a length of time the door had been open. The closest I got was "We will look into this, but usually it's just... I mean it was probably just the cleaning staff". This didn't make us any more comfortable ("usually", as though this isn't unusual), but it was all we got. The morning we checked out, we mentioned again that we had never had any explanation -- and they acted like they had never heard about the issue, smiled and said "don't worry, we'll look into it". They haven't followed up since we returned home.
Other than this one (significant, to my mind) problem, we found the Hilton Club in Manhattan very good. Location is excellent, facilities are attractive and in good shape.
[Note: my daughter (non-TUGger who lives in another city) was the
one who actually visited and prepared the review for TUG. Queries
will be addressed on a "best efforts" basis. Pictures were taken
with a low-res digital camera.]
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