Hilton Vienna, Austria

In July 2016 I celebrated a milestone birthday and we decided to spend it in Austria. A wish of both, my fiancé and I, was for a longer time to stay at the Hilton Vienna, the largest hotel of the country.

We booked two separate nights, one after we arrived and the other before our departure from Vienna International Airport. This is a combined review of both stays.

The hotel is ideally located. We took the City Airport Train, short CAT, to Vienna Mitte train station from Vienna International Airport and the Hilton Vienna is just across the road. This remembered us about the Hilton Kuala Lumpur and their connection between the KLIA and the hotel incl. KLIA Express [KLIA Ekspres] and the Central Train Station [Sentral].

At first sight it was easier to find the side entrance than the main entrance.

Reception was on the immediate right, when entering via the main entrance. The Lobby Bar and Lounge is to the left and there is a sign, indicating the bar with an arrow with Gin Tonic and the other arrow the reception with check in.

The check in experiences were very different each time. The first was businesslike, the other warmer and more personal.

We had once paid cash and once with points. Each time we had chosen a King Cathedral View Room. During our first stay we weren’t upgraded. The second time we received a Corner Junior Suite with views over the city, the Stadtpark and the Steffel.

During our first stay a convention of Neonatologists took place, so the hotel was very busy, but the convention didn’t disrupt other guests.

On the ground floor was also S’Parks Restaurant, which won best “Genuss Austria” [which promotes regional products] restaurant in Austria for 2015/2016. We ate dinner there twice – a review will follow – and we can confirm that the award is well deserved.

We liked also the display cabinet with different awards, for example best traditional gugglhupf in 2012, a Hilton Vienna Teddy Bear and kid’s lunch boxes on offer.

The elevators were a bit hidden away and not too far from the public rest rooms.

Our room was located on the 6^th floor and had the desired views over the Stadtpark and St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

The furniture was made from blond wood and the overall color scheme was light brown and felt fresh and attractive.

As a gold member of the Hilton Honors loyalty program we received a personalized welcome letter from the hotel manager, Roemer Quelle still water from Austria and three pistachio macaroons. They were yummy. We appreciated that our preference for still water had been remembered.

The writing desk had a glass plate with little white dots printed on it and a stylish lamp.

There were also a wardrobe and credenza, a comfortable bed, a coffee table with magazines Wien Exklusiv and First Class Vienna.

The minibar was stocked with Vaihinger juices, Roemer Quelle, Evian, Manner wafers, Kitkat, Red bull, Coca Cola in glass bottles, Havanna Club, Beef Eater and much more.

The snacks were 3.50 Euro (ca. 3.85 USD), the non-alcoholic beverages ranged from 4.25 Euro to 5.75 Euro (ca. 4.65 USD to ca. 6.30 USD), beer was 5.50 Euro (ca. 6 USD) and all liquor 10 Euro (ca. 11 USD), while Champagne was 48 Euro (ca. 52.50 USD).

The flat screen TV had 86 channels, of which around a third were German speaking. The rest was international and included CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg.

On one of the German channels we saw Ali Guengoermues of the one Michelin-starred restaurant Le Canard Nouveau in a reality TV series, where he trains an ambitious young chef.

We had lunch at Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg in April earlier in the year, so it was nice to remember our encounter with the chef, his cuisine and to see him on TV in “action”.

There were also a tea/coffee making facility with Tschibo coffee and Ronnefeldt tea.

The bathroom was small with a bathtub/shower combination, sink, toilet, marble top, wood, and tiles. Amenities were by Peter Thomas Roth. We liked also the mosaic in different shades of green.

Overall the atmosphere of the hotel and room let us relax and we felt well throughout.

As gold we received complimentary breakfast at S’Parks. The breakfast buffet was large and had everything one could want. On a personal note, I would have preferred, though, to have a few more vegetable choices. Otherwise I loved it. The quality was memorable and included an egg station, an Asian section, yogurt, fruits, smoked salmon, cold cuts, cheese, different types of bread and pastries. Tea and coffee was self-service.

Our Corner Junior Suite was large and open plan. The floor to ceiling windows offered stunning views.

The color scheme was different shades of brown and blond wood furniture and had a lot more storage space. There were three wardrobes and a credenza.

We also had a seating area for two, a coffee table and again Wien Exklusiv and Cercle Diplomatique – the leading magazine for the diplomatic corps, international organizations and the economy – and a flat screen TV.

As a welcome gift as golds we received three chocolate macaroons and still water. My birthday had been five days earlier. I was pleasantly surprised, when a personalized birthday card, two vouchers for sparkling wine at S’Parks and a coffee flavored cake were waiting for us. A wonderful/personal touch which we both appreciated very much. Our thanks to the Hilton Vienna.

The bathroom had the same size as the one we had during our first stay. The Peter Thomas Roth amenities included the massage bar, which is rare and we like, it seems this particular soap bar is available at suites only at the Hilton Vienna.

In both rooms were artwork of Viennese landmarks.

With the upgrade to the Corner Junior Suite came Executive club lounge access.

The lounge on the 12^th floor was divided into three rooms. Some gave views over the Stadtpark, others over the neighboring buildings.

When we arrived during Happy Hour wine, beer, vodka, sparkling wine and gin were served as well as alcohol free beverages. Appetizers included ham salad, curly fries, hamburgers and dessert Panna Cotta.

Breakfast was a choice between S’Parks and the club lounge. We chose the club lounge, because we thought it would be quieter there and we’d already tried the breakfast at S’parks during our first stay a few days earlier and decided it would be good to compare both offerings.

The breakfast was smaller of course, but included all essentials and had to my happiness more vegetables on offer, overall we felt well catered for and received throughout memorable service in a memorable and beautiful hotel in the heart of Vienna.

Would we stay here again? Yes, definitely. The staff is very friendly and efficient, the location, club lounge and restaurant are excellent. We enjoyed the comfort of our room/Junior Suite and the recognition as gold members was wonderful too. Good to know: the hotel through the concierge offers also reasonable priced luxury limousine airport transfers from/to the hotel.

 

 

©2017

DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We had heard rumors of a points devaluation at the Hilton Honors loyalty program in 2012 and thought we better get rid of the majority of our points before it became a reality, so we looked for the best value for our points and managed to get an Executive Suite at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur for eight nights including Executive Club Lounge access.

We had arrived the previous day in Kuala Lumpur with Aer Lingus and Malaysia Airlines and stayed a night at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur (Please see reviews for those). 

We used public transport between the Hilton and the DoubleTree. We took the LRT from KL Sentral - the Hilton is just opposite - towards Gombak and got off at Ampang Park, just one stop after KLCC.

The public transport is efficient, clean and very affordable. Most single journeys per person didn't cost more than 2.90 MYR (ca. 0.67 Euro or 0.91 USD) and that were already the longer ones. Average was more 1 MYR to 2 MYR (ca. 0.23 Euro to 0.48 Euro or ca. 0.31 USD to 0.62 USD).

The DoubleTree is located in the Intermark development and integrated into a small upscale shopping mall. Another mall, Ampang Park Shopping Centre, is very easily reachable within a few minutes via an overhead connecting walk way.

The first impression of the DoubleTree was very good with an airy and large lobby in earth colors.  There is also the reception, the Axis Lounge with jazz music every night and the Food Store and Cafe, serving delicious meals to enjoy there or to take away and DoubleTree merchandise including shirts and the infamous cookies.

We were sent up to the 34th floor, where the Executive Club Lounge is located. Thanks to an earlier electricity outage the computer system wasn't working and we were unable to check in immediately. We were given the DoubleTree cookies and invited to use the Executive Club Lounge. It was very large with a few nooks and crannies to hide; it was kept in light colors and offered sweeping city views. Most of the floor to ceiling windows weren't facing the Petronas Towers, but there was a terrace (also used by smokers) that offered the desired vista.

There were also two computer stations for guests, newspapers and magazines, plus iPADs could be borrowed too. During the day guests can help themselves to alcohol free beverages, sandwiches, fruits, biscuits and cookies.

After an hour or so the system was running again and finally the check in process could begin. We were explained we had free WIFI internet access and three laundry items per day were also free. Keith, the receptionist, explained they were flexible on this, so the number of items that needed to be laundered could fluctuate as long as there weren't more than twenty four items during our stay it was going to be free.

He explained the Executive Club Lounge benefits and mentioned we had a special occasion to celebrate - our anniversary. Keith gave us a letter, welcoming us as Hilton Honors Gold Members, which detailed again the benefits, and the key cards.

Our modern suite was very large with a separate living room and bed room, held in different shades of brown and contemporary artwork. The living room included a large writing desk, sink, mini bar, a sofa, chair, coffee table and a large TV. The bed room contained a large king sized bed, chair with ottoman, TV and a large wardrobe.

The bathroom was set up like a Japanese wet room with the shower right beside the bath tub. There was one sink and a separate room for the toilet and bidet. The amenities were the new Crabtree & Evelyn Citron, Honey and Coriander. We enjoyed using them.

Our view was towards the Intercontinental (formerly the Nikko), in which we had stayed during our 2009 KL visit, or towards the club lounge, which was located opposite our windows, below the swimming pool.

The sofa was made for taller people and wave shaped. TV channels were regional and international.

The bed was very comfortable and made it difficult to get up.

The chairs were also comfortable and the rain shower heaven with very good water pressure.

The mini bar was stocked with soft drinks, water, juices (from 10 MYR or ca. 2.30 Euro or ca. 3.15 USD) and Carlsberg beer (25 MYR, ca. 5.80 Euro or ca. 7.80 USD).

In room dining was available 24 hours. Breakfast started from 35 MYR (ca. 8.10 Euro or ca. 10.95 USD), appetizers from 20 MYR (ca. 4.65 Euro or ca. 6.25 USD), mains from 38 MYR (ca. 8.80 Euro or 11.90 USD) and desserts from 15 MYR (ca. 3.50 Euro or 4.70 USD).

We used in room dining once after a long day out and about, otherwise we had dinner at the club lounge. We chose from the hawker stall inspired menu and had Chicken Satay Aneka and Beef Char Kway Teow, wok fried flat noodles with sliced beef, bean sprouts, scallion and ginger. It was delicious.

The Executive Club Lounge's breakfast was a mix of Western and Asian dishes buffet style with a wide variety and part of the buffet changed daily. Some hot items could be ordered a la carte, like omelet or pancakes. My absolute favorite was the Bircher Berner Muesli. It is so far the best I've ever had anywhere.

During Happy Hour a small selection of liquors, beers and wines was served as well as a local and international buffet. The cakes and desserts were a delight for both of us.

During our stay we used the internet and laundry services on a regular basis, which were all complimentary.

The internet was fast and reliable.

The laundry was always picked up quickly and delivered back at the stated hours in perfect condition and beautifully packaged.

Of course the hotel has other facilities too. The Makan Kitchen serves Pan Asian cuisine, Tosca Italian and the Cellar Door is a wine bar.

There is an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and the Sompoton Spa. I went for two treatments. I had the Malay and a foot reflexology massage. Both were fantastic and left me in a state of relaxation. I had the same room for both treatments. The Malay massage started punctual, but for the reflexology massage I had to wait, because another guest had arrived late for his treatment and his therapist was the only one who could do my massage as well. Since I was given a magazine and ginger tea in free flow, it wasn't too bad.

The treatment room was furnished in colonial style and overlooked the city. During the massages soothing music was playing. The therapists were friendly and knew what they were doing. They found the right balance to release the tensions.

We have only praise for the club lounge staff. They were always friendly, willing to assist and go the extra mile.

The ladies remembered our preferences for seating and our favorite beverages.

Charging our IPod Touch was done with a smile.

One day my better half was sick and couldn't attend breakfast in the lounge. I asked if I could take a few items for him, which is normally not allowed. It wasn't a problem as long as I brought back the plates and cutlery. When he felt better staff asked if his health had improved.

I will always think fondly about receiving a lesson how Beef Rendang is served correctly.

Our time flew by and soon it was time to check out. The receptionist was sad to see us go. We were also sad, but also looked forward to our next adventure in Kota Kinabalu, on the island of Borneo.

When we are back in KL this is a hotel we need to stay again for a few nights.

 ©2014