Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Mystic, Connecticut -- Hilton

Status perks
I did not receive any perks, although the agent stated that my Hilton Honors number was on file when I checked in. I usually have Gold status, and recently lost that, so my status was Silver during this stay. I felt like a second class citizen at this property. I did not even receive the room type in my profile, and this is the first time I ever recall that happening at a Hilton.

Room
My profile is set for a high floor, king-bed, non-smoking room away from the elevator (usually quieter). I received a king-bed handicap room on the first floor. When I checked in, the agent stated that my room was a handicap room, and I said I did not need that room type. She said if I did not want the handicap room, I would have to take a room with two double beds. Since the beds in the two-bed rooms were "doubles" and not "queens" (typical for Hilton), I opted to keep the king-bed room. I soon regretted that decision. My room had a connecting door (something I don't like because of sound and safety). I was awaken at 2am when my neighbor decided to watch TV rather loudly. I was happy that the Internet connection was free. This is the first time I recall receiving free Internet at a Hilton. Usually this is waived for Gold members and higher; however, when I signed in, I did not need to provide my room number. I only had to agree to the T & C. The speed was fast when I arrived in the afternoon; however, by 6pm I was frequently getting disconnected and waiting for pages to load. The room was a basic hotel room size with Hilton amenities. The pod coffee maker was not any better quality than what I'd had at the Hampton the night before.


Food & Beverage

The restaurant was not open the night I stayed (a Tuesday), and the lounge did not open until 5pm (I had been hoping to eat before that since I did not have lunch). The service in the lounge was satisfactory. The crab salad I ordered was good quality, although kind of pricey ($16.95). I observed snack jars behind the bar; however, I did not receive any snacks, and I did not see other guests with snacks either. I suppose if I had wanted snacks, I needed to request them.


Business center

I did not use the business center because the information in my room stated that there was a charge for services.


Fitness center

I was happy to have a choice of several cardio machines and weights. I could not locate the TV remote or headsets for cardio theater, although everything else was satisfactory. The fitness center was open 24 hours.


Overall

My experience at this property has made me decide not to stay at a Hilton again unless I have Gold status. I could not find any reason to choose the Hilton over a Hampton Inn. The bedding was more comfortable; however, since my room was in a noisy area, it was not better sleep quality. There was a Hampton Inn nearby, where I wished I had stayed instead. When I got off the expressway, I noticed a Bistro and Wine Bar restaurant in front of the Hampton Inn, in the same parking lot, which I could have walked to from the Hampton--and, eaten before 5pm. Usually, my Hilton experiences are so satisfying, that I had chosen the Hilton. I did receive an excellent rate--$25 less than the online AAA rate--by calling the hotel directly. I have done this at Hilton properties before when I wanted to stay, and the price was too high. This low rate did not have an impact on my quality of stay the last time I did this; however, I don't know if that had any impact on my stay at this property.


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