I never stayed at the NY Hilton. I’m a Hilton Honors member and have stayed at tons of Hilton Hotels through my travels. Even though I never met him, I even feel a bit of a connection to Conrad Hilton (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) after watching Mad Men on TV.
Recently, I stayed at the NY Hilton. I was working an event and decided it would be good to stay overnight. Luckily, I was able to get the discount hotel rate due to the fact that there were a block of rooms set aside. But, it was still expensive.
The hotel is big. It’s located right in the center of midtown Manhattan so there was a lot going on. But that’s not why I would never stay there again. Here are the top four reasons why I will never stay at the NY Hilton again… (Unless, of course, they make it up to me…)
- Housekeeping never cleaned the bathroom so there was no fresh soap or shampoo.
- There was a $15 charge for internet usage. (Personally, I hate that. In this day and age, the internet should be free!)
- They tried to charge me $15 to use the gym. (This was one of my biggest gripes! With tax, I paid nearly $700 for two nights and they couldn’t provide me with the use of the gym?)
- I asked the front desk if there was a good place to meet with a business associate for breakfast. They told me that the hotel had a restaurant but that it would be $40 for eggs.
Okay, note to self…. never stay in a tourist area again!
While I can certainly understand your dissatisfaction with the cleanliness of the bathroom, your last three points make zero sense as a complaint against a hotel. Most 4 and 5 star hotels charge for internet. Unless you are staying at a Hampton Inn or a Holiday Inn, you’re most likely going to have to pay for internet. This is not unique to the NY Hilton, or hotels of its caliber. Your last two points seem to be gripes about the prices at the hotel. The Hilton is a 4 star hotel in the middle of one of the most expensive cities in the world…what did you expect? You could have easily checked the prices of the restaurant and gym usage before you made your reservation. Maybe the lesson from all of this is to be a more inquisitive hotel consumer next time you book a room.
Not sure where you work or where your expertise are, but as a consumer, I’ve stayed at the finest five star hotels around the world and have never paid for internet or the gym… The Fairmont hotels is a good example of that. I guess that’s where my gripe lies… Just my opinion…
I can see both your points. While I agree that the NY Hilton is not the only hotel to charge for internet, I disagree that only Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn (or hotels of that caliber) give free internet. Hotels that understand their customers do not tack on charge after charge after charge. GUEST asks what did the author expect? I think she expected value and service for her money regardless of the cost. $15 for the internet and $40 for eggs is not value, its just an over-charge and does not leave the consumer feeling good. I agree that business travelers and especially club members should get free internet. Whats next? charge for soap and shampoo? is this a hotel or an airline? Hotels with gyms should not charge for their use…. plain and simple. It does not cost them anything on a per user basis to provide certain services, so why not include it in the price? Yes lots of hotels charge for the internet but that does not make it right and only by people speaking up will they get the idea.
I agree that Internet should be free. Some hotels have a free basic service, and then you may have to pay something like $10 for “upgraded” service, which I guess is faster. I never need that. I also agree the gym should be included, especially for Hilton Honors members (which we are also). As for the inquiry about where to go for breakfast, I am shocked that all they could tell you was to go to their own restaurant, instead of recommending the dozens of places right outside the hotel. They should be offering you a service, so you can make a choice, not just steer you towards their own place. As for the bathroom not being cleaned, I would be furious. That’s happened to me. Now, when I check in, I inspect the room first, before unpacking. I have been known to call the desk and demand a room change. I have also stayed at five star hotels both here and overseas (Rome and Tokyo Hilton’s were both 5 star) and they were better than the ones here. I have also stayed at the one you’re talking about…nothing to write home to the neighbors about. Believe it or not, I prefer to stay at some of their partners instead. You can use your Hilton points and get a nicer place to stay. All in all, though, I HATE hotels. They’re creepy and revolting (if you really inspect them), but not much choice when you’re a business traveler.
I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria and they CHARGED me for tea bags in the room!!! I thought that was the most outrageous thing ever. No charge for the coffee they had there, but $10 for tea bags!!
Hotels should not charge for Internet service. That is just “nickel and diming” their guests. Same is true for the gym.
I would try another place next time.
NYC is expensive, but there are cheaper alternatives.
Agree. Thanks Steve for your comment!