bob1952

With the dollar as worthless as it is against the pound, I find that my Hilton Honors points are a better 'investment' than holding $$ and probably the only way to afford London and Edinburgh this summer.

Please share your thoughts on which of the Hilton properties in London (and Edinburgh) you would choose for a touristy type stay in late May. 3 nights - Saturday through Monday. Mostly all adults (one 16 year old). First trip for most.

Thanks -

sheila

Without a shadow of a doubt the Caledonian. The Grosvenor (actually I haven't been in it for a couple of years) is off centre and shabby, and you really don't want to stay at the airport.

The Cally on the other hand is a bit special

Barbara

Absolutely agree with Sheila. The Caley would be the place to stay in
Edinburgh.

m_kingdom

If you insist on using your Hilton points, then the Caledonian is the best Hilton in Edinburgh. However, last time I was in this city I stayed at the Balmoral which is infinitely more charming with infinitely superior service - I took dinner one night at the Caledonian, the service was cold and inefficient, the food was good, but I would not advise staying here.

sheila

Do you think they knew bout you in advance, m?

hermit

Yo, Sheila, Be nice!!!

sheila

Oops. Sorry

Leburta

I can tell you where NOT to stay in London with your Honors points. For the same reasons you have, we stayed at the Hilton at Chelsea Harbour, which was a lovely hotel, but way off the beaten path. It was a long walk to the tube, which we only did roundtrip once. After that we opted to take taxis, which were a minimum $15 each way. This added up and somewhat offset the value of the points we used to get the hotel. If you are able to, book elsewhere.

bob1952

We were wondering about the Chelsea Harbour and concerned about the distance from central London. Any other thoughts?

(I love it when the board gets a little catty)

AAFrequentFlyer

My favorite Hilton in London if paid for is the Metropole. As a Gold HHonors member I always get upgraded to the west wing and have full lounge access. If I was spending points, I would see how much of a difference is between the Metroploe and the Hilton flagship property in London, the London Hilton on Park Lane (NOT the Hyde Park Hilton - a dump IMHO). The other nice ones are The Trafalgar, Langham and Paddington. All 5 of these properties are centrally located. There is also the London Conrad, but it is a little of the beaten path and a newly obtained property, The Waldorf Hilton, but can't tell you anything about that one other than it is getting refurbished, but the work should be completed by the time you're there
I will second the Edinburgh Caledonian. Again I was treated as a king on my only visit there last June. Got a huge suite with a gorgeous view of the castle. I don't think they have a lounge, but breakfast is included in the upgrade in the restaurant. I can't tell you for sure because of my late party, late sleeping habit while in Edinburgh .

bob1952

I am being told that the Caledonian is 'booked up' for hilton honors users for the nights we will be there. Is the Hilton Grosvenor an acceptable option? The few reviews I have seen are not very flattering.

sheila

Acceptable, yes; great, no.

bob1952

Apparently I have left it a little late for London properties also. Park Lane, Metropole, Trafalgar, Langham an d Paddington are all booked for the nights we want. Damn!

Now thinking about the Conrad despite earlier warnings. How bad are the tube connections?

AAFrequentFlyer

It has been reported that on occasion contacting the reservation manager or general manager directly could open a room for you. Just plead your case in a very polite, businesslike manner and you never know. They may take your cert, just don't expect any point stretcher awards E-mail or better yet, a phone call may do the trick.

Did you try the "new" Hilton Waldorf? They may some openings since they are new to the London Hilton famiiy?

Good luck!

JudyC

Have you tried Hilton Green Park? It is most centre located on Half Moon street,just off Piccadilly,few minutes walk to tube/bus.

I stayed at the hotel again last November, the newly-renovated club floor is much improved, also good buffet breakfast.

Tulips

Tube connections from Conrad Hilton in Chelsea Harbour are very bad. You will have to rely on bus and taxi. A 5/10 minute walk will take you to the Kings Road; there are some restaurants there, as well as in Chelsea Harbour itself. Also lots of antique shops. It's a nice enough neighbourhood, but residential.

janis

Tube conections for the Conrad are not bad -- they are non-existant. There are buses within a fairly reasonable walk - but no tube station within a 20 minute walk.

bob1952

To close the loop - last week (4) of us stayed for one night at the Hilton Grovsvenor in Edinburgh and three nights at the Conrad London Chelsea Harbour.

The Hilton Grosvenour was as everyone suggested. Convenient, a little shop-worn, pleasant and helpful staff. Since we paid nothing, it was worth well more than we paid for it. However the room was a bit stuffy and (with the windows open) noisy when the 'drunks' on the street outside the hotel decided to sing at 2-4am.

We found the Conrad Chelsea Harbour to be an excellent hotel. Everything I expected a 5star property to be. It was a 2 block walk to the #11 bus running along Kings Road (through Chelsea)directly to Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square, and other easy connections to Knightsbridge area. Think great shopping, restaurants, and nightlife in the Chelsea and Knightsbridge areas. We did take our share of 15GBP taxis also.

The staff was extremely helpful in all areas... arranging theatre tickets (Jerry!), providing advise on getting around, and making our room comfortable for the four of us. 4th floor suite was one of the nicest we have ever stayed in.

I would have no problem recommending the Conrad to others - especially those using Hilton points. This may have been our only option but it worked out extremely well for us.