Hilton Dortmund
I was comped to Hilton Honors Gold in October and had an additional promo giving me 25000 points if I stay in any hotel of the Hilton Hotel Group until 31st of January 2006. Visiting friends in Dortmund, I decided to stay in the Hilton Dortmund instead of driving with a rental car in the middle of the night roughly 100 kilometres to
my flat, well the living of a miles and point junkie.
The Hotel could be reached by public transportation easily. There are two subways lines (U 45 and U 49 in direction Hacheney / Westfalenhallen) to the nearest stop called “Westfalenpark”. From the exit in direction of the subway you are seeing the hotel and it is less than five minutes to walk.
The U-type building is built in the early 90ies as Scandic Crown hotel. The lobby is small, on the left side is the reception desk, on the right side the “Harmony Bar” and the two restaurants of the hotel called “Rhapsody” and “L’Oliva”. The Restaurant “L’Oliva” is only open in the evening, while “Rhapsody” Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes, there a special buffets.
In the souterrain is a large pool (17 x 8 m) with sauna and steam bath. You find there also a fitness room. Towels are handed, but you have to give a deposit of 10,00 EUR. Not only this is a little bit strange, there also was no one available to give me my towel. Surprisingly, in the morning some towels were places on a table in the pool area without need of a deposit.
The fitness facilities are okay, but of limited number. Another treadmill would be good as I can imagine this are can get crowded if the hotel is fully booked.
A massage by the team of the fitness and pool area (seems to be outsourced) are available for a fee.
Stay: 12 November 2005
Arrival Date: 11 November 2005
Departure Date: 12 November 2005
Room type booked: Twin Hilton Guest Room, Standard
Rate Plan: Weekdend in style
Room Number: 408
Room Rate: 89 EUR (incl. Breakfast)
Status of Guest Program: Gold
As I arrived in the hotel a little bit after 16.00 there were a couple checking out and another guest just checking in. As it was my turn, the clerk just disappeared without saying something like “Just a moment, I will be back in a few seconds”. Nice greeting, luckily the other guest was checked out and it was my turn. I had to show my credit card and was checked it in about two minutes. I was shown the nearest take the elevator on
the left side. I had to ask for opening hours of the pool area, for breakfast time and place. As Gold should get you a better room than booked, I was looking was I will get in this hotel. But as I opened my room, it seems, that it was the type I have booked. It was a classical interior, you enter the bathroom just after entering the room. The bathroom consists of a tube with shower, a toilet and a washbasin. Instead of a shower curtain there was a glass panel which was a little bit short, so you could not avoid
water dripping on the floor. The hairdryer was loose and you could see the electric cable. Well, I think, this is something housekeeping should repair at once. The clothesline in the bathroom had also a malfunction, there were nearly 50 cm hanging in the tube. I do not understand, why this is not seen by the staff cleaning the room and brought to the attention of housekeeping.
The room itself has a working desk with LAN connection, a table with a seat, a minibar and a TV opposite the double bed with two bedside tables with a reading lamp and a normal lamp. Unfortunately it was not possible to switch of the main light from the bed.
The amenity consist of some potatoes chips and some cottage cheese for dipping and a bottle of mineral water. Honestly, the amenities I get in every Holiday Inn are better than six slices of potatoes ships. To me, this seems like an amenity for the sake of an amenity.
During check out, I asked about the upgrade as one of the Gold benefits. I was told, I got an upgrade from the second to the fourth floor, as they upgrade Gold to this floor. It seems, they take the upgrade at face value. Interestingly, there was a group of young people, who also stayed on the fourth floor and I honestly doubt, they are all Gold …I would accept a statement like, we have not upgrade you, because there was no room available or even we do not upgrade Golds, but this statement seems a little bit
like of a lame excuse.
Breakfast was okay, it was an extended Continental Breakfast buffet with the normal stuff you are expecting in a Hilton. Staff was very friendly.
My overall impression, it is a nice hotel, but I doubt I will stay there again if there is no need. You can get there good rates for collecting nights / stays, but noting more. The pool is nice, but to me it is strange to give a deposit of cash for a towel, normally you give you room key.
