A guarantee even without the cookie, review Doubletree by Hilton Milan
The covid did away with the warm cookie that is delivered at check in.
I am a regular customer of this facility, so I can tell unfiltered how the quality of the stay has changed pre and post covid, starting with the lack of the iconic hot cookie upon arrival.
In this article:
The group Hilton in Milan offers 4 facilities, one per family: Hilton, Garden Inn, Curio, and the star of my review, the Doubletree.
The best bonuses
To learn all about status benefits, how to collect points and how to save big bucks by paying for stays with Hilton Honors, read our beginner's guide.
Reservation
It is 20/25K Hilton Honors, the points it takes to book a room at this hotel. If you prefer to pay cash instead, the cost averages around 100/120€ (in particularly busy periods it can go up to 200€). I personally never use points in Italian facilities, as the points vs. euro cost conversion ratio is generally unfavorable when compared to other facilities abroad.
Location
Located a short distance from Viale Certosa, it is convenient for those who need to move to the Fair, both city and new, or in any case for those who have appointments in the eastern part of Milan. It is certainly not suitable for those who want to visit the city, as it is not served by transportation, as is the case with other facilities. On the contrary, if one is equipped with a car, it can be reached in a few minutes from the A8/A4 and the western ring road. It is also easy to reach the San Siro stadium, although not very convenient.
The room
Shortly before the advent of the pandemic, rooms were "normalized" and the dedicated Hilton Honors plan was eliminated, not sure whether due to lack of loyal users or the need to optimize costs. This results, for example, in the delivery of pampering to the room for Gold and Elite status holders.
As a reminder, holders of the American Express Platinum enjoy gold status by right. Thanks to this level you get many benefits, the main one being the possibility of being able to receive free breakfast and save an amount ranging from 10 to 50€ per person depending on the facility where you stay.
The rooms are very spacious and no-frills. The large windows bring in a lot of light, too bad that if you stay in the front wing of the facility you are practically "in the window." Being designed in the shape of a horseshoe, in fact, the 50% of rooms face the inner courtyard, while only those on the rear wing of the hotel can enjoy an unobstructed view.
The equipment is standard in both the room and the bathroom.
Bar & Restaurant
As mentioned, I have been a customer of this facility several times, and the most important change is the total discontinuation of bar and food service, dinner and breakfast. Guests are offered a small picnic breakfast, definitely a major downgrade that is not accompanied by a decrease in the cost of the room.
Note that other Hilton facilities in Italy have taken different measures, such as the Garden Inn in Malpensa.
The lobby of this hotel has always been very lively, both because of the presence of an area where they could work in peace, and because all elite guests were offered a free drink at the hotel bar, which also helped create opportunities for socializing. Guests could also take advantage of the outdoor space, much like a small square away from the chaos of Milan and ideal at the end of a day downtown.
In conclusion
The decision to totally eliminate the bar and breakfast service left me very puzzled. It is certainly a cost containment solution in a period of very low occupancy, but from a 4-star hotel this choice is not understandable, also because other Hilton facilities such as the Garden Inn in Malpensa have modified, but maintained, the service for their guests.
Have you been to this facility, leave your opinion in the comments.
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