Review DoubleTree Hilton Trieste, what a pleasant discovery

On the occasion of our short but intense, on the road trip to Latvia we visited this hotel in the heart of the city of Trieste. It was a quick, one-night stop that allowed me to discover a facility that could easily belong to the most exclusive insignia of the Hilton family, such as those of the Curio brand.

Five stops on this trip and all made by choosing hotels from the same group for three reasons:

• Guarantee of an identical standard wherever you are
• Ability to take advantage of free privileges for the holders of American Express Platinum
• Maximize point collection and get closer to the level Diamond thanks to halved requirements for 2021

So the first stop was at DoubleTreee Trieste, the symbol of this chain is the iconic hot chocolate cookie that is offered to all guests at check-in. This practice had been suspended due to Covid, but it has been restored all over the world, including Italy.

Reservation and check-in

If you are enrolled in the Hilton Honors loyalty program, you know very well that in order to take advantage of all the privileges, accumulate points and level up, you must always book only through Hilton's direct channels, i.e. app, website or call the hotel. The property also provides guests with a digital check-in feature and allows you to use the app as a key to your room but also to other common spaces, from the gym to the elevator.

Sleeping using points in this hotel costs from 30k HH, I preferred to pay and take advantage of the double X2 to accumulate even more points. On balance, we spent about €200 and I accumulated over 9000 Hilton Honors Points.

When we arrived, we were literally speechless. The reception area looks like the entrance to a museum, between marble staircases and mosaics and a giant statue.

Paperwork taken care of in minutes, no green pass check, and the surprise of an upgrade to Junior Suite (actually not really a surprise, we had already been notified via app).

An interesting aspect is that the app allows you to choose your room from all the assignable rooms. Before our arrival, we therefore opted for a room on the third floor with a front view, preferring it to other rooms that faced the hotel's inner courtyard.

The location

The property is located in the heart of the city within walking distance of landmarks and in a restricted traffic zone, so an email is sent to all guests with info on parking nearby or using the car valet service, which, for €30, allows guests to park their car in front of the hotel, hand over the keys at reception and forget about parking. The hotel is inside a historic building, as reminded by the many marble plaques at the entrance and in the common areas.

The conversion to a hotel has managed to preserve the beautiful and enhance the modern in a truly unique setting. The marble staircase leading from the reception to the second floor is something rare in a hotel of this category, as is the incredible lounge used as the hotel bar that is open to all, even outside guests.

The room

This room category had a cost of about 60€ more than the room booked. Much more square footage was available to us, although to be a true Junior Suite, there should be a separation between the "living space" and the actual bedroom.

In this case, however, it was a large bedroom that could easily accommodate 3 or 4 people.

In addition to the sitting area immediately at the entrance, there was also a second work area. The only drawback: the lack of power outlets except for the one near the nightstand.

If there is one thing in the Hilton family hotels never (almost) disappoints is the quality of the mattress: the king size is a guarantee in every respect.

Also large in size is the bathroom, which is also separated from the rest of the room by a small hallway useful for storing suitcases and any other bulky items.

Modern bathroom with walk-in shower equipped with large shower head.

You can see that the attention to detail in the renovation of the rooms was utmost, even in the bathroom nothing was left to chance.

 

Standard equipment with Hilton products, always quality items, I often use them in other facilities when traveling. Also indispensable iron and ironing board for last minute needs.

Honors members can also enjoy two free bottles of water in their room, a benefit not to be underestimated considering that in some countries water costs more than beer. Here I greatly appreciated the presence of a "full" minibar (the menu can be accessed via the room's smart TV) and not desultorily empty as is increasingly the case. Also very stocked is the corner with coffee machine, obviously Illy since we are in Trieste.

 

The room (and the hotel in general) is filled with many stickers explaining the policy of cleaning and sanitizing all rooms. Also pleasant is the welcome card that is left in the room, which, unfortunately, is no longer something that is done in all facilities.

Hotel services

Unfortunately, the SPA was closed due to Covid-related restrictions, although in this case I think it is more for a cost-cutting reason, since by now everything in Italy has pretty much been reopened, with proper precautions.

Accessible h24 instead the gym, all brand new equipment and made in Italy, is not huge, but I am sure it is adequate to the needs of the guests of this hotel.

The second floor of the hotel houses the restaurant, bar, and a library. Of course you can't open the shelves, but it is a beautiful location.

It feels like a museum not a hotel. Wood floors and marble columns convey the history of this early 20th century building.

Bar and restaurant

As mentioned, there is a bar on the second floor that is open to all guests. It's worth popping in for a spritz after a busy day around the city.

Breakfast is served in the adjacent spaces, obviously the buffet model has been adapted to the new regulations.

An attendant is in charge of preparing the dishes requested by customers, at the table now present the ever-present QRcode that gives access to the full breakfast menu.

The offer is appropriate for the DoubleTree brand, although certainly reduced due to the pandemic.

In conclusion

This hotel deserves a very high rating; the facility is truly unique and, as mentioned, could easily be included in the more prestigious insignia of the Hilton family. Sure, the Junior Suite was not exactly a true JS, and to make the leap upward needs improvement in breakfast, but everything else is definitely 5-star.

• Hilton Honors