Not the Best, But Near Downtown
Dear Polite Travelers,
Besides
their boutique properties, Hotels by Hilton, like Hampton Inn, Doubletree, and Embassy
Suites tend to offer a varied number of free amenities—some simple, some
more elaborate, such as an evening cocktail hour at the Embassy Suites. Some are visibly and tangibly more formal
than others. Hilton’s, though, are typically snazzy
and darn-right special.
Tale of Two Hiltons
Take
the stately Hilton Los Angeles/Universal Studio. In my post of
our stay not long ago, I described it in one word: Wow! Floor to ceiling, wall-length window in our large, 21st-floor room...yep, wow. And
because our stay was pre-Covid, we could sit at the bar, enjoy happy hour, and
eat at any of the on-site restaurants without worry.
Compare
this hotel with the historic, but less impressive, Hilton Palm
Springs and...well there’s no comparison.
Sorry, Hilton. I still love you,
but this hotel doesn’t completely represent your excellent
reputation. And here’s why.
Old & Battered Vs New & Sparkly
It
feels wrong—in a way—to compare a much newer property to one that has aged with
the desert and decades-passed Rat Pack megastars. Still, they are both Hilton branded. So, here we go.
Entering
the Hilton Palm Springs lobby feels much like entering many other large resort
hotels: tall ceilings, multiple seating areas, and shiny, tiled floors. Yet, because this entire city sits on the San
Andreas Fault, the shiny, tiled floor sported a visible crack running the
length of the room. Yikes! Since first
impressions are everything, this was a tad concerning.
Next
up was checking in. Jason, our agent,
informed us of the pool/spa
reno, which was no biggie for us. However,
learning the on-site restaurant was no longer tied to the hotel was
disappointing. What?! It is literally in the hotel. Right there.
In the lobby. We could dine
in—what is now called Heyday and not Harvey’s Lounge—but we couldn’t apply our
$12 per-person meal credit or charge the tab to our room.
As
one who cherishes collecting Hilton Honors points, this change is a big deal. I truly looked forward to enjoying a glass of
wine at Harvey’s, which is still mentioned on the hotel website and their literature. Our only choice was the hotel’s
breakfast/lunch restaurant. It serves passible fare. At least the eggs tasted like eggs. Grr...
Comparing
that experience with the LA property is exhausting. There’s too much positive to mention. Hilton Los Angeles/Universal Studio offered
multiple restaurants, bars, and shops with all serving excellence and we could
charge all to our room. More points for
more stays! All the benefits with only
one downside: traveling through LA traffic to get there.
Certainly, the Room is Worth the Hype
The
going room rate of this property—as with most—varies. We stayed during the slow season where the
rates are roughly $157-$447. These are
great rates considering the popularity of Palm Springs, the hotel’s gym, pool, on-site
restaurant, etc. Still, these are the lowest
rates of the season, and the amenities are limited due to Covid
and renovations. So, all in all, the
price is not a bargain.
Speaking
of renovations...Yikes! Upon a cursory
glance, the hotel appears clean, polished,
and well-maintained. Look closer, sniff,
and your opinion would likely change, as mine quickly did.
Hallways
stunk as if cannabis mixed with sweat is the new air freshener and our room
wasn’t much better. Our upgraded room, albeit
large and comfortable, was filled with tattered unclean furniture. It was also very dark. The lack of lighting gave it an even older
feel. Luckily our upgrade was a corner
room with plenty of windows.
Unfortunately, it’s winter with typical dark days.
The
bathroom appeared clean, but the water felt slippery and was at times
orange. Yuk. Even though the water pressure was excellent, the
showerhead spewed such hard spray, my skin hurt.
The noise was a factor as well. During our first night,
the next-door neighbor played her television so loudly we couldn’t sleep until
midnight. We’re much too old to stay up
that late.
None
of this was an issue during our LA visit.
Hilton Los Angeles/Universal Studio was clean, quiet, and polished. This is what guests expect from Hilton.
Note
Even
in the less-expensive Hampton Inn, we stayed for our long journey to Palm
Springs, had a microwave. This room did
not. Strange.
Still, Hilton’s Staff Exudes Excellence
Arriving
early, we didn’t expect a room right away but were hoping for our typical
Hilton Honors room upgrade. Not skipping
a beat, Jason smiled and handed us keys to a Jr. suite. To receive a room hours-early and to be
upgraded to a suite is sweet indeed.
The
best part is how we saved due to being Hilton Honors members and also using a
co-branded Hilton American Express card. We paid a room rate of $157 a
night for a king bed, alcove jr. suite room. If not for our Hilton Honors
discount, being Diamond level members, and staying at today’s low-season rate,
for the same room we would have paid $405 a night.
Would we stay here again?
With
so many nicer hotels to choose from, this one would not make the cut without some
heavy-duty renovations. We are looking
forward to staying at another Hilton in another California city very soon,
however. So, stay tuned.
Covid
Note
We
traveled to Palm Springs and specifically stayed in this hotel due to their
strict Covid guidelines. We felt this
would be safe, even with Omicron surging.
Vaccines are required as well as masks.
Unfortunately, at least 20% of hotel guests refused to wear masks. No one enforced wearing masks, so we didn’t
always feel safe.
More
by The Polite Traveler
Why Dining at
the Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill of Palm Springs’ Bar is a Must, but Skip the
Restaurant
Two Restaurant
Icons of the CA Desert: Grand Central & Tropicale of Palm Springs
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