Tag: Hilton Honors

REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bangkok Ploenchit, King Guest Room

Having to clock a few more stays this year to qualify for Hilton Honors Diamond Elite, I did what I always resisted doing: mattress runs.

After staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit the previous night, I leisurely made my way to DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit, which was about 15 minutes away by car.

In this post:
• Introduction
• The hotel
• Checking in
• The room
• The facilities
• Dining & happy hour
• Final thoughts

The hotel

A little bit more about the hotel first: if you haven’t seen the property on Hilton’s list in Bangkok over the past couple of years, you are not mistaken. DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit only opened earlier this year in September 2019.

DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit

Before you get too excited, the property is not a brand new one. The hotel was previously Majestic Grande Hotel, and the deal for Hilton to manage the hotel under the DoubleTree brand was announced back in 2018. The hotel remains owned by Majestic Grande, who also runs other properties in Bangkok such as their same name property in Sukhumvit.

DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit has 251 rooms across 25 floors, although it doesn’t have an executive lounge. The hotel is also located about a 7-minute walk away from the nearest BTS station (Ploenchit), which is only two stops away from Siam and Asoke, both being popular places for tourists.

However, note that given the hotel’s proximity to Sukhumvit Road which is perpetually crawling, be sure to cater extra time if you are travelling by taxi to and from the hotel.

Checking in

I got into the hotel at about noon. The first impressions were pretty good, I had to say. Right from the moment I arrived, the porter spring into action and swiftly took over my bags and gave me a tag. I proceeded to check in, which was pretty fuss free. As usual, the agent gave me the signature DoubleTree cookie to dig in while she checked me in.

DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit lobby

I took the time to check out the lobby as well. While not the largest, the lobby was decked out in fresh and modern fittings, coupled with a very clean reception, giving the impression of a newly renovated hotel. Adjacent to the lobby was also the restaurant, which looked pretty chic.

OPEN restaurant adjacent to the lobby

The agent then told me that unfortunately, my room wasn’t going to be ready until 2pm, which was pretty common in Bangkok given the high occupancy levels across most city centre hotels. I asked if my bags will be moved into the room when I get back later, and she confirmed it.

As a Hilton Honors Gold member I had a choice of either bonus points or free breakfast. If you haven’t figured, it is often better value to take the breakfast over the points, if your room didn’t come with breakfast. If you are a diamond member, you get both.

Given I had about two hours to spare, I decided to go do a little shopping and grab a massage before coming back to the room in the evening.

When I got back, that was when everything started going downhill.

The room

DoubleTree Ploenchit has 251 rooms across 8 room types, including three suite types. For this trip, I was invested in only the entry level room, which was a King Guest Room. Unfortunately I didn’t get an upgrade even as a gold elite member.

The room categories can be a little confusing: across the basic rooms, there are Deluxe, Guest, Premium and Superior rooms. The Premium and Superior rooms are significantly larger, the only difference between Deluxe and Guest is the state of renovation. Deluxe are newly refurbished rooms while the Guest rooms are inherited from Majestic Grande.

The hotel is still in the midst of progressively renovating the rooms, so I will expect that at some point, all rooms will be minimally “Deluxe”.

Standard King Guest Room

When I first stepped into the room, the staleness of the room hit me – you could literally smell the age of the room. Adorned in dark wood and warm tones, the controls for the lights was my first challenge. After switching on all the lights, I went, “that’s all?!” The room is clearly in need of more lights.

At 28 square metres, the room was adequately sized, although it didn’t feel that spacious compared to similar rooms I have had in Bangkok. There was a standard sized work desk, as well as other standard amenities including bathrobes, bedroom slippers, complimentary coffee and tea, and bottled water.

In-room minibar

On the bedside table, there was also a set of room controls which have clearly seen better days. The room phone was also placed beside the bed.

The room was pretty well stocked out in the food department. There was a full minibar, as well as an in-room dining menu with food available round the clock if you are hungry. Only problem with the minibar? The fridge was hardly doing its job of keeping the contents cold.

In-room dining menu, with 24-hour options

Complimentary water in the room comes in glass bottles, which are cleaned and reused (yay for the environment!). If you do stay in a DoubleTree property in Bangkok, please be careful when you consume the complimentary in-room water. There are some bottles, such as the Evian and Badoit bottles on the countertop, which are chargeable. The free ones are clearly marked.

Very dated bathroom

The bathroom is where the signs of age was the most obvious. It was laid out in the classic manner, with the vanity running one side of the toilet, the toilet seat across from it and the bathtub opposite the door. There was no shower stall, so you are expected to shower in the bathtub, which some people may find it cumbersome given you need to climb in and out of the tub.

Crabtree & Evelyn amenities

Amenities remain the same set from Crabtree and Evelyn, as with all other Hilton and DoubleTree properties I have been to.

The facilities

DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit facilities

Given that the hotel was newly taken over by Hilton, most of the facilities were inherited from Majestic Grande. There was a fitness centre, which can be accessed with your key card. However, note that the fitness centre is only opened between 6am and 8.30pm, which again, is a very strange timing.

Fitness centre, open daily between 6am and 8.30pm

While the hotel states it has a pool, the swimming pool was undergoing rebuilding during the time I was there.

Swimming pool clearly under renovation, to be ready in 2020

While the former Majestic Grande had a spa, DoubleTree Ploenchit didn’t cater for one, and that also means there are no relaxation facilities such as a steam room or sauna within its premises.

Also, the hotel does not have an executive lounge, so if you are a Diamond elite member and was looking for an exclusive space to rest during the day (why though?!), this may be a point of consideration.

In terms of dining, there is only one all-day dining restaurant at the lobby, as well as a bar adjacent to it. The restaurant doubles up as the breakfast venue for all guests.

Dining & Happy Hour

For guests who has breakfast as part of their room rate, breakfast is available daily at OPEN, the ground floor restaurant, between 6.30am and 10.30am. Breakfast is provided for guests who has booked a bed and breakfast rate, as well as complimentary for Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond elite members.

Breakfast situation at OPEN

The breakfast spread at DoubleTree Ploenchit is pretty standard fare. Beyond the usual American breakfast offerings, there are also some Asian offers, including a live noodle station, along with a buffet spread of rice and stir-fried dishes.

Asian fare at breakfast

Egg station at breakfast

Honestly, the food wasn’t all that great, so if you have to pay for breakfast, I’ll strongly suggest that you skip it and head out for breakfast instead. After all, you are in the land of good food.

Given that the property didn’t have an executive lounge, DoubleTree by Hilton Ploenchit offers its members complimentary drinks at the lobby bar daily between 7 to 8pm.

Evening complimentary drinks between 7pm and 8pm for Hilton Honors Gold & Diamond members

When I got down at 7pm, there was already a handful of people waiting for drinks, with only two staff tending to everyone. Within 15 minutes, all the seats were taken up, so all other guests had to stand around to enjoy their drinks during the hour. The staff were very attentive though, constantly topping up the drinks proactively even without asking.

Final thoughts

While DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit is relatively new to Hilton’s portfolio, the property is relatively dated. Having stayed in both DoubleTree properties (this and the one at Sukhumvit), the other one is definitely superior, both in terms of comfort as well as location.

Lobby bar at DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit

The hotel is in a dire need of an upgrade, as shown by the state of the room I was in as well as some of the facilities. I believe this is in progress, given how new the lobby looked. The lack of facilities may not be a major issue for most people, but if you are the type that likes to spend plenty of time in the hotel to work out or relax in the pool, you may want to avoid this property for a while.

The happy hour is a nice touch for Hilton’s loyalty members, but the space needs to be better thought given the number of guests who were eligible for it. I believe the spillover crowd usually goes to the restaurant, but unfortunately during the evening I was there, there was a private function happening at the restaurant.

At a glance:
• Room type: King Guest Room
• Room rate: THB2,548 + 17.7% taxes (Hilton Honors rate as of November 2019)
• Executive lounge: No
• On-site restaurants: Yes (one)
• On-site parking: Yes, complimentary
• Fitness centre: 24 hours
• Swimming pool: Under refurbishment
• Spa: No

4 December 19
50% off Hilton rooms in Japan, Korea and Guam: 4 days only!

Hilton is running a flash winter sale for the rooms in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Guam for four days only, from 26 November 2019, 1pm (Singapore time) to 29 November 2019, 1pm (Singapore time).

While the marketing spiel reads 50% off, bear in mind that this discount is off the flexible rates and not the sale rates. Also, non Hilton Honors members will only enjoy 40% off. On top of that, you will be slapped with other terms, such as non-refundable terms.

While the sale period is tight, you have some flexibility in your travel dates. You can stay between 26 November 2019 and 30 June 2020, giving you quite a fair bit of dates to play with if you haven’t lined up any plans for the first half of next year. Obviously black-out dates do apply, and I will expect that the sakura season will be excluded given the traditional high footfall.

What’s good?

Tokyo traditionally has one of the most expensive hotel rates in Asia, so this is a good time to check out the properties if you have been hesitating. For instance:

If you are looking to book a ski holiday, Hilton Niseko goes from SGD125:

Conrad Tokyo is another exceptionally property that can command more than S$700, but for this sale you can grab rooms from S$356:

If you are looking at some other luxe properties in Japan, Conrad Osaka can be booked from SGD260, down from the usual SGD500+:

Elsewhere in Asia, Conrad Hong Kong is also on sale, from SGD180!

Are the rates really available?

I did a quick search for the rates for Conrad Tokyo (which I’m dying to check out), but it seems like the really low rates are quite hard to find.

For instance, during the Chinese New Year season in early February, you are quoted about JPY32,000 (JPY40,800 after taxes, or about SGD511) per night:

Conrad Tokyo availability during Chinese New Year 2020

As for March school holidays, the lowest pre-tax rate is JPY25,000, which works out to about JPY31,825 or SGD400 per room per night, which isn’t shabby at all.

Conrad Tokyo availability during March school holidays

I tried the same with some other properties around Japan (and even Conrad Hong Kong!), while you may not always get the lowest advertised rates, the discounts are still significant.

In any case, do try your luck and play around with the dates if you have some time. Remember, sale ends 29 November 2019 at 1pm (Singapore time), so you might want to just lock in your plans quickly. Book here.

26 November 19
REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Melaka, Twin Guest Room

I have not been to Melaka in a while, so when a friend wanted to head up for a weekend to get some matters settled, I thought it was a good opportunity to visit the historical city.

For those not residing in Southeast Asia, Melaka – also spelt Malacca – is a city in Malaysia, about two and a half hours away from capital Kuala Lumpur. The UNESCO World Heritage listed historic city is famous for its Dutch and Portugese roots and more importantly, the abundance of great food.

For the longest time, Melaka did not have any international-branded hotels, relying on a series of small independent operators to provide accommodations. There are also some larger properties, almost all of which are independently managed.

In this post:
• Introduction
• The hotel
• The room
• The facilities
• Final thoughts

I was playing around with the Hilton Honors app and realised there was a property – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Melaka – that has opened in recent years (that’s how long I’ve not been there). DoubleTree Melaka is part of the mixed development, Elements Mall, owned by the Hatten Group and opened in 2016. The project is part of a larger plan called Hatten City, comprising several different developments including commercial, residential and hotel buildings, aimed at shoring up Melaka’s appeal for both tourists and businesses.

DoubleTree By Hilton, Melaka

My stay at DoubleTree Melaka was in October 2019, and sad to say, the mall co-located with the hotel, Elements Mall, was barely opened, with only the ground floor filled with a couple of tenants. There were a few other outlets sparsely located across the 11-storey high mall, and the rest of the space were shuttered.

The hotel

DoubleTree Melaka is located on the 12th to 28th floor in one tower of the building. While there is a ground floor lobby, the check-in reception is located on the 12th floor of the building.

The lobby on ground floor, reception is on level 12

The hotel lobby on the 12th floor is bright and fresh, boasting of high ceilings and a great view of the city centre. The lobby lounge and restaurants were tucked to a side of the floor, so that means that the area right in front of the check-in desks were quiet and affords seating for guests.

Check-in desks on level 12

Parking is also available within the building, from the 5th to 9th floors. Note that the car park is shared with the mall, as well as another hotel on the other tower of the building.

I arrived at about 1pm, hoping to check in before the standard time of 3pm. Thankfully, there were rooms available so we were able to get our rooms. The check in process, however, was painfully slow.

As I was travelling with a group of friends, I requested for a joining room. However, the check-in agent said all of their connecting rooms were between a King room and a Twin room, and they were fully booked in the King room category for the day so they were unable to accede to my request.

This is when I suppose it gets a little contentious. I believe that what differentiates a good and an excellent agent is that for the latter, they will remember the request and offer to check for you later in the day if there’s one available, rather than to say no outright. Nonetheless, the agent offered us rooms that are side by side, so I guess we had to settle for that.

The room

DoubleTree Melaka has over 270 rooms, including 27 suites, across six room categories, including the topmost presidential suite. I booked myself into the entry level room, the twin guest room. At 40 square metres, the room is probably one of the most generous in terms of size for a DoubleTree property.

Twin guest room – DoubleTree by Hilton, Melaka

My room boasted of two generous single beds, a flat screen TV, a work desk more than enough for you to work from your room. You could also opt for a single king-sized bed if you want to.

Work desk and television

There is also a mini fridge in the room for guests to use. DoubleTree Melaka doesn’t run an in-room minibar service, so if you needed any food or snacks, you will either have to order from the room service menu, or head down to the 24-hour convenience store on the ground floor of the building to get some.

Bathroom

In the bathroom, there is a separate shower stall and toilet. As with most other DoubleTree properties, most lower grade rooms do not have bathtubs. With all other Hilton and DoubleTree properties, the hotel uses Crabtree and Evelyn amenities, which is always easy on the skin.

While the front desk was able to offer us immediate access into the rooms ahead of the 3pm standard check-in time, the state of the room leaves a little much to be desired.

When I first stepped in, the foyer area – which was not carpeted – was wet. It seemed like the air conditioning wasn’t working well and the condensation dripped from the vent onto the floor. I had to call housekeeping to deal with it, and they sure took their time to come and get it cleaned up.

Wet patch on the floor in the room upon check-in

The room doesn’t rely on a key card to trigger the room electricals, but instead uses motion sensors. While environmentally friendly, I feel this is a wrong move as you will not be able to leave anything in the room to charge while you are out.

The facilities

With over 270 rooms, DoubleTree Melaka boasts of a pretty extensive range of facilities, although it is short of an executive lounge.

On the recreational front, there is a pretty sizeable swimming pool on the 13th floor, as well as a 24-hour fitness centre. There are also steam rooms and saunas available in the changing rooms, which are open from 6am to 10pm daily. Outside of these hours, the changing rooms are locked so you won’t be able to access them.

Outdoor lap pool

24-hour fitness centre

Steam room and sauna facilities in the changing room, opened 6am to 10pm daily

In terms of dining, there is a main restaurant, Makan Kitchen, which also serves as the breakfast restaurant. Outside of breakfast hours, Makan Kitchen serves up international fare throughout the day.

The hotel also has an Italian restaurant, Tosca, located near the pool. There is alfresco seating available by the poolside, and the restaurant is only open for dinner.

Tosca Italian restaurant

For the mid-day coffee fix or evening happy hour, you can also head to the Axis Lounge located on the lobby level.

Axis lobby lounge

The hotel is also fully equipped with meeting and conference facilities, with an entire level dedicated to it. From a grand ballroom to smaller meeting rooms, this property can also be an option for those corporate retreats.

Final thoughts

Similar to DoubleTree in other parts of Asia, DoubleTree Melaka didn’t disappoint in terms of its offering. The rooms are very spacious and the hotel is fully equipped, making it a great property. However, I would caution that the property needs more urgent and pressing maintenance to keep it in its tip top condition. Housekeeping should also have a bit more sense of urgency, given that I had to call them three times over the course of an hour before the wet floor in my room got cleaned up.

The key downside to the property is that the location failed to deliver. The mall that the property is located in is virtually deserted, save for a few pathetic retail shops on the ground floor with barely a handful of visitors a day.

Jonker Street

While located relatively near to the city centre and to Jonker Street (we are talking about a five-minute drive without traffic), this often becomes easily a 20-minute drive given that traffic in Malacca is generally terrible. The heat also renders walking impossible.

The vicinity also has very little to offer in terms of sights, although food is in abundance if you are familiar with the local languages and types of local food.

At a glance:
• Room type: Twin guest room
• Room rate: RM339 + 10% tax + 6% service charge + RM12 other taxes (as of October 2019)
• Executive lounge: No
• On-site restaurants: Yes
• On-site parking: Yes, complimentary
• Fitness centre: 24 hours
• Swimming pool: Yes, 6am to 10pm
• Spa: Only sauna and steam room in changing rooms, no spa services

14 November 19
REVIEW: DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, Deluxe King Room

Hilton has an array of properties in metropolitan Bangkok, ranging from the newly opened Waldorf Astoria to more budget friendly DoubleTree by Hilton.

I’ve tried out several other Hilton properties in Bangkok before, including the Conrad Bangkok, and wanted to find out how does DoubleTree Sukhumvit measure up.

DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok

The hotel

DoubleTree Sukhumvit by Hilton, Bangkok is located just off the main Sukhumvit Road. The hotel was opened in May 2013, after Hilton took over what was formerly known as the Imperial Tara Hotel and did a refresh. At the time of the opening, the DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok was touted as Hilton’s 100^th property in Asia Pacific, as well as the first DoubleTree by Hilton property in Bangkok.

The hotel is a 7-minute walk from Phrom Phong BTS station, and that also means a short walk from EmQuartier and the Emporium. This affordable option is well-placed if you are keen to zip up and down Sukhumvit for most of your time in Bangkok.

The hotel has 177 rooms across four room categories. Rooms include three levels: Deluxe, Guest and Superior, and if you are looking for a suite you only have the King Deluxe Suite (there’s only five in the entire hotel) to choose from.

DoubleTree Sukhumvit Lobby

Upon arrival, you will be greeted with the warm Thai hospitality, and the famous DoubleTree cookie treat at the front desk, as your agent processes your check-in. I’ve stayed at the property twice now, and both times I didn’t have to wait very long to get my key card.

The hotel has a pretty eclectic decor style, similar to what I’ve seen at Hotel Indigo Bangkok before. There are hints of nostalgia with its vintage phonographs, transistor radios, cameras, wall clocks, as well as modern funk kind of furnishing around the lobby.

Lift Lobby

The room

The room I was staying for the day was the Deluxe King room. At 28 square metres, the room was a comfortable size although admittedly a little small for a Bangkok room.

DoubleTree Sukhumvit – Deluxe Room

Along with a generous king-sized bed, the room also has an armchair by the side of the window. In lieu of a work desk, there was a round glass-top table with an office armchair, which suffices for your basic hotel-office needs.

King-sized bed

Of course, there are the usual hotel amenities, including a large 40-inch flat screen TV, a mini-bar, complimentary coffee and tea as well as an in-room kettle. There are also some in-room luxuries such as bedroom slippers and bathrobes.

Window side lounge chair

As with many other DoubleTree properties, the bathroom came with a shower stall instead of a bathtub. Specifically for DoubleTree Sukhumvit, even the suites don’t come with a bathtub.

Bathroom

DoubleTree uses the same suite of Crabtree and Evelyn bath amenities as the mainline Hilton properties, which I personally like to use as it’s pleasing to the nose and yet not overpowering.

The facilities

Given the size of the hotel, the property is fairly well equipped with amenities. On the recreational front, DoubleTree Sukhumvit has an outdoor swimming pool on the 7th floor, which was fairly popular with the guests during my stay.

Swimming Pool

On the same floor, there is also a 24-hour fitness centre which is accessible with your room key card. Unfortunately there is no spa, so if you are looking for some relaxation facilities such as a hot tub or sauna, tough luck.

24-hour fitness centre (credit: DoubleTree Sukhumvit)

On the same floor there is also a poolside bar, Mosaic. As DoubleTree Sukhumvit doesn’t come with an executive lounge, the bar also doubles up as the happy hour bar for Hilton Honors gold and diamond members, offering complimentary drinks between 6 to 8pm daily.

Mosaic Poolside Bar

The ground floor has a full restaurant Dee Lite (yeah tacky name), which also serves as the breakfast restaurant. Unfortunately for this stay I left too early, even way before breakfast was served, so there’s nothing I could share with regard to the F&B.

Final thoughts

Bangkok is a land full of hotels – and cheap ones to boot. While higher quality and luxury hotels are often available at very affordable prices, DoubleTree Sukhumvit is incredibly value-for-money especially when you compare it to Hilton on the next soi. Having said that, this value comes with less amenities and will only be of good value if location is your primary consideration.

In-room amenities

For one, the hotel does not come with an executive lounge, so if you are a Hilton Honors diamond member, what you will receive instead are complimentary Happy Hour drinks daily from 6 to 8pm by the pool, which is also offered to gold members.

Overall DoubleTree Sukhumvit is a very comfortable property, albeit less than the usual frills. This is usually not a problem in cities like Bangkok, as you will usually spend much time outside of the hotel anyway. If you are in town to explore the myriad of offerings along Sukhumvit Road, this is definitely an ideal location to be in.

Hotel at a glance

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sukhumvit Bangkok
18 1 Sukhumvit Soi 26
Khlong Ton, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand
TEL: +66-2-6496666
Nearest BTS station: Phrom Phong
Approximate taxi fare from airport: THB350

No. of rooms: 177
Suites available: Yes
Executive Lounge: No

All-day Restaurant: Yes
Bar: Yes
Room Service: Yes – 24 hours

Fitness Centre: Yes – 24 hours
Swimming Pool: Yes
Spa: No

Meeting rooms: Yes
Business Centre: Yes

11 June 19
Spend S$300 at Hilton properties and get S$60 back with your American Express cards

American Express is currently running an offer targeted at select Amex cards, offering a S$60 credit when you spend a minimum of S$300 at any Hilton hotels.

Hilton Promotion

The spend can be made either through a prepaid reservation directly on Hilton.com, through the Hilton app, or even through a phone reservation with Hilton. However, food and beverage spending in a bar or restaurant within a Hilton property is excluded, unless this is charged to the room and settled upon check-out.

The offer is valid for stays in participating properties located in Australia, Mainland China (Beijing, Guangzhou, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen), Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore & Thailand.

For those holding the Platinum Card, you will be targeted with an even better offer: spend S$500 and get back S$200 in credit.

How to sign up?

To sign up for the deal, simply log into the Amex app or into your online account, and look under “Offers”. The offer is only valid for the first 10,000 cardmembers who sign up. Each member who signed up successfully will be eligible to use the offer three times up to 30 September 2019, so hurry!

17 April 19