Date: 17th-20th April (3 nights)
Room Booked: 2 Bedroom Apartment
Upgrade: 2 Bedroom Apartment Ocean View
Cost: $305 per night under the MVP Baseball Hilton code. This let’s you book on the advanced rate but it is cancellable.
People: 4 Adults, 2 children
Status: Hilton Gold member
Level of hotel: Level 18 on Orchid Tower
Check-In
There was only 1 person ahead of me during check-in which was nice. I was checked in by the Duty Manager of that day.
I have been in this hotel 2 previous times as a Gold member. Both times previously I was upgraded to a 3 Bedroom Apartment with Executive Lounge Access. This time I was only upgraded one-category. Also I was told no Executive Lounge access is provided for apartments. I asked why this is and told they have clamped down on the benefits. I asked how much it is to gain access to Executive Lounge access and told that they couldn't do it because they were at high occupancy. I thought this was just an excuse.
As a gold member was provided no letter stating benefits. Previous 2 visits had better recognition and Hilton premium members.
Apartment
The 2 bedroom apartment was nice and spacious for our family of 6. The master bedroom has a nice view of the ocean. As we have 2 small kids – we requested 2 cots, which were brought up promptly. There is a king sized bed and ensuite. The shower was nice and large. I wished I had one of these at home
The other bedroom has a queen bed and also nice views.
The living area had 2 couches, TV unit and a dining table.
The kitchen was very modern and spacious with a microwave, oven and dishwasher.
As this is an apartment they provided a lot of the washing detergents, which help a lot especially with small kids.
There was a laundry with a dryer as well.
The balcony included a table and chair for gazing out into the ocean. Unfortunately there is another building right in front of us – call the Soul. It is even bigger and taller than the Hilton!
Breakfast
As I am a Gold member – I am provided with 2 complementary breakfasts at the main restaurant – Salt Grill by Luke Mangan. There was a nice spread of hot and cold food. This is a buffet breakfast. Hot food included bacon, scrambled eggs, hash brown, grilled tomatoes, chicken dim sim, rice, miso soup, mushrooms and porridge. The cold food included your fruits, smoked salmon, Also includes a juicer to make your own juice. If you want a cappuccino or other coffee – then it is $5 extra. Children under 8 years old are free when accompanied by an adult. This was your average kind of hotel chain buffet breakfast experience.
Parking
Parking is quite easy through Orchid Avenue. There are 3 levels of parking B2, B3, and B4. It costs $15 a night. Relatively cheap.
Location
I don’t think you can be in a better position that in the Hilton as it is right in the city center near Cavill Avenue which is the main shopping/entertainment strip of Surfers Paradise. It is only a block for the beach.
Amenities
I’ve always loved the Hilton amenities. At the moment you can get the Peter Roth Thomas amenities, which has nice citrus smell.
Service
Service I would say is excellent. When I call the “Magic” number on the phone for assistance – I am always spoken to professionally and well mannered. We requested new towels regularly and bath amenities frequently and was done without any hesitance.
Swimming Pools
There are 5 swimming pools. 3 outside (1 for everyone, 1 for babies and 1 for adults) and 2 inside (space and heated pool). Our kids loved it, as they wanted to go all the time
Check-out
Checkout was quite smooth but a did note to the reception lady that I was disappointed that I was not given many benefits. She sympathized and waived my parking fee, which was $45. This was a nice courtesy.
Summary
If you are looking for a nice apartment to stay in the Gold Coast – I highly recommend this as it is close to the beach, shops and restaurants. This hotel is less than 4 years old so still very new and modern. If possible request for a higher floor. The top floor is level 55 on the Orchid Tower (there are 2 towers). We were on level 49 before and it does make a huge difference – the views were breath-taking as you could see both the ocean at one end – and the mountains on the other end