Parking is included in the nightly rate (the rate is a little higher than the nearby Doubletree, another Hilton property, because of the free parking). The uncovered but fenced parking lot is on street level, making it very easy to retrieve items from your car. (Some guests may view this open lot as a negative, perhaps thinking uncovered parking is less secure, but we see it as a positive. The lot is mostly enclosed, and requires keycard access to enter and exit.)
This hotel has a small indoor pool and spa/hot tub that has lifts to assist the handicapped in using the pool and the spa. Breakfast is included in the room rate, with both hot and cold items (it is a standard Hampton Inn breakfast offering, including their make-your-own waffles). The breakfast room can get very crowded at times; the overflow guests are directed to sit across the hall in a conference room. On weekdays, a breakfast bag is available if you are running short on time. Free coffee and tea are available throughout the day. Off the lobby is a small business center (with computers and printer), and there is a small pantry/store behind the front desk.
Rooms ending in 01 (201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801) are the most preferable studio suite rooms, with corner locations and an entrance foyer. We stayed in room 401, which was a studio suite/corner room with an entrance foyer, small hallway kitchenette (refrigerator, microwave, sink), sofa bed (with a coffee table in front and a cocktail table aside), desk and chair, easy chair, king-size bed, large vanity area and closet, and smallish bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub. According to the hotel directory, rooms ending in 00, 19, and 20 are also corner rooms, but we think they lack the entrance foyer. Rooms on the eighth/top floor are larger than on other floors but still vary in size, so choose 802, 803, 806, 807, 809, 810, 813, 814, 815, and 816 over room 805, 811, and 812. On lower floors, rooms ending in 10 (210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710) are located at the center of each floor and seem a bit larger, although the bed configuration may be two doubles only. On our second stay, we had a standard room with a king bed, and it was a great size, with very high ceilings, which made it seem more spacious (it may feel more crowded if the room has two double beds). Wi-Fi is free for all guests (you do not need to be a certain level of Hilton Hhonors.)
The hotel is located directly across the street from the John Heinz History Museum, which is run by the Smithsonian Institute and contains many examples of Americana and sports memorabilia. We visited the museum one afternoon for about 2 hours (although you could easily spend a day there) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Nearby quality restaurants include Eleven (one of our Pittsburgh favorites) and Lidia's Italian Kitchen. The heart of the Strip District is a short walk from the hotel, with additional restaurants (such as Kaya) and many bars. The hotel is an easy walk along the river (and across one of the bridges) to the North Shore (for access to the baseball and football stadiums, Carnegie Science Center, and Rivers Casino).
