Hilton Garden Inn Fort
Washington - Best Features: Attractive Lobby, Outdoor
Patio, and Large Rooms
My spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia/Fort
Washington on a Saturday night in early November 2017. We stayed at this hotel
in order to attend an event at the nearby Keswick Theatre in Glenside (about a
10-minute/5-mile drive) from the hotel. We booked our reservation online using
a link provided by the theatre; however, the webpage also provides a corporate
account number so that you can book directly with Hilton. We used Hilton’s
online check-in feature, and we chose a specific room that was waiting for us
when we arrived. When we picked up our physical room key, we inquired about the
use of Uber to travel between the hotel and the theatre, and the front-desk
manager assured us that on event nights, there was a constant stream of
ride-share cars available, but we actually had difficulty finding someone to
pick us up, and when he did, he got lost on the drive from the hotel to the
theatre! Next time we would allow some extra time for the Uber issue.
The property enjoys a convenient location near the Fort
Washington exit of the PA Turnpike, with easy access to Route 309. Nearby
hotels include a Holiday Inn Express and Best Western; however, we did not see
any food outlets in the immediate vicinity. A gas station/convenience store is
located across the parking lot, and it appeared that a Dunkin’ Donuts shop was
under construction to the other side of the gas station/store.
The Hilton Garden Inn Philadelphia/Fort Washington features
an open-concept lobby, with a bar/restaurant on one side and various seating
options (including chairs, sofas, communal tables, and a gas fireplace) on the
other. A lovely outdoor space (protected on three sides by the building) offers
al fresco seating, a raised gas fire pit, and potted plants and foliage. This
property offers a business center, fitness center, indoor pool and whirlpool, and
four rooms of event/banquet space (which held a wedding and also church
services on the weekend that we stayed). A small pantry near the front desk
sells snacks, drinks (non-alcoholic), and forgotten items. The hotel’s on-site
Garden Grille and Bar sells a buffet bar (with some cooked-to-order items) for
breakfast and casual table-service dining for lunch and dinner; it also
provides room service. The hotel offers free coffee or flavored water
(depending on the time of day) on a table in the lobby. Complimentary parking
is available in a dedicated off-street lot; however, there are no spots
reserved for Diamond HHonors members. (We did receive the HHonors brand amenity
of two bottles of water at check-in, though.) The hotel offers complimentary
shuttle bus service within a few mile radius of the property; however, on the
night that we stayed, it was reserved for private use by a group of guests.
Our room was spacious, with a king-size bed flanked by two
nightstands, a sofa bed, desk and chair, large closet, flat-screen TV atop a
console, and hospitality unit that held a mini-refrigerator, microwave, and
single-use coffee maker. The bathroom contained a combination bathtub/shower,
toilet, and sink vanity.
We enjoyed our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn
Philadelphia/Fort Washington, and we would stay there again if we are in the
area.
