My spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown on a
Thursday night in late September 2018. We booked our stay online using the
Hilton website. As HHonors Diamond members, we received an email on the day
prior to our stay telling us that we could check in, and when we did, we were
pleased to find that we were assigned an upgraded room, which we accepted.
As its name implies, the Hilton Garden Inn has a convenient location in
Downtown Burlington on Main Street, less than two blocks from both the lakefront
and the Church Street pedestrian mall. Since early 2015, the hotel has occupied
a restored 1904 former armory building. Upon reaching the hotel, a large
driveway makes it easy to unload your bags. (Only valet parking [in a garage
beneath the hotel] is available, guests cannot self-park.) Near the porte-cochere
is a lovely outdoor lounge area with gas fireplace. Inside, guests must either take
an elevator or a short set of stairs up a half floor to reach the lobby, which
sets a few feet above street level. Guests must then use another elevator bank to
reach the guestrooms, which previous posters have complained about, but which
we did not find bothersome. The lobby area has many windows and high ceilings,
which create an open and airy feel, and it is the setting for the front desk,
guest lounge areas (including one with a gas fireplace and both with bright
furniture and decorative objects), the 24-hour pantry shop, breakfast buffet
nook (not included with most room rates, and nor were we given breakfast coupons
as Diamond members), and the full-service Armory Grille and Bar (which provides
room service). The hotel has a fitness center, indoor pool, meeting/event
space, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a business center (which is really just some
computers set up in a hallway near the meeting rooms). The hotel also hosts the
Vermont Comedy Club on its basement level; however, guests must leave the hotel
in order to enter the club from Main Street rather than directly from the
hotel. Reportedly, the HGI offers transfers from the Burling International
Airport (about 4 miles from the hotel) between the hours of 6:00 am and 10:00
pm, although we did not use it.
The Hilton Garden Inn property has 139 rooms (with either king or two queen
beds) and 6 suites spread across four floors. Although we had booked only a
regular king-bedded room, as Diamond members, we were upgraded to one of the
hotel’s spacious two-room suites. Our suite (number 202) provided a view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack mountains; however, because
it was positioned on the second floor, we had to look over a rooftop that
contained the hotel’s HVAC systems and other utilities. (Even being one floor
higher would have been beneficial.) Our suite was expansive, with a large
entryway/foyer that had a closet on one side (the door design makes it
difficult to see what’s hanging inside, though) and a half-bathroom/powder room
on the other side. The foyer led to the main living room area, with a hospitality
center (sink, coffee maker, microwave, and empty mini-refrigerator); although
an ice bucket was provided, there was no glassware, so we had to drink our wine
out of paper cups. The living room also held a large flat-screen TV atop a
chest of drawers, a large desk and rolling chair, comfortable chair (but no
accompanying ottoman), a small side table, and a sofa. (As other reviewers have
said, there is no coffee table, and the furniture is arranged around the
perimeter of the room; however, we believe that the suites also function as ADA
handicapped rooms, so the furniture positioning is well suited to that purpose.)
The separate bedroom (which can be closed off by a door) had the same TV/chest
of drawers set-up, a second comfy chair, a king-size bed flanked by two
ottomans, and another closet (with the same kind of sliding door as the one in
the living room). The roomy master bathroom contained a toilet, single sink
vanity, and roll-in shower (definitely equipped for someone in a wheelchair); our
room did not have a separate soaking tub/bathtub (perhaps because we got an
accessible room; maybe regular suites have both). An iron and ironing board, hair dryer, two
telephones, and an alarm clock are provided, although we did not recall seeing
a safe. Decor was typical Hilton Garden Inn style; if some of the uniqueness of
the lobby and public areas carried over to the guestrooms, it would really make
this property stand out!
We enjoyed our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown, and we
certainly appreciated the complimentary upgrade, but as Hilton loyalists, we
might consider the nearby full-service Hilton property next time we are in
town.
No comments:
Post a Comment