Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: The Portuguese Connection (2012)
Hotel 1
The Ealing Hotel, London
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On arrival, this hotel struck me as the strangest Hilton group property that I had ever come across, on account of there being virtually no visible branding at all. I spotted a single cardboard Hilton HHonors sign on the check-in desk, and that was it! Initially I found this downright weird, but the reason soon became clear enough. |
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As an ex-Ramada property that was due to re-launch as a DoubleTree in the spring of 2013, current standards fell well below those of the Hilton group in many respects, and would have been damaging to any of its brands. The fifth floor was closed for major refurbishment during this stay and I was allocated a room (designated a 'Studio') on the fourth floor. It was tiny, cheaply furnished, and lacked facilities such as a safe. Worse, the bed was uncomfortable and the standard of sound-proofing was terrible, so that it failed to deliver on that most basic of requirements from any hotel room: a good night's sleep.
The stay wasn't a complete disaster, however. The breakfast was lovely and fully up to Hilton standards. The cheap room rate allowed me to enjoy a night in London and, when taken together with a Friday air fare from Edinburgh, still saved me money compared to the extortionate cost of a place on a nearly-full flight the following day. The hotel was located a very short walk away from Ealing Common tube station. I asked for and received a 4pm check-out. And finally, this was my re-qualifying stay, keeping me at Hilton HHonors Diamond level for 2013.
Despite these positive aspects, based on the experience as a whole during this stay my advice would have to be: avoid, avoid, avoid!
But there's more ...
Footnote
I stayed at this hotel again just four weeks later and was allocated a room on the newly re-opened fifth floor, now fully converted to DoubleTree specification. What a transformation! Second time around, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and a great night's sleep. Depending on pricing policy after full re-launch as a DoubleTree, this may be one to watch for those occasions when rates in Central London are prohibitively steep.
