Lodging Review: Hilton Warsaw
In Warsaw, I stayed at the Hilton. This is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in worldwide, and definitely the best Hilton I've experienced. It's not in the tourist district, but it is right next to the Warsaw Uprising Museum which I recommend (and get there early because the ticket office line is long). It's also right next to a tram and bus stop, which you can take to the railway station and to the tourist area, although you can also walk like I did the first day.
The room was well lit with well-placed power-outlets. My Executive Room upgrade meant that bathrobes and slippers were provided.
Bathroom was luxurious with a separate bathtub and shower stall and a low divider wall for the toilet. Not sure if it's the case for the whole hotel or just the Executive Floor, but the shower amenities are larger than in other Hiltons - 50 mL bottles of the Peter Thomas Roth amenities which I love - plus there's a loofah!
On the Executive Room, I got two bottles of water, one still and one sparkling, replenished every day. I also got a bag of Wawel brand Krowka, a Polish caramel fudge. Love this local touch!
Breakfast is the usual Hilton bounty, with egg station and many hot and cold items including some local tastes like the cottage cheese with chives which I ended up loving by the time I left the country. Some things weren't so fresh, like the hot buffet items which could be a bit dried out sometimes, or the fruit that's pre-plated as I found a couple moldy pieces in one fruit cup.
One of the biggest perks of the hotel is that the hotel gym is a Holmes Place gym, an upscale gym chain that operates around the world, just not in the US. Here's the gym lobby. It's open to local residents who buy a gym membership.
What I love about "real" gyms that locals also use, rather than a hotel fitness center, is that the range of equipment will be much more extensive, letting you do the same routine as you would at home. I also feel more motivated when I work out among other people working hard, rather than by lifting by myself.
After the gym, I went to the Executive Lounge, which was spacious and always had nice things to offer. At night, there are always two hot hors d'oeuvres, two types of open faced finger sandwiches, two cakes, and a variety of other nibbles.
On this night, there were chicken skewers with chili sauce, and shrimp dumplings (har gao) as the hot items. The sandwiches were a beef tartare on baguette round, and a mini caprese with mini basil on white bread. I got seconds of the shrimp dumplings, chicken skewers, and beef tartare for a very nourishing post-workout supper!
A big reason why I have such a good impression of the hotel is the concierge in the morning, Adam. He gave supremely detailed tourist information, knowing all of the bus and tram lines, when and where free Chopin and jazz concerts were happening (unfortunately I left before I was able to attend), and planned a nice itinerary for me. When he found out I was going to Krakow next, he went and got a Krakow tourist map and guide for me! I really felt welcomed to the city.
