DoubleTree by Hilton Hull — Hotel in Great Britain

Update: I was finally able to get the manager on the phone, and he decided to provide the refund. If it weren’t for these issues the hotel would easily have been a 5 star review. My most recent interaction with them really did prove that they seem far more interested in citing policy to charge asinine fees rather than being bothered to support an otherwise happy, paying customer. The context here is that the hotel wasn’t fully booked when they “held” an “extra” room for me during my stay. Apparently a computer error from my booking agency may have been the cause of a double booking, prompting the hotel to charge a cancellation fee during my stay. Mind you that in this case they said they received the booking and the cancellation shortly thereafter, presumably within an hour or two of each other, meaning they never even truly “held” the room. In other words this entire ordeal was about their clinging to their cancellation policy during the most inappropriate of times to make a quick £110. This whole ordeal took over a month to resolve. With that said, I think you will have a 5 star experience here if you book directly through the Hilton site—in other words don’t give the hotel management a chance to blame someone else (ie a booking agency) and you’ll probably have an excellent experience.

Original review:

Surprise charges and no support:

Although the hotel stays were enjoyable, I faced issues with incorrect invoices for both of my visits, amounting to nearly £2,000. Despite being a Gold member at the time, I was wrongly charged for breakfast on one stay, and then a £110 cancellation fee for my second stay (obviously I didn’t cancel this). The hotel was quick to place blame on me when I addressed these concerns, claiming that I booked two reservations and offering little assistance; they also failed to follow through on promised contact from a manager.

I have spent years of traveling full time for work and staying at Hilton hotels, and I’ve never seen any billing issues like this before—usually any issues are honest mistakes and addressed promptly. I’ve actually had surprisingly good luck with Hilton hotels in the past, which is why they’re my first choice when traveling.

Perhaps the worst part about this is that I was never informed of the alleged second booking during check in or check out, and I didn’t receive a receipt for it until after I had asked multiple times over the course of a month. I didn’t even know there was a problem until I saw an extra charge on my credit card statement. I attempted to resolve these issues directly, even contacting two managers via email on June 6. But as of today, June 18, there's been no response.

I really wanted to like this hotel, I felt it had everything going for it. I even recommended it to my colleagues who also stayed for a week. It’s worth mentioning they also had issues with their bill. I hate leaving bad reviews, but this is one of the few places that have really earned it. I’ve given them every possible benefit of the doubt, as well as time, and they have given me nothing in exchange. The only person I’ve been able to get any information from resorted to immediately playing the blame game rather than finding a solution. Based on that interaction, I can only imagine this is a common issue here.

It really is a nice hotel with a very kind front desk staff, but good luck if you have any issues with your bill. Based on my experience, including my colleagues experience, this must be frequent.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I was also promised a call back from a manager for the billing issues I had with the first stay. They had never called me. Instead they had their employee tell me that they won’t be reversing the charge. It wasn’t until I contacted Hilton corporate that they reversed it, because they were 100% in the wrong. It seems that the managers of the hotel have no interest in supporting their customers unless pressured by...

Accommodation in line with expectations although somewhat expensive for a hotel in Hull. The MPW restaurant was however disgraceful. I had booked (about 13.30) a table for two at 19.30/1945. We arrived at the restaurant at about 19.20. Having to negotiate a crowded bar in order to "report" in I spoke with the maitre d'. After scurrying off she returned to ask "was the table for two or four?". Another scurry then being asked to take a drink at the bar and to take a seat. Really, the place was packed. We did though manage to buy drinks eventually at a crowded bar with just one person serving. We also managed to find two seats. By now it was 19.55 but the maitre d' called us to our table. The waiter was a self confessed inexperienced Mechanical Engineer making ends meet. He waited efficiently given the inexperience. The starter course arrived and was quite appetising. My main course was a complete lash up. I had ordered a centre cut fillet steak cooked blue, three times cooked chips, mushrooms and onion rings. I received a corner of fillet which looked as though it had received "chiller burn" before being cooked to a medium/welldone level, the chips were blanc d' blanc which I find difficult to understand given they were cooked/fried three times. I had driven nearly 500 miles and last eaten about 15 hours previously, I was in no mood to complain at the table but did at checkout and also complained about breakfast. I was at breakfast at 09.00, an hour before closing time. Bacon looked like it had been sliced from a well preserved air dried hock, eggs were not available except for perhaps a tablespoon of baked scrambled eggs that looked as though they were the remnants of the first dish opening breakfast service, together with other breakfast items. Topping this was that there were three waiting staff who did not appear to visit the food area to check. A "Day Manager" walked through the restraunt area without checking either. He returned a short time later to spot a guest standing in the food area looking completely puzzled and when approached must have informed the manager that he wanted fried eggs. Manager to kitchen, re-emerges with second "manager" between them they invite the guest to take a seat and eggs will be with him shortly. Guest sits starts with his chosen items and eggs are delivered to him. But no attempt is made to replenish the breakfast bar. The car parking is another issue. Parking at the rear of the hotel involves a walk of maybe 200 yds, possible in driving rain to get to the hotel entrance, passing on the way an automatic door which after being soaked there is a realisation that it is not going to open. Believe it or not there is a perfectly adequate staff entrance directly from the carpark, it appears that staff and customers shouldn't mix. So with that ethos we will make the paying guest walk. Who in their right mind would design and build an hotel without easy access from the carpark that also protects guests from the elements. In the past I have stayed in three HHDoubletree hotels the overall experience has been good. Hull however should be avoided...

This was the second visit we had here.. and it was most disappointing. It was for a birthday treat, since my 40th was during lockdown 2.0 .. the room is nice, generic to every one in the building, 3rd floor first time, 1st floor second time, didn't get a choice this time, last time we booked we could between a couple of rooms. but anyways, you couldn't tell the difference in the room, until you look out the window.. first floor has a 'nice' view of a brick wall and some other windows, 3rd floor had an 'amazing' view of the old circus circus building and the apartments opposite.

We ordered breakfast in Bed, to arrive between 8.30-9am, birthday treat remember, so make the most of it. However, it didn't arrive by 9am, checked the door handle, and the breakfast card hadn't even been taken! it was supposed to have gone by 2am. Rang down to reception, they put us through to kitchen, and said they'd send someone up to collect it straight away. 30minutes later.. its still there on the handle.. rang reception, she said she'd come up and collect it herself and bring us some milk so we can make a coffee in the room whilst we waited. (the other milks were used last night) She arrived at 9.40am, the card had gone. fine. make a coffee and wait for breakfast.. some birthday! The receptionist, lovely she was, Celine, said she'd extent our stay until 12, to give us chance to eat without getting indigestion.. thanks. Breakfast arrives.. at 10.30am (our original departure time was 11am) .. and breakfast is cold! actually stone cold, rock hard bacon, cold fried eggs, and cold toast, so the butter couldn't melt, that's a shame, I like hot toast that the butter melts into it.. like these are literally the left overs from the early morning breakfast.. nothing was fresh. the plates and lids are cold not like last time when they came up nice n warm to keep the breakfast warm. The only edible things were the pastries, because they are cold anyways. croissants, blueberry muffins, and a Danish pastry. The coffee was hot, but very very bitter like it was the dregs of the pots.

So not a great birthday breakfast after all.

Celine was great when we told her, we didn't get a charge the breakfast and received a complimentary drinks card for the lounge before departing to make up for the awful food at breakfast. So not a great stay this time. Will be a while before we visit again, if...