Review: DoubleTree by Hilton New York: Financial District hotel
By Chris C., May 25 2015
Country
United States
City
New York (NY)
Hotel
DoubleTree by Hilton
Notes
The Good
- Free Wi-Fi for all guests
- Warm cookie on your arrival
- Free restaurant breakfast for HHonors Gold and Diamond members
The Bad
- No Executive Lounge
- Bathrooms are basic with a combined shower and bathtub, or 'shub'
X-Factor
- Conveniently close to Wall Street
Introduction
The DoubleTree by Hilton New York City: Financial District hotel is a great option for budget-conscious business travellers working in the financial sectors, with room rates often less than you'd expect to pay elsewhere in the Big Apple despite operating as a full-service hotel.
Add to that complimentary breakfast in the restaurant for Hilton HHonors Gold and Diamond members plus free Wi-Fi Internet for all guests, and you'll be trimming the fat from your travel budget – or your free breakfast bacon – in no time.
Location & Impressions
Nestled on Stone Street among the headquarters of businesses such as Deloitte, the Bank of New York, JP Morgan Chase and McGraw Hill, guests are just around the corner from the New York Stock Exchange and a short subway journey from One World Trade Centre.
You're also practically on the doorstep of South Ferry station if visiting Staten Island or the Statue of Liberty during your stay, although major tourist attractions such as Times Square, the theatres of Broadway and the Empire State Building are all 15-30 minutes away by subway – making it just that bit trickier to sneak in some sightseeing on your business trip.
The hotel's street entrance is relatively basic and leads only to an elevator, but which opens into a relatively modern lobby...
... where guests receive DoubleTree's signature warm cookie on their arrival – always a nice touch.
(We felt the cookie needed to match the photo, so took a 'tasting bite'...)
Room
Having booked only the most basic room type, my Hilton HHonors Gold status saw that swapped for a King Bed River View on check-in at no charge, which was on a higher floor and away from the car horns below.
While quite cosy as you'd expect of a New York hotel room, there was still space to work at the desk with power points conveniently located...
... which stretches along to provide a little extra bench space, along with a coffee maker: yet its power cable was too short to actually reach the outlet and plug it in.
It's on a tray making it easy enough to drag across, but really, you shouldn't have to reconfigure aspects of the room or your adjacent working space just to enjoy a cuppa – which in the end is a filtered drop rather than an espresso shot.
The bedside is more hi-tech, offering an alarm clock with a built-in iPhone charger – perfect if yours was left at home and to keep your phone handy for the morning...
... with the connection suited to iPhone 4S devices and earlier models, although not the latest generation of iDevices that use the smaller Lightning connector including the iPhone 5, 5S, 6 and 6 Plus.
However, those can be charged via the bedside lamp directly above, which is also a great place to connect your tablet or laptop if you'd prefer to surf in bed than at the desk.
The bathroom is clean but relatively basic ...
(The combined shower and bathtub, or 'shub', is behind the shower curtain...)
... and comes with basic Aroma Actives toiletries.
Additional items can be requested at no charge including deodorant, shaving and dental kits and a comb, although you'll also need to phone down for a shower cap, which most other hotels provide in the room by default.
There are no Executive floors at this hotel or indeed an Executive Lounge, although in-room Wi-Fi is free for all guests and was speedy enough for basic web browsing and iOS app updates.
The lobby also provides a small business zone with the expected computing, printing and photocopying equipment, while you can retreat to the gym and its selection of cardio and weight equipment.
Eat
Head to Antinori Restaurant & Bar on the ground floor for breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening drinks – especially if you're a Gold or Diamond Hilton HHonors member as breakfast is free.
There are the standard cereals, breads and pastries in one corner, plus a few hot dishes in the other. On our visit, that included bacon, chipolatas and eggs.
As in the room (and in much of the US, for that matter), the coffee here is filtered and is best left untouched unless you need an emergency caffeine shot.
The restaurant's lunch and dinner fare is mostly Italian-influenced, with 24-hour room service serving up fresh and tasty food.
All-up, it's a decent-enough hotel if you're in town doing business on a budget, but is an obvious step down from what you'd expect at New York's Hilton or Conrad properties.
Planning a New York trip? Also read:
- Hilton New York Fashion District, Chelsea hotel review
- Five tips for riding the New York subway like a local
- 'Delta One' Boeing 767 business class review: Los Angeles-New York
- Snap up half-price tickets to Broadway shows in New York at TKTS
- 'Delta One' Boeing 757 business class review: New York-Los Angeles
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Chris,
The delights of filtered coffee is not to be scoffed at. Nothing beats the lasting buzz of a cup a joe!
09 May 2015
Total posts 33
Agree...what's with this Aussie toff and his attitude towards "filtered" coffee. Sometimes, one wants something more mild than a full-strength espresso based coffee beverage.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Given a choice over filtered coffee or freshly-ground and brewed espresso, I'd choose espresso every time.
Can't say I've ever had a hankering for filtered java – after 24 hours of 'plane coffee' it would have just been nice to have something fresh on the ground.
(I arrived at the hotel after flying Brisbane-LA-New York, so was in desperate need of a pick-me-up before heading out to dinner!)
09 May 2015
Total posts 33
That's fine and your choice...just don't have to slag on filtered coffee, which is also a nice coffee beverage. In fact, as you state in the review, filtered coffee is the default when one asked for "coffee" throughout the United States. (I assume a sophisticated world traveler such as yourself is also aware that many coffee aficionados consider individually prepared servings of filtered coffee to be the real thing and not the overly strong shot of espresso you favor.)
In any case, we are blessed with both kinds of "coffee" so everyone can be happy and fully caffeinated at all times.
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