What would you like to see available in a Hilton executive lounge?

[Deleted member 29185]

The EL manager at HSP recently asked me what I'd like to see offered in the executive lounge. Please feel free to respond to the poll and/or add further suggestions in the thread itself and if we get a good response, I'll advise her of this thread so she can read it and get some ideas and hints as to what seasoned hotel stayers most want.

Of course the poll is very restrictive so please add your thoughts and suggestions below and perhaps also include non food items (drinks, newspapers, magazines etc).

NOTE: I think the question asked of me was really aimed at the evening service however I did not clarify this.

Perhaps we should confine our polling to the evening food offering rather than breakfast and afternoon tea and make any comments regarding breakfast and/or afternoon tea in the body of the thread.

 

[Major]

A good quality Red and White wine as well as a sparkling wine and a selection of boutique beers. Not too fussed about spirits but I'm sure others are.

I know most EL's have this now but sometimes the wine is of questionable quality

 

[kermatu]

I agree that one or two better quality, ideally local where available, wines would be a significant improvement. Basic spirits are fine, along with a couple of beers (locals again would be a good touch).

In terms of food the main failing in lounges I believe is a lack of variety from night to night, and a lack of any seasonal variation. Perhaps it is a deliberate tactic to avoid people using a lounge as a substitute for dinner, but if you happen to stay in the same hotel for a few days the lounge will lose its appeal. Perhaps even one daily special of something different, offered direct by the staff, would make a difference. Perhaps some lounges do this, I'm only a regular at a couple of hotels in Oz.

 

[Simo]

QP pan cake machine for breakfast

 

[Princess Fiona]

QP pan cake machine for breakfast

Would probably be quicker than the cook to order variety

 

[boomy]

Replace Bay of Stones with a decent wine selection and introduce hot canapés service as done in BNE.

 

[Ricardo]

Decent coffee from a proper espresso barista, not that machine stuff, horrible.

Proper canapaes, not lollies, cakes and bikkies are ok for afternoon tea, proper ice and good quality tumblers (not the circus variety from Ferny Ave please).

A reasonable quality malt whiskey and quality mixers, do they have any single malt at the HSP lounge? Anybody ?

 

[Ewing]

For the evening service I'm happy with a decent wine selection (ie: not Bay of Stones) and a selection of canapés. This service for me is a chance to relax and have a quiet drink and nibble before going out to dinner - not as a meal replacement.

For afternoon tea I'm happy as long as there's tea and sparkling water. A cake and biscuits are also nice

Very rarely do I go in the lounge for breakfast. Mainly that's due to never having had a decent coffee in an executive lounge.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

do they have any single malt at the HSP lounge? Anybody ?

A blended JW, not a single malt AFAIK.

 

[Ricardo]

A blended JW, not a single malt AFAIK.

No worries thanks Swanning.

Taking some collegues up to the HSP Lounge on the Virgin promo that was offered a few months ago, never been to a Hilton Exec Lounge so not sure what to expect from HSP, we booked 3 rooms in total on the promo.

Should be good in any case, except for the traffic I hear ....

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Should be good in any case, except for the traffic I hear ....

Traffic is diabolical. The only way in to Orchid Ave is from Remberence Drive (Northbound and Southbound by turning into Cavill Ave) or Surfers Blbd (Southbound only).

 

[boomy]

A reasonable quality malt whiskey and quality mixers, do they have any single malt at the HSP lounge? Anybody ?

The spirits on offer tonight if you were wondering.



Not an impressive selection

 

[boomy]

Traffic is diabolical. The only way in to Orchid Ave is from Remberence Drive (Northbound and Southbound) or Surfers Blbd (Southbound only).

Traffic is a nightmare! Surfers looks like a construction site these days and the V8 super cars racing track makes it even worse.

 

[anat0l]

Not an impressive selection

An extremely standard selection. I think most people now can operate a pay-for-use lounge from their own home (except they'd all need to apply for liquor licences).


I answered everything in the poll, except for:

• Soup. I don't trust many places to do a good job with soup; I'm usually expecting a badly done consomme or something that Continental's Cup-o-soup can easily give a run for. It also gets very messy near the soup station at the best of times.
• Sushi. The only way to have it is fresh. Not sitting out, drying out and being manhandled; certainly not when it is being replenished from a supply which is prefab and equally been sitting out for a while (to save for the ingredients). A good reason why I also don't usually eat the sushi from most buffets, including airline lounges.
• Lollies. I suppose a jar full of various flavoured Mentos might do the trick, but in general I'm not interested. Replace that with "chocolates" and I might become interested. That said, I wouldn't trust people to be "moderate" with their consumption (i.e. you may see some just scoop a whole lot of lollies or choccies and squirrel them away from the lounge).

I think just as important as a good selection of food is the quality of the preparation, as well as restocking or replacement of the buffet. Especially at HSP where it may be anticipated that the demographic of guests may reflect a need to pay extra attention to the cleanliness and supply of the kitchen area.

Come to think of it, I can't remember within Australia where I've had a great EL spread. CNS was OK given that it was... CNS, I guess. HSW is probably my best experiences, at all times of the day, but not sure how they are faring now. SYD seems alright (quite decent afternoon tea). ADL was OK the last time I was there, but that was years ago now. BNE is reasonable - afternoon tea is very pedestrian, evening is quite OK but only saved by the excellent staff circulating through the lounge with small plates.

The alcohol selection has been wanting at HSP and BNE. It's enough to get most people relaxed if they're not directly paying for it, but quality wise it can be much better.

 

[JohnK]

Enough canapes to ensure there is no need to go out to dinner.

A choice of a few beers wouldn't go astray either.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I answered everything in the poll, except for:

• Soup. I don't trust many places to do a good job with soup;

Not to mention the soup at HSP is served in a large metal tureen with no source of warming. Many times I've tried the soup only to find it stone cold. I have noticed the EL staff are tending to only place smaller amounts in the tureen hopeful that it is eaten before it goes cold but that often means the soup runs out as well as they do get busy cleaning up and sometimes "forget" to replenish diminished food and drink offerings (last part of that comment equally applies to the wine, beer, mixers, the cheese and the crackers in particular)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The spirits on offer tonight if you were wondering.

Not an impressive selection

Anyone like to comment on the spirits? I don't drink a lot of spirits so I thought the offering was OK and although my wife rarely drinks, she does enjoy a small Baileys to finish off at the EL so HSP beats a lot of the others which don't offer Baileys or Karluha.

 

[JohnK]

Anyone like to comment on the spirits? I don't drink a lot of spirits so I thought the offering was OK and although my wife rarely drinks, she does enjoy a small Baileys to finish off at the EL so HSP beats a lot of the others which don't offer Baileys or Karluha.

I think the spirit offering is OK and is the standard offering you see in most airline lounges.

 

[Ricardo]

The spirits on offer look ok, hopefully an ice bucket is close by...

Ahh yes the traffic, might take the bus from the casino, in hindsight should have stayed at the Sofitel, but no lounge...

Thanks all for the info :mrgreen:

R

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The spirits on offer look ok, hopefully an ice bucket is close by...

Yes, the ice bucket can just be seen to the far left of boomys photo above (behind the straws).