Hilton Garden Inn Innsbruck Tivoli

At breakfast they couldn't find my name on the list, even though I'd prepaid. A very friendly receptionist checked and fixed it. He was the only staff member who was genuinely kind. My room was spacious and spotless, but it was missing basics I'd expect at Hilton, like bathrobes, slippers, a minibar, a sewing kit and a shoe shine cloth. Room service wasn't available at all. I won't be rushing back.

We left after only a couple of hours, after making the mistake of moving our car. An event was happening at the venue across the street, and there was nowhere to park in the area. When we asked what we should do, the hotel staff just shrugged and told us to park a couple of kilometers away. We ended up at another hotel for about the same price, and it was much nicer. The front desk and room were okay. There were dozens of people trying to check in at once, so we gave the staff a little slack. It's conveniently located if you're going to the Olympic ice rink across the street.

Our room was spacious, clean and everything in it worked perfectly. The receptionist who welcomed us was kind and helpful. Unfortunately, we also saw several rude interactions from other staff, and left without feeling we'd come back. When we went to collect our bag from storage, the questioning felt uncomfortable. If guests need to be checked so closely, a numbered tag system could avoid having them enter the storage room themselves and cut down on unnecessary questions. At the bar, we asked to change a meal just two minutes after ordering. The person serving us said we were “making his life more difficult.” We understood the bar was extremely busy, but one person was taking orders, serving and preparing drinks. Hiring more staff might help, and guests shouldn't be made to feel blamed for this. We also witnessed several uncomfortable exchanges at the breakfast buffet entrance. There were too many to go into here. The hotel has potential, but these issues are worth addressing.

The view from the 11th or 12th floor was great, and I enjoyed the sauna. The rest made this the least satisfactory Hilton stay I've had, despite being a Diamond member with more than 60 Hilton nights a year. No one acknowledged my Diamond status, and breakfast was underwhelming, more like a Hampton than a full-service Hilton. The room heating didn't work properly. The only options offered were a portable heater for two hours or leaving the bathroom door open to get warmth from the underfloor heating. It was poor value and didn't meet Hilton standards.