DoubleTree by Hilton Cluj – City Plaza

In winter, the pool and sauna on the top floor were a fantastic treat. The hotel is right in the center and has a boutique feel. It’s small, but our family room was quite spacious and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

The DoubleTree by Hilton is a great place to unwind. The service stood out, and everything was immaculately clean, from the rooms to the shared facilities. I’d highly recommend it to tourists looking for a lovely stay.

Piata Unirii is an easy 10-minute walk away, with cafes, shops, and restaurants. The hotel sits on a one-way street just off busy Strada Memorandumului, close to the Memorandumului N bus stop and Opera Maghiara tram stop. We were upgraded to a King oval suite with lovely views, a huge bed, two TVs, a large bathroom, dining table, and lounge area. It’s one big oval room, as shown in the pictures. There were no power outlets in the kitchen, bathroom, or at the desk, so I had to boil the kettle on the floor beside the bed. We also found the room wasn’t very clean. Complimentary water was provided only on the first day, though you can refill the bottle at breakfast or at the lobby water station. Breakfast is served at Marco Polo restaurant on the Mezzanine level. The buffet was compact, with cold meats, cheeses, salads including Greek salad, whole and cut fruit, yogurt, juice, cereal, and different milks. There was freshly cut bread, rolls, and pastries. Hot options varied during our stay and included scrambled, boiled, and sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, hash browns, grilled tomato, and local fare. The breakfast staff were excellent and friendly, but the single self-serve coffee machine was very slow. Parking is beside the hotel and costs 120 lei per night, or 24 hours. Depending on the room option or Hilton honours, guests may be reimbursed. The lot is small, perhaps 20 cars, so you may need to park on a nearby street. There were two lifts on the left side of reception and another on the right. Check-in and checkout were efficient, but we weren’t told that room service, the restaurant, and bar would be unavailable because of a hotel function on New Year’s Eve. We stayed four nights, including the 31st, and had an early departure on New Year’s Day, so we’d planned to stay in. Most restaurants in Cluj were closed too. The manager on duty was very professional and brought us a bottle of white wine and two glasses, which we appreciated since we had crackers, olives, and dip in the fridge. It would help to put a notice in the rooms and lifts ahead of any planned disruption to hotel services.

We chose the king room, which was very spacious, and the hotel felt elegant and relaxing. Breakfast was exceptional, and the late dinner we had in the room was even better than one at a luxurious restaurant. We also got to unwind at the spa, with its perfect pool and dream sauna.