The Hilton Watford Hotel couldn’t be more convenient for our visit to Warner Bros. Studios Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (you can read our review here) which was just a 10 minute car journey away.
This is our review of the Hilton Watford Hotel, a four star hotel comprising of 200 bedrooms and suites.
As you arrive at the hotel, its exterior isn’t going to win any design awards as it looks pretty tired and dated, however the lobby of the hotel was modern and welcoming after a recent refurbishment. Car parking was complimentary and there were lots of spaces available.
Our check-in was warm and welcoming and as Hilton Gold members we were upgraded to the Elton Suite (named after musician Elton John who has strong links with Watford) At 56sqm our first impressions of the room was just how spacious it was.
It was the perfect hotel for our family of four containing a master bedroom with a really comfortable king size bed and a separate living area containing a spacious desk, small dining table and a double sofa bed for the girls. Having a separate sleeping area to the children does make a big difference when in a hotel.
When you are all in the same room you typically have to go to sleep basically when the children go to sleep, so having this extra space offered in our suite was fantastic.
Our room contained the facilities you’d expect in this standard of hotel including
- 2 large flat screen TV with plenty of kids channels to keep the girls entertained,
- Air conditioning,
- Complimentary high speed WiFi – a must with children and their iPads,
- A mini fridge with complimentary still and sparking water as we are Hilton Gold members,
- Tea and coffee making facilities
The suite at the Hilton Watford offered upgraded facilities such bathrobes and slippers along with complimentary mineral water.
Minor quibbles were that there were very few electrical sockets in our room making it difficult to charge electrical devices, which we found strange in a modern hotel and some of the carpets and decor in the corridors were looking a little tired.
The spacious white tiled bathroom was nicely appointed if a little dated consisting of a separate bath and shower and lots of complementary Hilton-standard Peter Thomas Roth toiletries.
There are very few places nearby the hotel to eat unless you wanted to drive, and after a long commute to Hertfordshire plus a few hours exploring the beautiful city of St Albans we didn’t want to venture out again and chose to make it easy dining at Atelier, the hotel’s stylish restaurant for our evening meal.
It was really family friendly with a children’s menu to choose from and the staff were so welcoming and friendly toward the girls, although the service was a little slow. Prices are what you would expect at a 4-star hotel for evening meals, however children ate free when dining with an adult, which I thought was good value although we were a little disappointed with the quality of our meals.
A lovely touch offered by the staff at the Hilton Watford was when they surprised me with a birthday treat after our meal, which was a really nice gesture.
It was a shame that there was no executive lounge at the Hilton Watford like we have experienced in other Hilton hotels as it offers a nice option to relax and enjoy evening refreshments, including drinks and snacks. At the Hilton Watford, next to the lobby area was a small convenience style store selling everything from drinks and snacks to toothbrushes, which is something I have not come across at a Hilton hotel before.
Hilton breakfasts are typically excellent and the buffet style breakfast offering at the Hilton Watford certainly didn’t disappoint. Served in the Atelier Restaurant from 5:30am to 10:30am, breakfast was of a very high standard with a chef making fresh omelettes and fried eggs to order.
A highlight for the girls in particular during breakfast was the fact that they could create their own waffles!
Once more the level of service received during breakfast was exceptional and this high level of customer service is a credit to the hotel management because it really does make a difference during your stay.
If you are looking for a good value for money hotel which is family friendly hotel and close to Warner Bros. Studios Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, then the 4 star Hilton Watford Hotel is a great value family option especially if you book early.
Prices at the Hilton Watford Hotel start from a very reasonable £90 for a double family room when booking direct at www.hilton.com as part of the Hilton Honours Advance Discount Purchase rate. If you work in the public sector the rates are even better – starting from £81 for a double family room with breakfast.