Hilton Tucson East

The Hilton Tucson East is located a little more than 10 miles away from the airport.  Although Tucson is the second largest populated city in Arizona, it still has a very small town feel.  This results in very light traffic, and getting to the hotel only takes about 15 minutes.

The Hilton Tucson East is conveniently located about a mile away from the Park Place Mall, and close to the University of Arizona.

Upon entering the hotel a large atrium with many windows and natural lighting greets you.

Hotel Atrim

The front desk is located to the left.  Check-in was fairly quick, but the front desk agent must have been new as he was somewhat flustered when processing my reservation.  He did not explain any features of the hotel, nor did he recognize my Hilton Gold status.  I inquired about getting upgraded to the Executive floor as that would allow access to the Executive Lounge.  He told me that I could not get upgraded as the hotel was sold out.  I then inquired about breakfast, as that is an option for Hilton Gold members (as opposed to the 1,000 point amenity).  He informed me that breakfast was served in the Executive Lounge.  Unfortunately, he did not initially inform me that I was being given access to the Executive Lounge.  It was like playing a game of 20 questions during check-in.

Upon entering the room, the bathroom is to the right.  The bathroom is fairly small.  There is a fair amount of counter space, but not much room between the counter, toilet and door.

Bathroom

There is only a shower, which is fairly large.  Water pressure was excellent, and there were no temperature variances.

Shower

The room is spacious with ample room to walk around.  There is a large dresser with a flat screen TV on it.

Room

Dresser/TV

There is a desk with not much working space, although lighting is somewhat dim.  The internet is complimentary for all, but is painstakingly slow.

Desk

There is a lounge chair in the corner.

Lounge Chair

The bed is comfortable, but a little too soft for my liking.

Bed

There is no central air conditioning, instead there is a large in room unit.  Although it does work, it is rather loud.  For light sleepers, this is a big inconvenience.

The room is starting to show its age, as there are many stains on the carpet.  There was also a patch of carpet that was cut out, and replaced with an area of carpeting about 2 feet by 4 feet.

Although breakfast in the Executive Lounge is supposed to be continental, there are a few hot dishes.  There is oatmeal, a do it yourself waffle making station, and scrambled eggs.  The scrambled eggs are probably some of the best that I have had in a "buffet like" setting.  They were smooth and creamy, and not runny.  The only downside is that they are severely under seasoned, which can be somewhat rectified with salt and pepper.  There are other breakfast options, including cereals, bread, bagels, yogurt and fresh fruit.

The Executive Lounge is an open area on the 7th floor.  There are several tables spread throughout the open area.  There are several attendants present at breakfast and at the "Manager's Reception" in the afternoon, but no one is present during the rest of the day.  Several packages of trail mix, and a small cooler holding about 18 drinks are available during the non-staffed hours from what I could tell.

Parking is also complimentary is a big plus in an age where parking can easily exceed $30 day in many cities.

The Hilton Tucson East could use a bit of a facelift, and improve their Executive Lounge offerings during the day.  The feel of the hotel is more like an Embassy Suites rather than a Hilton.