Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Staying at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront has never been a high priority for us. We know many who have and occasionally hear from them; the 20-year-old property is nothing particularly special and a bit past its prime. We’ve historically preferred the Hilton Garden Inn a few blocks north – all rooms offer ocean views, Garden Grille breakfast is predictably satisfactory, and meals and happy hours on the Lager Heads patio have been joyful. The Embassy Suites Resort several blocks up has brought another welcome Hilton option. But along with that property where we’ve stayed several times, the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront is compatible with the Amex Aspire’s semi-annual $200 Hilton resort credit. With an unused credit available, we booked it for a hair over $200 for a one-night September stay. We packed a couple small bags and modest expectations. Here’s how our brief stay turned out.
Check-In
I approached the front desk a bit before 2 pm, well before the official 4 pm check-in time. I’ll start with the good news first. Hilton Honors had automatically upgraded us to a corner room, and it was immediately available. Things got a bit weird from there.
Hilton Honors Elite Food and Beverage Credit
The front desk agent confirmed we were eligible for the $30 Hilton elite daily food and beverage credit based on my Hilton Honors Diamond status. Knowing that individual properties widely differ how they interpret this perk, I asked how it worked here. The rep advised that it’s good at “the restaurant” (Catch 31) for the evening of our one-night stay or the next morning before checkout. I asked about using part of the credit in the evening and the rest the next morning. The agent said that wasn’t possible. The credit can only be used on one occasion – in the evening or the morning – and any unused credit would be forfeited. I politely questioned this, noting that I had never experienced this type of strict definition on other Hilton Honors stays. The agent volunteered to ask the manager on duty and returned a few minutes later. They wouldn’t budge. I capitulated, resolving to obey this property’s version of the credit and follow up later. So much for the flexibility of this benefit during this stay.
For what it’s worth, here’s the wording from the Hilton Honors terms and conditions that seems to contradict Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront’s interpretation of the benefit:
The daily F&B credit is applied each night of the stay and does not accrue. However, any amount of credit not used on any day of the stay is available on the day of check-out up to the maximum daily credit amount. [Bold emphasis mine.]
Parking Nonsense
At check-in, I opted for self parking at the nightly $25 rate. The rep provided a placard with a bar code to enter and exit the garage, located just west of the hotel. I finished up at check-in (or so I thought), thanked the front desk agent, and went to park my car. After approaching the gate to enter, a parking attendant came out, seeming to know something I didn’t. I scanned the bar code, but the gate didn’t raise. I attempted again, but still nothing. The attendant opened the gate but said I needed to obtain a new parking pass. I shuffled back over to the front desk for a new placard. The agent was exasperated, saying that this happens all the time. Apparently, they’re not annoyed enough to fix anything for guests paying $25 parking per night, I thought to myself. I trekked back to the garage with my second placard that would hopefully work.
The Room
Enough of the figurative and literal check-in runaround. The corner room on the eighth floor provided predictably-pleasant views. The large sliding doors, windows, and balcony face east to the Atlantic, with a smaller window looking south down the oceanfront. The comfy-enough king offered great views in each direction. The desk and a set of drawers were on the north wall, with the large television mounted above the desk. This is perhaps my most-loathed hotel room trend – large TV’s mounted directly above the desk workspace. But given the unique ocean-view aspects of this room, I somewhat understood.
Hilton seems to have updated the rooms since opening, but it doesn’t appear recently. I enjoyed lounging in the easy chair with ottoman, looking straight out to the balcony and Atlantic beyond. All lighting worked. But the lamps were rickety, showing clear signs of age. As is the rest of the room – I noticed scratches and dings dotting the room’s walls and furniture, darker grout areas in the shower, etc. The bathroom is smaller than updated standards but fine enough. Water became quite hot very quickly.
Catch 31
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the stay was the hotel’s sprawling seafood spot, Catch 31. This restaurant doubles as the property’s breakfast option. Catch 31 and its patio essentially takes up the entire length of the hotel’s oceanfront views at the lobby level. The restaurant seems more recently updated than the rest of the property. The hostess sat me at the far south end of the restaurant close to the open kitchen.
I ordered the western omelet, but my helpful waitress noted that the full buffet came with eggs to order, including omelets, plus coffee. She volunteered to take my omelet order and deliver it, and I happily accepted. I appreciated the nearly-identical cost with more buffet options, helping myself to fruit, yogurt, and a helping of potatoes. I looked over at the bar, thinking it would’ve been nice to use some of the elite credit there the night before and a bit for breakfast. Oh, well.
Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront – Conclusion
After staying one night at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, we’ve finally scratched our minor itch. But we don’t have plans to return. From my perspective, it’s like many other properties offering a prime location. They seem to lean heavily on that one positive, while just going through the motions on most other aspects.
Service at breakfast was excellent, but luck played a role on this quiet morning. The waitress mentioned the dining room was packed the day before with only one server on duty. I wouldn’t have wanted to visit during such high demand, at breakfast or this hotel overall. Indeed, that’s why we timed our stay the way we did. We have zero interest staying here when it’s busy. Unfortunately, that’s a fact of life for many other visitors.
I also realize that I probably talked more about the check-in experience in this article than anything else, and that’s not by accident. If I’m mostly blathering on about check-in, that’s probably not a good sign.
I recommend travelers consider alternative hotels on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Hilton Honors-participating and otherwise. On the bright side, the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront does not charge a resort fee. Still, you should aspire to use your Hilton resort credit elsewhere. The Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront is just okay, and considering other options, that’s just not enough.
