I initially was looking for something within walking distance from the museum but the DoubleTree of Pittsburgh offered so many great amenities that it seemed like the obvious choice.
DoubleTree Pittsburgh is right in downtown. Located right by the Mellon arena and Console Energy Center (where the Pittsburgh Penguins play). There is a room to fit your family. We got a 2 bedroom suite. It was great for our family of 5. The hotel was not difficult to find. They have valet parking in their own parking garage. From the start the first DoubleTree employee I talked with was the valet. He was pleasant and professional. We went to the lobby to check in. We were checked in, in no time at all. The lobby was very open and comfortable. Any questions I had were answered. We were on our way to our room.
I loved our room. It was very comfortable for a family of 5. Although we were only staying for one night, I wish we would have stayed longer.
The main area was open and inviting.
There was a sofa, a desk (again I want a laptop so bad) and a TV in this area. Also a mini fridge and microwave which was great for the baby's milk and juices. You can see they put a crib in our room as well on the left side of the picture.
The boys' room had 2 beds and a TV as well. It had a nice sized walk in closet.
Our bedroom was very cozy. King size bed, tv, and a closet. I could not believe how comfy the beds were to sleep in.
There was also two bathrooms in our suite which was great for us. Out of the picture window in the main area you got a great view of the Mellon Arena.
You can't see it in this pic but to the right of the Melon Arena is the Console Energy Center.
The DoubleTree Pittsburgh has an indoor pool and a fitness center for their guests. The boys and I went for a swim while the hubs took a nap. The pool went from 3 1/2 feet to 4 1/2 feet. There was an outside area with a few lounge chairs and tables and chairs to sit at. The fitness are was pretty nice. There even had exercise balls to work with. I have to admit, I didn't take advantage of the fitness center. The kids wore me out at the museum and swimming.
The DoubleTree offers a complimentary shuttle service in the downtown area. With the pre-season Steelers game and a wedding going on at the hotel we had to wait about 15 min for a shuttle. The shuttle driver told us he could not take use to the museum that Saturday (Aug 14) because they were not going to the North Shore due to the Steelers game. We had to drive. I was a little nervous about that (since the shuttle drivers wouldn't even go) BUT they valet gave us step by step pre-printed directions to the museum which were great. We ended up getting there with no trouble.
Later on we were looking for somewhere to eat. The DoubleTree Pittsburgh staff were very helpful in making suggestions, give us details, and even gave us a map of the downtown area. We waited for a shuttle for this too. There were people ahead of us that piled onto the next one that came about. We decided just to find some place in walking distance. One of the hotel staff made a few suggestions in the downtown area and showed us where it was on the map. I was already somewhat familiar with downtown since I had lived there a little while back. We decide to go to Market Square and eat at Primanit Bros.
I had a yummy steak salad with fries on top. The rest of the fam had huge sandwiches. My 6 year old couldn't even make it through half of a half. Every thing was so good.
We went back to the hotel and rented a movie to watch. We all had a great night sleep. The Bigelow Grille is in the same buidling as the DoubleTree Pittsburgh. We ate there for breakfast. We all got the breakfast buffet. The buffet was fantastic: french toast, sausage, bacon, home fries, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, danishes, lots of choices. There was even a chef preparing omelettes with your choice of fillings.
My plan was to stay until about 11 (check out was 12 noon) and head home. Hubby wanted to leave earlier. I gave him a hard time about it. I hate to admit it, but I should have listened to the hubs. Check out itself was super fast. We got the wonderful DoubleTree cookies. Getting our car....that was another story. There was a long line to pick your car up from the valet. Even thought the line was long, the valets kept it moving quickly. We were able to get out and start heading home. My suggestion, if you stay, you may want to check out around 10 am. I think that was my issue. It seemed everyone was checking out at that time.
All in all we loved out stay at the DoubleTree Pittsburgh. It's in a convenient location for just about anything you want to do downtown: Steelers or Penguins game, catching a concert at the Console Energy Center, business trip or a trip to the Children's Museum.
To read more about The DoubleTree Pittsburgh you can use this link: DoubleTree Pittsburgh website
You can also follow DoubleTree Pittsburgh on twitter: @DoubletreePitt
Review summary: Every DoubleTree employee my family and I encountered was pleasant and professional. Our room was very clean, comfortable, and all in all beyond our expectations. The amenities offered at the DoubleTree were above your standard amenities in my opinion.
***I received a discounted rate and complimentary breakfast to help facilitate this review. I did NOT received any monetary compensation for this post. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. Any opinions expressed are my own***
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