Review: Hilton Garden Inn Vilnius City Centre
Recently, I’ve been on business trips to continental Europe. This time, my destination is Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. From London, the full-service carrier LOT Polish Airlines flies direct from London City Airport (but please note that it doesn’t operate daily). If you want to stick to Oneworld, you’ll need to transfer – in which case, I’d recommend via Helsinki with Finnair. Low-cost airlines from Stansted, Luton and other airports also operate direct flights.
Contents
Access
Location
Room
Restaurant and Rooftop Bar
Breakfat
Useful Informatin
Access
If you take bus number 3G from the airport, you can get to the front of the hotel without having to transfer, so it’s very convenient. If you are a large group or have a lot of luggage, I recommend using a taxi or ride-hailing service.
It should take about 15 minutes to get there. If you arrive at Vilnius Central Station by train, bus number 7 will take you to the hotel.
You can also travel by train from the airport to the central station, but from there you will end up taking a bus or taxi to the hotel.
Location
The Hilton Garden Inn is about a 15-20 minute walk from Vilnius Old Town, so it’s a great location to use as a base for sightseeing. There are many new buildings around the hotel, and it seemed relatively quiet and safe. There is a bus stop right in front of the hotel, so you can easily access the airport and central station.
There are also small supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants within walking distance, so it was convenient to have something to eat and drink near the hotel after a long day of sightseeing.
Rooms
As this hotel was built in 2019, it still feels new wherever you look. There were no particular upgrades, but the room was spacious enough, and in addition to a chair and desk that would make it comfortable to work on a computer, there was also a sofa where you could sit down and relax, so it was very comfortable.
The bathroom was new and clean, but if you would prefer a bathtub in addition to a shower, it would be better to book a King Deluxe Room. Although I have already confirmed this from the photos on the official website, I recommend that you check directly with the hotel before booking just to be sure. I emailed the hotel before my stay to enquire about the laundry and they responded promptly.
Restaurant and Rooftop Bar
There is a restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, which we used for dinner. It also serves local Lithuanian craft beer, so it’s convenient for when you want to have dinner without going out. The interior was nice, and it wasn’t too crowded, so we were able to eat in a relaxed atmosphere.
Before dinner, we recommend you visit the rooftop bar on the top floor of the hotel. From the open terrace seats, you can get a panoramic view of Vilnius city. You can see the skyscrapers right in front of you. This is a typical European urban plan, where tall buildings are gathered away from the old town in order to preserve the old streetscape. It seems that this place is only open in the summer, so we recommend checking the opening hours depending on the time of year.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served buffet style, with a wide selection of both British-style dishes such as grilled tomatoes and baked beans, and continental dishes such as ham and cheese. Omelettes can be made to orderodered as well. Lithuanian-style cheese and bread were also available, giving the hotel a local feel.
What impressed me was the variety of fish dishes on display. There were several types of fish seasoned as if they were pickled in oil or marinated, as well as lightly grilled smoked trout-like fish. None of the dishes were too salty, and the seasoning was just right for breakfast, so you won’t get bored even if you stay for several nights. I think it’s rare to see such a wide selection of fish at a European hotel breakfast. Since it’s geographically close to Northern Europe, perhaps there are similarities in food culture.
Useful Information
In addition to the gym, the hotel also has two washing machines and two dryers in the laundry room. I was on a business trip and had a lot of laundry piling up, so the laundry was very helpful. However, it seemed like the dryer was being used by other guests (to be precise, it was finished but no one came to pick it up. It reminds me of when I lived in a student dormitory), so I decided to hang it out in my room. The air conditioning was working well and the humidity was low, so my laundry was completely dry even when hung out to dry overnight.
There is a convenience store next to the elevator on the first floor, but if you go to the basement of the hotel, you can easily get to the supermarket at the back of the parking lot. It’s very convenient because you can buy snacks such as sandwiches and drinks here. It’s very useful when you’re tired of eating out or when you want to have a light meal.
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