About those sweets in our suites

Our editor became just a little over-excited on hearing that DoubleTree by Hilton were introducing allergy-free cookies at their properties.

Anyone who is similarly gluten-intolerant will know all about packing an emergency supply of suitable emergency nibbles when a hotel stay is imminent. It’s something which tends to get overlooked by some hotels which might offer vegan alternatives, but the ‘inclusivity’ doesn’t stretch to all dietary needs, including what’s offered as complimentary ‘add-on’ biscuits and confectionary in guestrooms. Housekeeping staff and catering teams will happily try to find solutions if the matter is raised.

For instance, we’ve had great experiences this year at Hilton St George’s Park in Burton Upon Trent and during the Triple H Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-upon-Avon. No doubt other hotels are similarly supportive. In the case of DoubleTree we ended up chatting with a PR chief ‘across the pond’ who was super-friendly and offering as many cookies as we could scoff… if the editor happened to be visiting the States. It turned out the allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookies were only being introduced at their US hotels right now, but they’d let us know if the scheme was extended to UK properties.

Shawn McAteer, brand leader, DoubleTree by Hilton says: “We hope the introduction of our allergy-friendly option, alongside our original cookie, reaffirms DoubleTree by Hilton as a place where human moments happen that make travellers feel welcome while away from home.” Our message to UK executive housekeepers is to suggest that you might raise this matter in management meetings – we know you and your teams are the champions of the guest experience.