Strathallan: A DoubleTree By Hilton

Roof top conference had wonderful service and fabulous food. Everything was served quickly warm foods stayed warm, cold stayed cold and the quality of the ingredients were just what I would pick if I were being picky. At the risk of sounding cheep, when a bartender only gives you 5’s as change you’re kind of screwed into tipping well over 50% for a drink which is not courteous on their behalf.

Don’t allow them to give you a room next to the slow elevators that service the hotel and a busy restaurant. You will hear them all day and all night. Last night they allowed a party with guests in the room next to me to be on thier balcony screaming. I would have been ok to a point with muffled music but to hear the screaming on the balcony was like being on spring break, not a high end hotel. When I checked out I waited to be asked about my stay. I shared the 3 days and nights of noise only to then be asked where I want my bill sent. Either this person was not trained or she was immune to customer complaints. I was not irritated until that last interaction. High end hotels with a good location in Rochester are unfortunately scarce.

This is probably the fanciest DoubleTree I’ve stayed at! While I only enjoyed room service, the main floor restaurant, Char, looked just beautiful and the hotel had plenty of modern, upscale touches. Considering all of the above and the adorable surrounding (residential) neighborhood, Strathallan is on the top of my list for future Rochester stays.
Let’s outline the major points:
Rooms: Very comfortable and modern throughout. The bed was quite comfy and the room was spacious enough. The bathroom was lovely with a gorgeous, large shower (my issue? the water was only warm, never hot).
Surroundings: As mentioned previously, the Strathallan is in a very sweet neighborhood with walkable shops and restaurants.
Room service: My breakfast was fabulous! If you’re considering pancakes, just get them. The items were all on the pricey side, though, so budget accordingly.
*My other issue with this hotel is that I checked out with two erroneous charges on my bill and while the staff (at Char) took care of it, it took more than one week for everything to be rectified.
I’d definitely try the Strathallan again!!!

I’ve stayed at the Strathallan on three separate occasions and I want to love it, but the two stays were both problematic.
We stayed here for our wedding in December, as did most of our guests. I chose the room we stayed in because I’m a Hilton Honors member. I chose the 8^th floor because I wanted the great views. There is no mention of the 9^th floor bar/​even space when you check in online, nor was one given to us when we checked in. Needless to say we had to switch rooms because it was so damn loud. The person who checked us in knew we were there for our wedding – I’m not sure why it wasn’t mentioned – but we were not happy. We had to move to a smaller room. They also forgot to give several of the out-​of-​town guests their welcome bags even though I went through the guest/​room list with them. They do provide complimentary transportation within a certain range of the hotel and our guests were able to take advantage of that, which was great.
I did note my complaint about the wedding weekend to the sales manager at the hotel and she gave us a free night in a king suite. We used the free night on Valentine’s Day. There was no hot water during our stay. I tried to take a bath that night but the water was lukewarm. My husband tried to shower in the morning after his run, but again, lukewarm. When we were in the elevator we heard another couple from another floor talking about their lack of hot water as well. We alerted the front desk at checkout but she didn’t seem overly concerned or apologetic.
I think this hotel still has some work to do in terms of service.

I’m debating about 3 ½ or 4 stars there were a few things that i thought could be better due to the fact of how expensive things could be at this hotel. This is just me being picky, but overall nice hotel.
So things to fix/​change are the tissues they had in the room: they were super rough and hurt my nose and hands. i mean come on at least splurge on some puffs. It was Cold in the room so i felt i needed to keep the heat on really high (which made a ton of static and so dry) I realized it was getting cold because of the Windows! they clearly need new windows for maybe at least insulation i could feel the cold air coming in and when the drapes were pulled shut they were blowing. might as well keep the heat on a rotating cycle. also there was snow in the crevasse of the window where it looked like it could slide open. there wasn’t even a screen so i hope they don’t open!
The other thing that bothered me was the bathroom sink and the fact that it was really high up: so this is not comfortable for short people i’m only 4’11
Other thing i noticed that was pretty sad is that there isn’t much in the «gift retail shop». i guess i would expect more from seeing other gift shops at other hotels (just comparing)
They should also have more garbages in the room. there was a tiny one in the bathroom and a wooden tiny one in the living area. at least have one bigger size one.
The beds were somewhat uncomfortable just from the fact of feeling like i was going to the middle of the bed. The mattresses should probably be rotated.
guess that was a long list of bad stuff… now on to the good stuff: i feel like there is good customer service as we did ask for a DVD player and a cork screwer which we got free of charge. They have fresh cookies at walk in, one per person. We got the bed and breakfast deal they had as a special during the stay. everything on the menu we were able to pick from and we got the breakfast bar. the food was good but i was expecting fresh scrambled eggs and no fruit flys around the pastries. also the water was dirty but the fruit was fresh and we had a friendly informative waitress.
We were hoping to go to Hatties for dinner but they don’t serve food on sunday and monday. odd. So we had to go to the only other restaurant which was Char. broke the bank, but the drink was good. food was good as well but i wish the portion sizes were bigger.
ugh so i guess my review sounds more like 3 ½ stars. i wish i could’ve given better

Great Hotel, Staff are Fabulous and Extremely Accommodating to ensure the Guests need are met. They are wonderful and really enjoy talking to their guest. Being a Rochester Native, the hotel and staff make me and other guest feel at home. The restaurant Chef has outstanding good and the Food & Beverage Manager’s make sure to pay attention to all guest, if they cannot accommodate your request, they will jump through hoops to make sure it happens.
Strathallan, I love your hotel, and all the staff, even though I live in Los Angeles, CA, when I come back to visit, Thank You for making me fell at home. Make sure you register for Hilton Honor’s Club, the points accumulate quickly for free Wi-​Fi, and upgrades.

The Strathallan did an luxurious job at accommodating all the local vendors during the Rochester Cocktail Revival Week. Before you even get to the hotel, the car service arrives promptly at any one of your pick-​up locations. The whole weekend we where traveling everywhere, and it never seemed to be an issue for car service. When you get dropped off you are greeted with this upscale premier boutique look around the exterior/​interior. It would combine a fusion of a social hub/​urban retreat. Ton’s of marble pillars with HUGE leather couches in the lobby. The service upon entry was commendable, you felt like you where in Paris with everyone saying «bonjour!» to you ( Unilocal Tip– that means Hi! in French). The lobby area had a nice plate filled with cheese and crackers, served with Gray Poupon-​Yummies! Downstairs in the lobby is also home to Char Steak and Lounge, which is a 5-​Star Restaurant that gets a review on its own. It is home to TOP CHEF Jeremy Nucelli who creates incredible menus of homemade pastas, the freshest seafood and, of course, STEAKS. Char allowed us to use Monkey 47 Gin in our cocktails that evening for Cocktail Week, kudos to the staff for hooking us up. With our bags in hand by the service staff, we where ready to check out the Luxurious Suite High Style Room.
The Entryway down the hallway to the room created this environment as if you where still in your own living room with a fireplace. Like a kid at a candy store, I ran right for the HUGE Queen Sized Bed upon entry into the room. The bed has a memory foam mattress so your whole body sinks in it. I even got to see the shape of my head through the PLUSH pillow. The best part of the bed was the fact that there was a COOKIE TREAT laying at the end of it… YES! The desk, the flats screen TVs, and even the wide open windows made you feel like you where in a fancy upscale Manhattan apartment. The kitchen was completely marbled with a nice flat-​screen TV above it. The living room was filled with satin couches, and an electronic fireplace. It was fun to turn the fireplace off and on when needed. The corner «dry’ bar nicely Incorporated all of our Monkey 47 Gin, with a rotating Sally. The shower was golden, literally with a 3-​Level Massaging Hose. The best moments of staying at the Strahallan, was going out to the double balconies outside your room. The view of the neighborhood from that point of view, is a moment I will always remember with my friends. The balconies came complete with an entire patio set.
Like any true Unilocal!adventure I managed to convince one of the concierges to give us a tour of the 9^th Floor Rooftop Balcony, which is almost slated for the Grand Opening. The views from that vantage point overlooking the city are incredible. The concierge told us that there is also going to be another restaurant opening in this space called Hatties: Cocktails and Fine Japanese Cuisine. Be on the look-​out for another 5-​Star restaurant joining the ranks of Char.
Overall: 5-​Star Accommodations, TOP Hotel in Rochester, Char Restaurant, 9^th Floor Roof-​Top Balcony, Incredible Skyline-​Views, Luxurious Manhattan Styled Room Interior, Electronic Fireplaces, 2 Balconies… and The Cookie Treat… Of Course I Will Be Back.

The hotel itself is decent. Decent accommodations have earned that second star. Telling me I can’t enter a guest elevator as a guest when you only have 2 elevators is Unacceptable. Furthermore their elevator operator (dumb) stood there and watched us for what felt like five minutes until the doors closed on us. Womp womp Hilton

I haven’t stayed in the hotel, but the rooftop is great! The views are stunning and there is a fire pit you can sit around. I had the chicken wings, which were excellent and not to spicy. Great place to come every once in a while for a fancier night out.

I stayed here for a full week. It’s a nice hotel. Everything is brand new. The room was meticulously clean and very well-​appointed. The staff were all helpful and friendly. The service was great. My room had a nice, usable balcony which was a pleasant place to spend the last few minutes of each day winding down and relaxing.
The lobby bar is staffed by real, professional bar tenders who don’t just dump drinks into glasses but who actually consciously and carefully craft cocktails.
There’s just one problem, but it’s a big one for me: whatever you do, do not give these people your e-​mail address. They will spam you (two in the last 24 hours) and getting off of their list is not easy.
Would I stay here again? Actually, that is a tough question. My stay was great. The property is great. The staff are great. The cocktails were great. But the spam just spoils that memory.
I realize that the spam is not coming from the Strathallan in Rochester but from Hilton corporate. It’s a shame for the hard-​working staff at the Strathallan that all they have worked for and accomplished is tarnished by the e-​mail abuse by their corporate overlords. My hope is that the management at the Strathallan will talk to Hilton corporate and give Hilton corporate a lesson in how to run a gracious hotel; these days that includes not annoying your guests by abusing their e-​mail.

If you are in Rochester, this is THE property you should stay at. Great restaurants (CHAR was fantastic), a fun and lively rooftop scene with live music, and everywhere you turn there is a smiling face making sure you are taken care of.
The property itself is pristine and comfortably and contemporarily styled. I really felt at home during my stay and did not expect this high a caliber experience at a double tree in Rochester. A joy to visit. I’ll be back.

The Strath is easily the nicest hotel in the Rochester area. Whenever my parents are in town we book them here, and they love it. I am part of a local promotion company and when we bring in international DJ talent we always put them up here.
The staff is extremely accommodating and helpful. The rooms are easily some of the nicest I’ve ever seen and the balconies are massive. The recently renovated rooftop lounge is quickly becoming a summer hotspot.
If you need a place to stay overnight in Rochester, this is the place!

I visited the Strathallan rooftop a few days ago and was immediately in awe of the beauty of this place. The views are gorgeous and the bar is trendy. The bartenders were very friendly and eager to help everyone. I only went for a couple drinks and 4^th of July fireworks so I plan to return for a meal in the near future.
The only downside is the fact that they allow children on the rooftop. Maybe this was the case only for the 4^th of July, but I prefer an awesome place like this to be an over 21 venue. Since I’m unsure of the typical ambience, they’ll keep the 5 stars for now. I look forward to visiting at a time when it isn’t a holiday.

5 stars for service.
5 stars for amenities.
5 stars for comfort.
The Strath could be confused as a boutique hotel, as it has that vibe to it, but its a Doubletree/​Hilton property so, for all you business travelers out there — that means free cookies on check it. Woop woop.
The staff is über attentive and polite — if ever in ROC City, I reccomend this locale.

The Strathallan is a great place for events, they have a great bar, they are opening up a rooftop conference/​event area (and bar) which is going to be awesome when it opens up. The hotel has been completely renovated and I went on a tour when they first opened and it is top of the line all the way around. If anyone from out of town is looking for a really nice place to stay I always point them in this direction. It is also very central to a lot of the places you might want to venture out to (East End, East/​Alex, Park, even Monroe). I have met some interesting out of town characters there at Char (the hotel bar/​restaurant). Char also has great food. Just and all around excellent place.

I really enjoyed my stay here! My husband and I were in town for a night to see some friends and I just randomly chose this place. Glad I did! The room was just beautiful and SO roomy! Great size. And they give you warm cookies when you check in!
You can tell this is an older hotel that has recently been renovated but they really did a great job with it.
The bed was comfy and the sheets were very clean and soft.
They also have a breakfast buffet (not free) that was pretty good for a hotel breakfast.
The ONLY reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is because here was construction going on on the floor above us. It woke us up at 7:30. We were on vacation and would have liked to sleep in a little more. I know the construction is temporary but they didn’t warn us at all or ask if we would mind being below the construction. And when we left they didn’t ask how our stay was so I didn’t mention it. Probably should have.
Anyway regardless of that it was a great stay and the staff really was nice otherwise. You really have to stay here if you are in Rochester for a night or two!

There are many reasons I love the Strathallan! Here are the main ones:
1. the room size is huge!
2. the hairdryers are legit
3. the staff are so friendly. The valet remembered me from months ago, the front desk people were extremely generous, the bar staff are my new friends
4. the gym is big and clean (although the TVs dont work on the machines, my one complaint)
5. everything is new and modern
6. the showers/​bathrooms are beautiful
Im a huge fan!

This hotel was clean. It had a nice lobby with a bar and restaurant on site. The rooftop was a big seller for me when I was choosing a hotel… disappointing to find it was under construction.
Big bathroom, comfortable beds, and located in a quiet area of the city.
The big problem we encountered was parking. We returned to the hotel around 10:30 Saturday night to find there was absolutely no parking available (people from the restaurant had also parked in the lot). After circling and waiting almost 20 minutes we gave up and decided to leave our keys with the valet. The line waiting to drop vehicles was ridiculous… it took another 15 minutes just to leave the truck with them. If you pay over $ 200 to stay at a hotel… You should be able to park with ease.
With that said… I’d like to stay here again when the rooftop is finished and not during a snowstorm. Spring would be more fun…

This is a fairly decent hotel to stay at if you’re looking for above average. The room was clean and fairly updated and new feeling. It had a nice entryway that was tiled rather than walking right in on carpet and bumping into the bed. There was a clean fresh smell all over. Nothing musty or dingy at all. Large windows and from our 7^th floor room, what we considered a «rooftop view» of the city. At night it is all lit up and looks very neat. But we unfortunately also were looking out onto a dingy, high-​rise apartment building. Took away from an otherwise OK view. The room was also equipped with a refrigerator and a microwave.
The bathroom was huge and nicely planned out, with the updated walk-​in, glass-​door, shower next to the sink and the toilet in it’s own little nook at the far end. It was even equipped with a nice pull-​out mirror on the wall. The water pressure was divine! (we are used to City of Buffalo water pressure.) The king bed was comfy and the pillows were great. Not too stiff and not too fluffy!
This is definitely a four star hotel –the rooms are comfortable, large and simple. Nothing elegant or over-​the-​top but you will enjoy your stay for ~$ 175/​night and probably get a great night’s sleep. We may have been lucky because our neighbors were pretty quiet but I could see the walls being a little bit too thin if you had crying babies or parties going on next door. We would occasionally hear noises.
Concierge was welcoming and check-​in/​out was painless. You even get warm, gooey cookies –the BEST cookies I’ve had in a long time. DELICIOUS.
Parking was also pretty easy (and free!), located on the side and back of the building with easy entrance behind the hotel. It was not plowed nearly enough but it seems nothing really is these days!
There was a neat looking firepit out front that seemed to always be lit, despite the snow and 17 degree weather! I can see it being a great attraction in the warmer months.
If you’re looking for a nearby location to grab food and drinks, you have your pick! This hotel is in a great location, central to many great places to shop and eat. The restaurant/​bar on the first floor of the hotel is even pretty fantastic. It has a very mixed crowd of young people and business people and from the time we left for dinner ~8pm until we returned ~11pm, it was BUSY! We decided it would be worth it to try a drink and sit at a booth. The kitchen was closed unfortunately –so no snacks or appetizers. But the drinks were still flowing! I had a Chardonnay –nothing special, in fact, it wasn’t very tasty. But the atmosphere was neat. Expect to spend $ 10+ per person on drinks. Very pricey.
We didn’t have time to check out the pool or gym or even to use the wifi (free) but saw other people heading downstairs with towels in hand. Also it appears that they are working on a rooftop bar/​restaurant, which will be super cool when that makes it’s debut. We took the elevator up to the top floor to check it out but it was hard to tell with all the construction that has been halted and snowed in.

Bless you, manager who was working on Friday morning. I am a dummy and you saved my hide. Accidentally, I booked a room for that day instead of 2 months down the road when I needed to stay there. Technically, I never canceled (and never read he confirmation email), so they could’ve kept my money and looked the other way. They didn’t. In a few minutes over the phone I had a room fro the correct day and didn’t have to pay another charge. Thank you, Strath.
Now to the hotel… it’s a really, really nice spot. The king suite is enormous and includes a balcony with sitting chairs. Perfect sized bathroom and all modern amenities. The lobby is trendy and has plenty of places to rest your hide. The only knock is that it seems to be a local hangout in the eve, but who cares. If I can’t hear your party from my room, I don’t care what you’re doing. In the Roc? Stay here.

Very clean. The room has a fridge, coffee maker for two, and microwave. It also has a large entry. Bathroom is clean but there is no tub. There was a fire pit outside on the patio. It looked pretty, but no one was outside as it was way too cold to sit there and chat. You would freeze to death. They offer complimentary valet. There was also a bar that makes great drinks.