LA GRANDE TRIESTE
LOCATION
When Trieste was experiencing its gilded age, the insurance company RAS, known today as Allianz, was established in 1838. In the modern Borgo Teresiano district, an imposing palace was erected in 1911 and 1913 to serve as the headquarters of the thriving insurance company. Following extensive renovation, the building has been reinvigorated and welcomed as one of the most attractive historical hotels in this part of Europe. The hotel is located in the city centre, overlooking the unmissable Piazza Della Repubblica. Iconic as Trieste itself, the hotel has become one of the city’s symbols that is hard to miss upon visiting. More importantly, the city’s landmarks can be accessed quickly and easily.
ACCESSIBILITY
Trieste has superb accessibility both by road, sea and rail, thus serving as the main traffic crossroad in this part of Italy. One of the city’s advantages is its proximity to Slovenian and Croatian Istria, meaning Ljubljana is only an hour away. Bus connections with Italian cities and neighbouring countries are equally great. Italy’s railway connections are hailed superb; hence, we recommend taking an environment-friendly Italian train. Guests arriving at the hotel by car are encouraged to park in the brand new modern underground Park San Giusto parking garage. Airport accessibility is also in favour of Trieste. The local airport is a secondary choice considering Trieste is only an hour away from the regional airport intersection in Venice.
COLD STARTER - Architecture and aesthetics
Trieste is an Adriatic town, yet its architecture is reminiscent of Central European rather than the classic Mediterranean. In light of this, RAS Palace is a true monument of neoclassicist Trieste architecture, reminding of similar buildings scattered across Vienna. As the building represents Italian cultural heritage, most intriguing interior details have been left untouched. These include mosaics, an imposing staircase and Neptune’s fountain with three lions that dominates the hotel lobby. Architects excelled in their task of incorporating modern minimalist details into the mix. The architecture appears mighty, impressive and utterly convincing. Three historical Deluxe Rooms take guests on an extraordinary trip into history. To discover all of the hotel’s hidden gems, one would need to stay for several days.
WARM ENTRÉE - The staff and the culinary experience
The personnel is professional and kind. Considering the hotel was fully booked during our visit, the reception could have used an additional hand or two. Undoubtedly, special credit goes to the utmost friendly Katja, a master in solving even the most peculiar complications. Otherwise, the tidiness and cleanliness are praiseworthy; we do not doubt it is challenging to maintain such a complex building. The hotel breakfast was solid and did not disappoint, yet it does not belong to world-class experiences found elsewhere. During our stay, we did not dine in the restaurant, unfortunately.
MAIN COURSE – The meetings offering at the hotel
Hotel rooms
Upon stepping foot inside the room, one is immediately embraced by spaciousness and light coming from the high ceilings and windows. Classic parquet in the shape of a fishbone instantaneously impresses the guest. Pleasing colour tones in a classic Hilton combination of darker walnut furniture and pastel colours merge seamlessly with the glass wall featuring classicist details. Moreover, the alluring furniture and lights go hand in hand with the room’s style. The heart of the room – the bed – is exceptional, as is the bathroom, where you can enjoy Crabtree&Evelyn cosmetics. Altogether, the room appears compact, functional and timeless. The room style will not go out of style and will, due to premium material, stay appealing in the future.
Meetings centre
The main congress hall Adriatica is located on the ground floor, behind the reception. It can capacitate up to 80 attendees that will appreciate the plentiful daylight. A floor higher, meeting planners will find more dynamic rooms. Both the Salla dela Sedute and Sala del Direttore Generale are worlds of their own. We were most impressed by the smaller conference room named Sala Riserva that boasts plenty of daylight and memorable views of the adjacent street leading to the sea. Worth choosing as an event venue is the hotel bar, a cultural and historical monument.
DESSERT – The extras
A peculiarity of Doubletree by Hilton Trieste is the vintage library, where you can welcome your event participants in an unparalleled historical ambient.
FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Combining epidemiological restrictions and a well-booked hotel, one may have to wait sometime for breakfast. We also recommend booking a time slot for the hotel’s wellness in advance. These are, nonetheless, trivialities, and we struggled to find any drawbacks.
TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
Modern Trieste is worth uncovering and is bound to be a pleasant surprise. Acquainting oneself with the political and cultural history of Trieste entwined with the region is a charming experience filled with historical surprises.
FINAL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY
Doubletree by Hilton Trieste is undisputedly among the best in Trieste, and we have no doubt Hilton’s latest addition has startled the competition. The hotel is a purebred city hotel, offering conference rooms and focusing on business and city-break guests. Quality and appealing interior combined with splendid architecture, on top of a brilliant location, are the hotel’s key advantages. Select materials and a sense of quality throughout, found in higher-ranked hotels, is further impressive. The hotel’s flirting with five stars is reflected in the price that can be quite high during the season. Historical elegance linked by practicality and effectiveness of space demonstrates that the hotel’s owners and management board know their trade. Doubletree by Hilton Trieste will convince you at first and second sight.
FINAL GRADE: 4.77 SILVER City Meeting Hotel
GOLD final score from 4.81 to 5.00
SILVER final score from 4.61 to 4.80
BRONZE final score from 4.41 to 4.60