While in Australia, I flew to Perth and stayed at the Hilton Parmelia for one night before returning the next day back to Sydney. I had been to Perth previously and this trip was primarily to review Virgin Australia’s service (post forthcoming), so the one-nighter was just fine with me. Not to mention hotel rates in Perth are astronomical compared to most of the rest of Australia. My rate: AU$360 for a Queen Deluxe Guestroom.

While some question their authenticity, I do check out the reviews on TripAdvisor to get an idea of what to expect when staying in a hotel for the first time. Reviews ranged from stellar to terrible (aren’t they all?), but I did note a consistent theme of “great staff,†“dated property needing renovations,†and many noting they received an upgrade.

With an arrival at the hotel at around midnight, the lobby was empty and front desk agent Alex greeted me immediately. I didn’t ask about an upgrade and decided just to see what type of room I got out of sheer exhaustion not having enough energy to muster up a friendly chat about my Diamond benefits. Alex did, however, hand me a personal note from the front desk manager detailing my benefits, as well as a drink voucher.

I was, in fact, upgraded and assigned to room 419, a King Deluxe Plus Suite of the 10-story hotel. The hotel does indeed show its age, but the carpeting seemed new in the hallway leading up to my room.

The room opens into a foyer with separate doors leading to the bedroom, bathroom and living/dining room. My two complimentary bottles of water were awaiting my arrival on the glass-top table.

The suite was huge and I was impressed by the size of the living/dining room. Its furniture, as you can see, is quite dated and shows some wear and tear. A minibar was located underneath the TV, as well as the coffee service tray and dishware.

The bathroom was the most modern part of the suite with marble floors and a granite countertop similar to what you find at many Hiltons. I always like a separate shower from the bathtub, as was present here. Peter Thomas Roth amenities were on the countertop, though in a larger size than any other Hilton I’ve stayed at (50ml bottles of shampoo and lotion instead of the normal 30ml size).

The bedroom was also impressive in size and included a walk-in closet that housed a safe and a pair of bathrobes and slippers.

The next morning, I woke to discover my room had a walk-around L-shaped balcony and I enjoyed some crisp, fresh air before heading down to breakfast. The hotel is right in the heart of the city, so the views looked directly across into office buildings.

Buffet breakfast is served in the Globe Restaurant on the lobby level and it was an impressive affair. Everything imaginable that would appeal to just about any culture was available and being “Western,†I went for a mostly American-style breakfast.

My visit was very short – 12 hours in fact – so I didn’t get to explore the property as much as I would have liked. Its location is pretty much ideal to everything Perth has to offer and I definitely would stay there again, though I do hope they consider updating the rooms.

Now as far as getting a suite upgrade… while the HHonors website was recently changed to mention Diamonds are eligible for suites, this is the first time I’ve been upgraded to one. It was, actually, the next category up from what I had booked and given there is no executive floor (or lounge) at this property, I suppose it’s the least they can do.