Back in the late 1990s during our courtship, my husband and I used to escape to Tarrytown when we needed a break from the city. We stayed at the Tarrytown Hilton, which has recently been remodeled with new ownership and goes by "Doubletree Tarrytown" and let me tell you, it is doubly improved! I liked the old Hilton, but the food at the restaurant was always bland and stale. The new lobby is very sleek-looking with high ceilings. For the holidays, a Christmas tree stood by a menorah. The atmosphere was very festive with lots of well-behaved children milling about. We booked a room here so that we would have a place to crash during the blizzard of 2009. The rooms were very comfortable. I love fluffy beds, flat-screen TVs, and we were given 4 warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in. The biggest improvement has been in the dining experience. Breakfast buffet was very generous--smoked salmon, hot dishes, yogurt, cereal, etc. The indoor swimming pool is heated and a good size. We had the pool to ourselves at one point. The jacuzzi is gone though, and the gym has been moved to a separate room which makes sense. The only thing I miss are the puffy cushioned lounge chairs that used to be by the pool. The new lounge chairs look expensive, but they are rather spartan and not comfy. I highly recommend this hotel to anybody who wants to be close to the city, but doesn't want to pay the big bucks. For a Saturday night, we paid $135 (tax included) for a double room. For more information, go to www.tarrytown.doubletree.com or call (914) 631-5700.
