Hilton Doubletree, Philadelphia, USA

I love the Hilton Doubletree brand. It might have something to do with the free cookies given to all guests on arrival, but there's much more to it than that; I think the key is friendliness. Alright, all hotels are supposed to be friendly places – some aren't – but Hilton Doubletree really goes to town.

The view from room 1712, Hilton Doubletree, Philly

Based on Broad Street, the Philadelphia Doubletree offers a central location within easy reach of everything you're going to need: restaurants, museums, you name it. On the museum front, you must visit the Eastern State Penitentiary. There are buses and taxis passing by most of the time, there's the subway and Jefferson railway station is about a 10-minute walk away and linked to the international convention centre.

Check-in was straightforward – which is great if you've crossed the Atlantic from the UK – and my room (1712) was, predictably perhaps, on the 17th floor. I had a decent view of Broad Street and I was right next to the elevators, which is both good and bad news. Good because I didn't have to roam along lonely hotel corridors; bad because at night I could hear the machinery of the lift whirring as people travelled up and down the building. It wasn't a major problem.

I always find that American hotels go over the top with the air-con and sure enough, I found myself switching it off in order to get a decent night's sleep. There's nothing worse than a noisy air-con system.

Everything else seemed fine: there was a flatscreen television, decent desk space, two double beds, an easy chair, a wardrobe with a safe, an iron and ironing board and proper coat hangers. As for the bathroom, it was pretty standard: a bathtub, shower, sink and toilet, a decent collection of towels and three face flannels.

Inside room 1712, Hilton Doubletree, Philadelphia...

The best part of my stay was the serve-yourself breakfast on the Mezzanine level. Great service and excellent food. Every day I enjoyed cubed melon, porridge, scrambled egg with 'breakfast potatoes' plus one sausage and a pot of black tea – wonderful. There was plenty more to choose from including yoghurts, breads and pastries, oranges, pears, apples and bananas.

There is a bar downstairs offering snacks all day, including the traditional Philadelphia cheese steak, although there's probably better food on offer outside of the hotel. Bellini is excellent and so is Pietro's and they're both close-by.

If you're into fitness there's a gym and a swimming pool on the 5th floor, but I never had time and made do with walking around the city (in the wrong shoes).

Check out was as easy as check-in, it was all good. I will definitely return.