The Hilton Doubletree Cookie: The Ultimate Sweet Guide [2022]

There are a few things better in life than releasing your inner fat kid and biting into a fresh chocolate chip cookie upon arrival at a hotel.

And for decades, the Hilton Doubletree has been allowing guests to do just that.

But when did this tradition of serving up chocolate chip cookies begin and how exactly can you partake in this tasty tradition?

In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about the famous Hilton Doubletree chocolate chip cookie.

What are the Hilton Doubletree cookies?

The type of cookie served up by the Hilton Doubletree is a freshly baked walnut and chocolate chip cookie and these are given away for free to each hotel guest. These are “real deal” warm cookies that are nice and thick with each having an average of 20 chocolate chips.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

When did the tradition begin?

The first ever DoubleTree hotel opened up in Scottsdale, Arizona, back in 1969, on the grounds of Scottsdale Fashion Square and the second property opened up in Tucson, Arizona, in 1974.

The latter — DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson Reid Park — is still operational today, making it the oldest operating DoubleTree in the world.

The DoubleTree brand did not join Hilton until late 1999 when Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Promus Hotel Corporation but they had already started serving up those cookies in the 1980s.

When the cookies first came out, they were designated for VIP guests but the cookies were not always consistent.

Then, in 1986, they developed their secret recipe and that allowed every hotel to serve up a universally consistent cookie to the common folk.

Since then, the cookie has gained a lot of notoriety with one of its most impressive accomplishments being that it was the first ever food baked in space. One can only imagine how heavenly that space station smelled….

Also impressive is the sheer number that go out every year. More than 30 million of these cookies are consumed every year!

And who oversees all of this cookie distribution?

Well, Doubletree has officially appointed a Chief Cookie Officer, which some have called the sweetest job in the world.

Hilton Doubletree cookies

How can you get a free DoubleTree cookie?

Whenever you check into a Hilton DoubleTree hotel, a front desk agent should hand you a cookie or ask you (non-sarcastically) if you want a cookie. (You should definitely say yes.)

The cookies are usually inside of some type of wrapper or bag so that you can take them to your hotel room and devour them in private.

Some properties have, on occasion, failed to have any of these cookies ready for guests. (Like many things this is usually blamed on the pandemic.)

Related Reviews:

Hilton Doubletree cookies

Tip: Sometimes on national chocolate chip cookie day the hotels give away free cookies to the public so you don’t even need a reservation to receive a free cookie on those days!

Can you order Hilton DoubleTree cookies online?

If you don’t have any plans of staying at a Hilton DoubleTree anytime soon you can still partake in the sweet goodness of these cookies by ordering them online.

You can purchase a tin of these cookies which will contain six individual cookies for approximately $15.

Standard shipping is about seven dollars (depending where you live) but you can get expedited shipping for up to $40. They also can even ship internationally.

Hilton Doubletree cookie tin

Is there a Hilton DoubleTree cookie recipe?

For decades the Hilton DoubleTree cookie recipe was a secret. But that all changed in 2020 when Hilton decided to release the recipe to the public.

Presumably, this was prompted by the pandemic which caused a lot of people to remain home and miss out on the cookies.

You can find the recipe to make these at home below.

Ingredients

  • ½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts 
  • 2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
  2. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
  3. With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
  4. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  5. Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
  6. Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
  7. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Cook’s Note

You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

I think it’s worth pointing out that I don’t believe every DoubleTree serves up the exact same type of cookie.

It’s not always easy to compare food items you eat so far apart but I could have sworn that on a few occasions I’ve received a cookie that differed in taste, size, and composition compared to other experiences. For example, sometimes the oats or walnuts are less prominent.

So just keep in mind that the recipe and/or baking method may not always be 100% consistent.

Recipe courtesy Hilton.

Hilton DoubleTree cookie FAQ

How many calories are in a Hilton DoubleTree cookie?

According to the creators of the cookies, there are 190 calories in each cookie.

What are the ingredients in the Hilton DoubleTree cookies?

According to the creators of the cookies, here are the ingredients:

Semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononotrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (pasteurized cream, salt), walnuts, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, rolled oats, contains less than 2% of each of the following: water, baking soda, salt, propylene glycol, cinnamon, natural and artificial flavors, lemon juice concentrate, sodium bisulfite preservative, caramel color, sodium benzoate preservative, lemon oil

Do the Hilton DoubleTree cookies contain nuts?

Yes, the chocolate chip cookies contain walnuts.

How many cookies can you get at the Hilton DoubleTree?

Typically, the standard policy is to offer one free cookie to each guest. However, some check-in agents may be more generous and allow you to receive more cookies if you request them.

Do you need elite status to receive a free chocolate chip cookie?

No, you do not have to have elite status with Hilton to receive a free cookie.

Does the Hilton DoubleTree still give away free cookies?

Yes, you’ll be happy to know that they still give these away for free (even during covid times).

Final word

There’s a reason why the Hilton DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie tradition has been around for decades. The cookies are delicious and there’s nothing better than getting greeted with one of these after a long day on the road.

Even if you’re not able to partake in one of these at a hotel, you can still order them online or if you have the baking skills, you can even make them in your kitchen.

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Review

If you’re looking for a decent airport hotel near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) you may want to consider the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix.

And even if you are not needing to be close to the airport, this property just might be a great base location for visiting Phoenix and the surrounding area.

In this review, I’ll take a close look at the hotel and tell you everything you need to know to prepare for your stay.

Location: PHX

The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix is located just outside of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

If you have your own vehicle it should only take you about five minutes to get to one of the parking garages at the airport. Like you would expect at a good airport hotel, there is also a 24-hour PHX airport shuttle.

The other great thing about this hotel is it is like a 10 minute straight shot on E Van Buren St into Downtown Phoenix. It’s also really close to Tempe and Arizona State University and not far from Mesa or Scottsdale. So this is definitely an airport hotel that you can use to easily explore the surrounding Phoenix metro area.

But I would be careful in the immediate surrounding area. Like some other airport hotels, there may be some sketchy parts in the immediate vicinity around the airport.

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix exterior

Check in

We arrived around sunset so we did not need to utilize early check in but the check in process went very smoothly.

hotel lobby

One thing I always look forward to at DoubleTrees is the famous chocolate chip cookie. It’s almost impossible to turn this thing down!

Related: The Hilton Doubletree Cookie: The Ultimate Sweet Guide

Doubletree chocolate chip cookie

We were assigned a room on the sixth floor which is the top level of this hotel. These are known as “Business Class suite rooms” and I believe we were upgraded to one because of our Hilton Diamond status.

There are a couple of different elevators you can use to get up and because it was a little bit dark we struggled to find one of them.

But once we made our way up on the sixth floor it was a really beautiful sight.

Watching the glow from the sunset out over the city and the mountains is one of my favorite things about the desert and we caught it just in time.

I have not seen many DoubleTree hotels with exterior hallway layouts but in this case it was nice because of the cool breeze hitting in the evening. On a hot summer day though I’m not sure I would be so happy with it.

Related: Do You Have to Check Out of Your Hotel?

View of the sunset from sixth floor
View of the sunset from sixth floor

From the top, we had a good look at the pool area, which for an airport hotel is actually a pretty big area complete with a hot tub. This airport hotel definitely has some resort vibes going on, which is why it is a good fit for people who don’t just need proximity to the airport.

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix pool

Here’s a look at the pool area in the daytime to give you a different view.

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Phoenix pool

The suite

The business class suite was pretty spacious and overall a pretty quality room. Remember, this is an all-suite hotel so everyone will be provided with a suite.

My only complaints were that there was a bad scent and some of the furniture was a little bit stained.

In terms of the scent there was a faint almost cigarette-type odor I picked up as soon as II entered.

And you’ll see what I’m talking about with the stains…. Those factors, combined with the dated appearance of the hotel, knocked it down a notch for me although it still was not that bad.

In one corner of the living area you have an L sofa with an oval coffee table.

And on the other side of the room you have a large flatscreen TV.

Near that you have a workstation with an ergonomic chair and phone.

Behind the workstation is the small kitchenette area with a small sink, microwave, coffee maker, and mini fridge. It’s kind of an odd layout to have a workstation so close to a kitchen area but I guess it works.

Related: Are Hotel Coffee Makers Safe & Clean? (YIKES!)

The bed was pretty comfy and I did not have any complaints.

On each side of the bed there will be a nightstand with two power outlets and two USB ports.

The outlets don’t really blend in with the furniture piece at all but I don’t mind that since it makes it even easier to locate the outlets. You also have standard nightstand features like an alarm clock, phone, and lamp.

Related: Should You Use USB Ports In Hotel Rooms? (Stay Away!?)

There is another pretty good size TV in the bedroom.

Here is the stained cushion I was referring to earlier. It’s not that bad considering this cushion is meant to be utilized for luggage bags but it’s still nothing you ever want to see.

And again, combined with the unpleasant scent, this just knocked my enjoyment of the stay down a peg or two.

The bathroom was quite nice and featured a large and decorative mirror. Counter space for the sink was a bit limited but still doable. Also, the quarters for the toilet were a bit cramped.

They provided EST bathroom amenities, which is a collection “created with luxurious resorts, boutiques, and high-end hotel establishments (hence, EST!) in mind.” I found them to be pretty high-quality and it was kind of a surprise that they would be used at a three-star airport hotel. But again, it makes sense given the resort style approach of this hotel.

The hotel features a very nice fitness center with a beautiful blow up of Monument Valley on the wall. You’ll find a good number of cardio stations including treadmill’s, recumbent bike, etc.

They also have a nice set up for free weights.

We decided to try out the bar and restaurant “Brix” since we had some time to kill in the evening and had worked up a bit of an appetite.

We each ordered sandwiches which were actually not bad. The service was really good as well making this a worthwhile meal.

Final word

I enjoyed our short stay at the Hilton Doubletree.

It had a much different vibe from other Doubletree hotels (which was both good and bad) but I really appreciated the views from the sixth floor, especially around sunset.

The location made arriving at the airport for an early flight the next day very easy and I would say that this could be a good property even for people who don’t need to close proximity to the airport.

The only thing is they need to work on the condition of the rooms in order to deliver an experience more in line with what you would expect at a Doubletree.