HotelChatter

So if you aren't sold on the location of the hotel, maybe your inner foodie will appreciate the next best thing about the place. The Short Hills Hilton has the only restaurant in the entire state of New Jersey that has the AAA 5-Diamond award which it has repeatedly won for the past several years. Simply called The Dining Room, the restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday at 6pm with an acoustical guitarist playing on Fridays and Saturdays. And sweatpants or jeans won't cut it here as the attire is listed as "Jacket Recommended."

As for the menu, choose from Chef Dennis Franke, and Chef Robert Trainor's (both worked previously at the Waldorf-Astoria)  gourmet cuisine like the Muscovy Duck Breast  and the Wagyu Short Ribs. The restaurant also has a expansive wine collection to complement whatever entree you order. And for all you fashionistas, the wait staff is decked out in Hugo Boss which coincidentally has a store in the mall. If you want a not-so-formal alternative, hit up the hotel's Terrace restaurant which serves casual gourmet food.

Lastly, the hotel has a large full-service spa and fitness area. The hotel recently pilfered Steven O'Neal from the Peninsula Hotel in New York to serve as the Hilton's new spa director, where they serve the exclusive skincare line, Valmont. But the best part is that the fitness center is completely free for guests. And it's not just a room with a few cardio machines either. It's a rather large space, almost as big as some health clubs with an aerobics studio that offers several classes like Pilates and Spinning each day. And if you don't like the gym scene you can take a splash in the hotel's indoor or outdoor pools.

As for the rooms, while some of them are in need of an update, the hotel has told us that several floors are undergoing renovations and they are adding new amenities like flat screen TVs, better workstations (other than just a simple desk) and more cozy furnishings.

So it may sound like we are gushing about this place but the hotel was actually voted the best Hilton in the United States last spring--no joke. The hotel won the accolade amongst Hilton's guest satisfaction surveys, namely for all the reasons above and for the hotel's great customer service.

We've actually spent some time touring the place and we were quite surprised at how large the place is and how un-Hilton it looked. Which are all good things. So feasibly, if you spend the early part of the day shopping, then spend the afternoon in the spa and gym, followed by a dinner in The Dining Room before heading back to your bed for the night, you could forget you were in Jersey for just a little while. Until someone asks for cawfee and directions to the mawl.

Related Stories:
· Hilton's Best Hotel is in New Jersey? [HotelChatter]