view-with-a-room

IC Moscow – Tverskaya June 2013

What is your Priority Club status?
Royal Ambassador.

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked, 4 point nights @ 30,000 point (old rate) & 1 Superior Room (corporate rate). Upgraded, 5 nights Executive Suite (8 Executive Suites total for hotel, 90 square meters, 1 bedroom suite). Upgrade an exception due to 100% occupancy, per check in staff.

How are the rooms?
The rooms are quite nice as the hotel is new and quite nice. The Executive Suite is a corner 1 bedroom suite with proportioned rooms. The bedroom includes a large bathroom with a large rain shower and a large walk in closet! The sitting room is large enough for two very large couches and one very large desk.

How is the lounge?
The lounge is 2500 RUB & 18% VAT supplement per night ~ $100 USD. The lounge is located on a lower floor with a view of the street. As the mini bar is free and consists of 1 Coke, 1 Diet Coke, 2 orange juice, 2 sparkling water, & two beer the lounge would be of value to those interested in alcohol or entertaining. Paid for lounge one night.

The buffet breakfast is also included in lounge access. In both the lounge breakfast and the buffet breakfast the food and drink would not leave one lacking but not on par with IC London Park Lane or IC Seoul. The staff are quite friendly but English language is somewhat limited. The premium items at the buffet such as the eggs benedict were not refilled throughout the morning.

What was your welcome gift?
No gift so to speak; but the upgrade to the Executive Suite was welcome gift enough.

Did you receive fruit in the room?
Yes 4 pieces of fruit.

What was good and what was bad?

Good
Exceptional check in staff. The upgrade! The location. The magic money machine in the lobby. The doorman recognized me immediately after the first visit. Security is more than sufficient with the intimidating gentlemen in the lobby and access limited to individual floors via key. The cleaning service & turn down service were very consistent and very friendly. Minibar refilled each day. The location is excellent! Mere minutes to the Metro. Mere minutes to the sites. Food store in the basement of the adjacent building so drinks and snacks a plenty. The rain shower and the sufficient water pressure and sufficient hot water!

Bad
Minibar is free, status or not. Internet is free, status or not. The lounge and lounge staff are not to the level of Park Lane or Seoul but could be. Free is not bad, so to speak; but the added value for the Royal Ambassador for the average stay would be questionable. Allergies associated with the Poplar trees.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
The value was extraordinary but is an exception to the rule and not the rule. The online rate for the Executive Suite is in excess of $1500 USD per night. The hotel is an extraordinary value for a points stay regardless. Yes I would return.