Luxury Hotels - Need Feedback on upcoming Lux Itin

Hi folks,
I need some feedback on an upcoming itin that l have given my parents as a present for their retirement.
They are on a SQ RTW F ticket departing in Nov.

I was hoping for some comments on the actual suites l have booked, and any other hotel info you could give, re service ect, especially concierge and extra help and looking after type of stuff.
Mum and Dad are 70/69 and have never traveled before out of Australia and are both down to earth working class people.
This is their fantasy trip of a lifetime so l need to make sure it's special.

I have done lots of search's and have some idea but only the basics such as locations and the factual stuff.

Nov 26th-28th Ritz-Carlton Millenia (marina 1 bed club suite)2nights

28th-1st dec Paris Hotel De Crillon (junior suite)2nights
Virtuoso amenties
Upgrade on arrival to one bed superior suite subject to
availability
Breafast (american) in rest
One way limo transfer from CDG to hotel
Vip treatment
late check out 4pm

Dec 1st FRA Stienberger Hotel(junior suite)1night
Virtuoso amenities
Upgrade on ariv subject to aval.
Trans fr Railway to hotel and hotel to FRA
Breakfast
Club access.

Dec 2nd New York Mandarin Oriental
(one bed central park view suite)2nights
Virtuose amenities
Upgrade on ariv subject to avail
breakfast
late checkout
one way transfer from JFK to hotel
$100.00 voucher for use in bar

Dec 4th Costa Rica San Jose Marriot1 bed suite) 1night
Trans from SJO to hotel
trans from hotel to ship (Caldera)

Dec 5th- Jan 2nd Seabourn Legend Cruise 29 nights
Caldera-Panama-Carribean-Fll

Jan 2nd SFO Ritz-Carlton(1 bed suite)3nights
Vituoso ameniteis
return airport transfers
Breakfast
late checkout

Jan 5th Sin Ritz-Carlton Millenia(dulxe club room)1night
Return transfers
Drawn bath
$50.00 boutique voucher.

Jan 8th Syd

Is it likely that the virtuoso amenity Upgrades will come through or do they just tell you that, and it never happens.

Thanks,
Colin......................

Looks like a very nice trip - there are of course other very nice hotels in many of these cities, but all your choices are excellent and getting a suite at the MONY is smart as the reg rooms are a bit tight.

Your parents should have a wonderful trip thanks to a very good son! :)^

Your itinerary and choice of hotels look great. Two suggestions:

1) Since they will pass by Singapore more than once, I would suggest they try the Raffles as well. Both the Ritz and the Raffles are very nice and I would take the Ritz over Raffles for business travel. Raffles, as a tourist hotel, is an experience in itself and would recommend it for one of the two stays. The business hotel i like best is the Valley Wing of the Shang but Raffles would be better for tourists.

2) For SF, have you thought about the Mandarin Oriental? Get a suite and the view over the bay is magnificient.

They are on a SQ RTW F ticket departing in Nov.
^

Nov 26th-28th Ritz-Carlton Millenia (marina 1 bed club suite)2nights might also consider Shangri La Valley Wing

28th-1st dec Paris Hotel De Crillon (junior suite)2nights
Virtuoso amenties
Upgrade on arrival to one bed superior suite subject to
availability
Breafast (american) in rest
One way limo transfer from CDG to hotel
Vip treatment
late check out 4pm

might also consider ritz and meurice since they do confirmed upgrades.

Dec 1st FRA Stienberger Hotel definitely consider Villa Kennedy

Dec 2nd New York Mandarin Oriental
(one bed central park view suite)2nights
Virtuose amenities
Upgrade on ariv subject to avail
breakfast
late checkout
one way transfer from JFK to hotel
$100.00 voucher for use in bar

if they stay at MO NY, definitely recommend the spa. but @ $2900/nt, you might also consider trump @ $1500/$1900 for 1BR and $3000 for 2BR. rooms are lower, but closer to the park.

also FS has amazing city view studio suites with floor to ceiling windows on a very high floor for $3K ($2K if davido can get you the weekend confirmed double upgrade)

RCCP is ~$2500 for club Park/DLX Park suite.

Dec 4th Costa Rica San Jose Marriot1 bed suite) 1night
Trans from SJO to hotel
trans from hotel to ship (Caldera)
doh, guess thats the best in SJO?

Dec 5th- Jan 2nd Seabourn Legend Cruise 29 nights
Caldera-Panama-Carribean-Fll ^ did a crossing on seabourn last year and it was fantastic. make sure to book through Virtuoso as well for benefits.

Jan 2nd SFO Ritz-Carlton(1 bed suite)3nights
Vituoso ameniteis
return airport transfers
Breakfast
late checkout make sure to get club level! IIRC its considered one of the best in the US after RCCP.

Jan 5th Sin Ritz-Carlton Millenia(dulxe club room)1night
Return transfers
Drawn bath
$50.00 boutique voucher. might also consider Shangri La Valley Wing

Jan 8th Syd Park Hyatt? if you want club, not sure if IC or SL is better.


this is one HECK of a trip. :) your parents are lucky to have you ;)

Great itinerary. A couple of thoughts:
1) why FRA????
2) have you checked with your parents that they are happy to be on a cruise for a month? My parents would go crazy
3) I would second staying at the Raffles at least one night. I'd probably do Raffles the first night and the RC (the one bedroom suite) on the way back.

They'll have a great time!!

Great itinerary. A couple of thoughts:
1) why FRA????


He has his parents booked in SQ F to JFK early the next morning.

jaffa.oz, as suggested by Kagehitokiri change the FRA hotel to 'Villa Kennedy', no question.

What a lovely trip.

I hope that you give your folks some notes with information that will help them know what to expect on the trip. My folks are much as you describe yours to be, We took my folks on their first trip abroad in F. My mother tried to refuse her shrimp appetizer (on TWA F), as she had ordered a beef main and she thought this was her main dish. Also, my father had no idea who to tip when. That will be quite important for your folks, as expectations will be quite different in the US than in Asia. You'll want them to know to use first class checkin, and advise them about airport lounges. Also, coach them on security regulations including the need to remove shoes in the US.

Thanks everyone for all your reply's

I appreciate it so much....

The above itin is actually already booked and payed for.

So as to make things seamless and easy for mum and dad, all they have to do is pay for any extra's they use above and beyond what is already provided by the hotels or the Virtuoso packages.

But l have not been able to find out much more about the actual suite cat l have booked for them other than the hotel web sites, hence this thread...

I have also never used Virtuoso before either, and was keen to find out wether they usually come through with there upgrades ect...

Do the hotels treat you well because you are a Virtuoso client or is it all a bit of a gimmick..

I have saved for nearly 3 years to make this trip happen for mum and dad and l just want it to be so special for them.....

Its mum's turn to be a princess at least once in her life

In FRA they arrive by TGV & ICE trains via Geneva and Zurich at 8.00pm so they are only overnighting before a 8.20am flight to JFK hence the hotel choice. Mum and Dad are both ex Aussie rail employees of 35 years and have always wanted to do the fast train hence this itin for the day. The Crillon is going to pack them a picknick lunch for the 11 hour trip whichis nice...

My bigest concerns were in Paris where the JS at the Crillon is costing 910 eur per night so l was hoping the upgrade would come through there so they would have a view out of the front of the hotel.

The other one was the MO NYC It was $2105 US per night so l was hoping they would get the upgrade to the other corner of the hotel with the full Park View...

Thanks everyone,

Colin..................................

No offence, but I think you could have made it clearer in the first post that you had already fixed and paid for this trip/these hotels so people would not have come up with alternatives for you.

Your main question seems to be: do you get treated well (i.e. do you get upgrades) when booking through Virtuoso. My experience is that, yes, you get treated well in terms of amenities, but upgrades simply depend on availability although you'll be reasonably high in the pecking order, you won't be at the top. Probably more important is to use a good TA who will do his/her best to contact the hotels personally prior to your arrival. Those with strings to pull are of course the best ones...

I'm sorry Fliar,:confused:

"I need some feedback on an upcoming itin that l have given my parents as a present for their retirement.
They are on a SQ RTW F ticket departing in Nov.
I was hoping for some comments on the actual suites l have booked,"

I thought l was pretty clear here, I was not chasing or asking for alternatives, but more specific info on the suite "grades" l had booked my apoll's if you had missread.:(

Thanks for your reply! that is exactly the info l was chasing Re the Virtuoso amenties. So many of these specialist TA's promise a lot in PR but never live up to the hype.
I appreciate you putting me on the right track..^

Jaffa, definitely ask your TA to email the Virtuoso contact at each property and describe to him/her what a special trip this is for your parents... have the agent make her appeal as personal as possible.

If you TA is with a Ritz-Carlton STARS agency, have him/her contact the "Guardian Angel" at each of the RC properties that you have booked. This will help score upgrades at Ritz Carlton.

With regard to the Crillon in Paris, get them a free membership in the Leading Hotels of the World Leader's Club (https://www.lhw.com/LeadersClub/membershipConfirmationBase.aspx). It's a free membership, but this will also help them score an upgrade at this hotel. You can get their membership number online; then add it to their reservation.

I have always been treated well as a Virtuoso client at participating properties. However, I have always had excellent Virtuoso travel agent support as well.

At the RC Millennia, are your parents in the 1 BR Millenia Suite or the 1 BR Premier Club suite? The Premier suites occupy the corners of the building and offer fantastic views of Marina bay. The Millenia suites automatically come with Club access.

The Millennia suites do have a certain wow factor and the views of Marina Bay are the best in Singapore. They are located in the middle section of the building on the higher floors.

At the Crillon, the Junior suites are very comfortable and have some of the most gorgeous bathrooms I have ever seen in a hotel. Service levels are very good at the Crillon. Breakfast in Les Ambassadeurs is a real treat.

I am sure your parents will truly enjoy their trip!!

I was hoping for some comments on the actual suites l have booked you didnt say that earlier :D

but not a big deal at all, not like i had to do any research to respond to your post :p

great rate at MO NY ^

only suggestion i would still make is to call RC SFO and switch to a club room/suite if it is not right now. club room would be better than non-club suite. or are they sold out? that is unfortunate :(

and the only other major thought i had was making sure airport transfers are prebooked every step of the way, so there are no worries there.

Kagehitokiri,
Thankyou for your reply, Yes you are right, l cannot get access to the club level SFO VIRTUOSO say they are booked out.
Mind you l made this booking in Feb and they were saying that then too.
Also some of the Transfers have been arranged and some are still to do, l should have then finished over the next 2 weeks.
Thanks again....^

"I was hoping for some comments on the actual suites l have booked"
"you didnt say that earlier"


The quote is in my original post and has been there since the thread was first started.
How come people here are giving me a hard time because they cannot read properly.:D

DavidO

I have just received a PM from you,:) sorry l have not noticed it before this, l will respond soon.
thanks for that!!
I have gone back to my Virtuoso TA and am waiting to hear back.
Will let you know!!^^^

luxury
Your just great;) Thats exactly the feedback l was seeking it has helped me heaps.. Im greatfull.
It is the premier club marina view in SIN.
I was told the JS/Crillon were nice but that they don't have agreat view, hence my hoping for the upgrade. I have been told that the next grade up in suites have the front view over the plaza.


Cheers everyone,
Colin..............................

luxury
Your just great;) Thats exactly the feedback l was seeking it has helped me heaps.. Im greatfull.
It is the premier club marina view in SIN.
I was told the JS/Crillon were nice but that they don't have agreat view, hence my hoping for the upgrade. I have been told that the next grade up in suites have the front view over the plaza.


Cheers everyone,
Colin..............................

Our Jr. Suite at the Crillon had an exterior view over the Boissy D'Anglas and the American Embassy. Most suites have Boissy views, or interior courtyard views.

Unless things have changed, the only suites that have a view over the Place de la Concorde are the Presidential, Louis XV and Bernstein suites.