sombrachinesca
Sep 27, 09, 1:24 pm
I stayed at this hotel last weekend (Fri-Sun) as PLT AMB. This was my third or fourth stay at the hotel over the past several years. I'm sorry to say that each time has seen service levels lower than the prior visit.
I pre-booked a deluxe room at 144 Euro/night via the website (advance purchase rate). For whatever reason, they didn't or couldn't charge the credit card. I was not contacted about this, despite their having both my phone number and email address. When I arrived, I was told that they could no longer honor that rate, since I hadn't fulfilled the terms of the advanced purchase policy. So my new rate was 198 Euro/night. Fresh from a transatlantic flight, I didn't feel like arguing.
I was "upgraded" to a club room on the 7th floor... with a view of the inner courtyard of the neighboring building. However, being upgraded to a club room does not (at least in my case) allow access to the club lounge. So the upgrade was meaningless as most of their non-corner rooms and non-suites are pretty much the same size.
I received no AMB amenities on day 1 of my stay. After being denied breakfast in the lounge on the morning of day 2, I went to the front desk to enquire about my AMB benefits and was told they'd be sent "right up". The current amenity -- which finally arrived late that afternoon -- consists of a bottle of water, three pieces of fruit, and a box of chocolates. Several years ago, when I first stayed there, it was a bottle of water, a bottle of wine, a basket of fruit, and some assorted chocolates or candies... all of which were replenished each day. Later, the wine was replaced with a container of very nice olive oil.
On the plus side, free Internet was made available to me (apparently a current promotion they are running... I had to ask) and the rooms are clean and comfortable. The halls are generally clean and quiet. The hotel is very convenient to "Gregorio Maranon" subway station (approx 2 blocks away).
I've never eaten at the restaurant during any of my stays there.
As you can tell, I'm a bit disappointed with this hotel and, unfortunately, don't think I'll be back. Once upon a time, AMB were met with a hand-written note from the manager in their rooms... now it is just a photocopied card. That is obviously meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but if someone is debating whether or not to purchase AMB, then it's probably a fair indication of the direction the property is moving.
For me, the saddest part of leaving this hotel is that it is located in a REALLY wonderful neighborhood... within 5-10 minutes walk are a wide variety of stores, nice restaurants, fresh-food markets, one of Madrid's great but little-known museums "Museo Sorolla", and simply block after block of peaceful residential streets to walk along and enjoy. Chamberi (the name of the neighborhood) is also blissfully free of the crush of tourists than can overwhelm the more central parts of Madrid... which is where the other top hotels are generally located. Because of the convenient Metro stop, however, you could easily get from the hotel to the "center of the action" within just a few minutes.
Feel free to ask for more information.
-- Bill
I pre-booked a deluxe room at 144 Euro/night via the website (advance purchase rate). For whatever reason, they didn't or couldn't charge the credit card. I was not contacted about this, despite their having both my phone number and email address. When I arrived, I was told that they could no longer honor that rate, since I hadn't fulfilled the terms of the advanced purchase policy. So my new rate was 198 Euro/night. Fresh from a transatlantic flight, I didn't feel like arguing.
I was "upgraded" to a club room on the 7th floor... with a view of the inner courtyard of the neighboring building. However, being upgraded to a club room does not (at least in my case) allow access to the club lounge. So the upgrade was meaningless as most of their non-corner rooms and non-suites are pretty much the same size.
I received no AMB amenities on day 1 of my stay. After being denied breakfast in the lounge on the morning of day 2, I went to the front desk to enquire about my AMB benefits and was told they'd be sent "right up". The current amenity -- which finally arrived late that afternoon -- consists of a bottle of water, three pieces of fruit, and a box of chocolates. Several years ago, when I first stayed there, it was a bottle of water, a bottle of wine, a basket of fruit, and some assorted chocolates or candies... all of which were replenished each day. Later, the wine was replaced with a container of very nice olive oil.
On the plus side, free Internet was made available to me (apparently a current promotion they are running... I had to ask) and the rooms are clean and comfortable. The halls are generally clean and quiet. The hotel is very convenient to "Gregorio Maranon" subway station (approx 2 blocks away).
I've never eaten at the restaurant during any of my stays there.
As you can tell, I'm a bit disappointed with this hotel and, unfortunately, don't think I'll be back. Once upon a time, AMB were met with a hand-written note from the manager in their rooms... now it is just a photocopied card. That is obviously meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but if someone is debating whether or not to purchase AMB, then it's probably a fair indication of the direction the property is moving.
For me, the saddest part of leaving this hotel is that it is located in a REALLY wonderful neighborhood... within 5-10 minutes walk are a wide variety of stores, nice restaurants, fresh-food markets, one of Madrid's great but little-known museums "Museo Sorolla", and simply block after block of peaceful residential streets to walk along and enjoy. Chamberi (the name of the neighborhood) is also blissfully free of the crush of tourists than can overwhelm the more central parts of Madrid... which is where the other top hotels are generally located. Because of the convenient Metro stop, however, you could easily get from the hotel to the "center of the action" within just a few minutes.
Feel free to ask for more information.
-- Bill