Jasper2009

Is it just me or is the Platinum welcome amenity going downhill?

Fairmont properties outside North America still offer pretty nice welcome amenities most of the time (large bowl of fruit, bottle of wine, large plate of pastries etc.), but particularly in Canada/US the welcome amenity has left me pretty unimpressed.

A few examples of the last year include:

- one tiny jam tart, one strawberry and 2 raspberries
- two tiny chocolates and eight almonds
- one apple, one strawberry and one small choclate

Even the welcome amenity at many Intercontinental and Hyatt hotels is more impressive than that.

optimas

Curious what selection you have made for your welcome amenity? I used to have the surprise me locally authentic amenity (or whatever it is called) and over the last year found that was going downhill for sure. Recently I changed to the cheese option. I think I have had 3 or 4 stays since then. I would say with 2 they were reasonable (I think Newport Beach and Calgary). Last two in Ottawa and Montreal were excellent, gave us a very generous amount of some really nice cheeses.

Jasper2009

Yeah, I selected the "Surprise me" option as none of the other options seemed particularly appealing - unfortunately I´m not a big cheese fan.

A CSR agent also added a note with my preferences into my profile some years ago, but only a few hotels seem to have a look at the profile...

jarusoba

I selected the "Surprise me" option at the Fairmont Singapore a few days ago. They did "Disappoint me" instead. The suite was sub-standard. I requested to have it switched. They did. But we never got any Platinum Amenity.

Didn't complain because we really never care about the amenity. We very seldom use it.

CanadaDH

I've been disappointed lately as well.

I stayed a week on the gold floor at Tremblant in January. I think I received something like 3 small chocolate truffles.

Just recently completed 3 nights at Lake Louise and 5 at Banff Springs.

At Lake Louise, we had a great 1-bedroom corner lakeview suite with a stunning view. On a table in the living room was the less impressive welcome gift pictured below. I wouldn't even call it edible it was so hard and stale, and I'm not completely sure what it even was?



At Banff, we were welcomed by this. My wife liked it, but I wasn't overly impressed with this one either. Some salty bread sticks and dried meats.



I've got a stay booked at the Savoy next month, so hopefully that will be a bit better.

EG33

Curious know what you get at your upcoming Savoy stay. We received shortbreads, macaroons, and a jam of some type of preserves.

Heading back again this Fall, too. Hoping for some thing new this time.

5DMarkIIguy

Got a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries in May 2013 at the Savoy. About 8 or so strawberries.

AM6449

I stayed there in April and received a nice assortment of pastries and cakes in addition to a large bottle of spring water.

Spent_All_My_Miles

Fully agree about North America. It's actually insulting, in that they think it's a benefit -- at most places, I would be less annoyed if it simply didn't exist
- I've gotten popcorn in a quantity barely sufficient to fill a shot glass plus 2-3 very small pastries
- I've gotten (very small) containers of maple syrup at various Canadian properties, and they leak profusely -- the wooden thing it comes on is already soaked
- One property gave me cranberry bread. Nothing against cranberry bread, but that is not exactly a "fun" food

Best Platinum gift was actually my first stay after most recently becoming Platinum, which I had booked while still Premier. They didn't bring it, I mentioned it on several different days to different people I dealt with, and they ultiamtely gave me a large plate of chocolates, cheeses, and other things, as well as a bottle of wine.

AMRivlin

In North America, I generally get 4 Chocolate Dipped strawberries, but I have also be given nuts with apples, and a cheese plate on occasion.

Below is the best welcome amenity I have ever been given, ever.

-Bottle of Still Water
-Plum Copote with Short Bread
-Bottle of Champagne (Yes from France)
-Birthday Cake with matches and candle

http://i.imgur.com/UwOrPjB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JCpOMXM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Sp8uq49.jpg

Granted this was at the Savoy, while staying on my birthday.

Off Topic but:
While at Whistler last week, I ordered a salmon salad (In Room Dining) It came without salmon, when I called they delivered a plate of 10 cookies as an apology, along with a piece of salmon.

Ancien Maestro

We actually received double amenities booked into a suite at the Banff Springs. On top of the above pictured, we received the banff springs box of Almonds/chocolates/werthers x 2.

Best amenity from recent memory is the Fairmont Mayakoba. A culinary chocolate masterpiece. Plus the baloons for the kids were a nice touch 3 nights into the stay.

LarkSFO

Mayakoba has been the best for me too... See my trip report in that thread! (My only Fairmont outside the US, by the way.)

Stay this week in San Jose, received a small Evian and a plate of six bite sized desserts. Tart, choclate covered strawberry, cake lollipop, etc.

It looked very good, but I was full from dinner. I hope the cleaning crew ate it!

PS not sure what my selection is, I think local choice. I may switch to cheese.

kokinos

Overall it has been going downhill. Just using the Banff Springs as a case study the amenity in 2008 was the size of two decent appetizers at a restaurant almost. Back then it had 3 types of cheese and plenty of the bison? deli slices, 2 -3 packs of the long crackers and a separate fruit component.

Currently you get about a third of what it used to be. But it's still a much better amenity then I get at Louise, YVR, Edmonton (Except once) which is usually an apple, banana and orange or two $.70 packs of macademia nuts at the Kea Lani.

nomadic.relief

At least you seem to be getting your amenity - I'd say have about a 50% success rate.

LarkSFO

What did you receive at Zimbali?