What are the worst RC and FS properties?
Oct 2, 2005, 11:10 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2005
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FS San Francisco
I have also been surprised by some of the negative comments on this property.
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay.
My only disappointment has been with the OUTRAGEOUS telephone charges (at least for international calls). Much to my surprise, I complained on check-out and they reduced it by half. I was told they had the discretion to do so. I was grateful but the the original rip-off just seemed doubly bad.
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay.
My only disappointment has been with the OUTRAGEOUS telephone charges (at least for international calls). Much to my surprise, I complained on check-out and they reduced it by half. I was told they had the discretion to do so. I was grateful but the the original rip-off just seemed doubly bad.
Oct 3, 2005, 3:53 am
#48
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Originally Posted by Braniff
I have also been surprised by some of the negative comments on this property.
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay.
My only disappointment has been with the OUTRAGEOUS telephone charges (at least for international calls). Much to my surprise, I complained on check-out and they reduced it by half. I was told they had the discretion to do so. I was grateful but the the original rip-off just seemed doubly bad.
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay.
My only disappointment has been with the OUTRAGEOUS telephone charges (at least for international calls). Much to my surprise, I complained on check-out and they reduced it by half. I was told they had the discretion to do so. I was grateful but the the original rip-off just seemed doubly bad.
For me- the FS in SFO is a good hotel- the RC is also a good hotel so I generally decide based on rate between the two. Out of interest, for an upcoming trip in November I was going to stay at the new St.Regis- but the rate is actually higher than FS- and I have never been at a St.Regis that comes close to FS service.
Oct 3, 2005, 10:34 am
#49
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What about RC St. Louis? Anyone been there? I agree the Montreal RC is bad. I even spoke to the GM there and he was very kind, but said the owner, likes the hotel the way it is......
Oct 21, 2005, 10:42 am
#50
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Just checked into the RC Pentagon City last night, where I am writing this note from. Trust me, the problem here is NOT just the age of the hotel and the size of the rooms -- all of which remain concerns -- but the service as well.
When I checked in as a single, they told me that they "didn't allocate a room until check-in" and I had a choice of one of the tiny rooms made even tinier with two double beds or a king size room which was smoking (and I am not a smoker). Their choice was to give me the double room since that way they could, in the words of the desk manager, "honor at least one of my two prferences."
I refused to accept that and eventually they found me a weird parlor suite with a murphy bed -- one of those rooms normally used for entertaining or small trade shows -- but it is marginally better than what I could have gotten, I guess.
I know that many hotels don't allocate rooms in advance of check-in, but I expect better at a so-called luxury chain. The attitude of the front desk staff overall was disappointing. One of the clerks actually told me that the hotel was rated the best in the RC chain!
When I checked in as a single, they told me that they "didn't allocate a room until check-in" and I had a choice of one of the tiny rooms made even tinier with two double beds or a king size room which was smoking (and I am not a smoker). Their choice was to give me the double room since that way they could, in the words of the desk manager, "honor at least one of my two prferences."
I refused to accept that and eventually they found me a weird parlor suite with a murphy bed -- one of those rooms normally used for entertaining or small trade shows -- but it is marginally better than what I could have gotten, I guess.
I know that many hotels don't allocate rooms in advance of check-in, but I expect better at a so-called luxury chain. The attitude of the front desk staff overall was disappointing. One of the clerks actually told me that the hotel was rated the best in the RC chain!
Oct 21, 2005, 4:05 pm
#51
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Just checked into the RC Pentagon City last night, where I am writing this note from. Trust me, the problem here is NOT just the age of the hotel and the size of the rooms -- all of which remain concerns -- but the service as well.
When I checked in as a single, they told me that they "didn't allocate a room until check-in" and I had a choice of one of the tiny rooms made even tinier with two double beds or a king size room which was smoking (and I am not a smoker). Their choice was to give me the double room since that way they could, in the words of the desk manager, "honor at least one of my two prferences."
I refused to accept that and eventually they found me a weird parlor suite with a murphy bed -- one of those rooms normally used for entertaining or small trade shows -- but it is marginally better than what I could have gotten, I guess.
I know that many hotels don't allocate rooms in advance of check-in, but I expect better at a so-called luxury chain. The attitude of the front desk staff overall was disappointing. One of the clerks actually told me that the hotel was rated the best in the RC chain!
When I checked in as a single, they told me that they "didn't allocate a room until check-in" and I had a choice of one of the tiny rooms made even tinier with two double beds or a king size room which was smoking (and I am not a smoker). Their choice was to give me the double room since that way they could, in the words of the desk manager, "honor at least one of my two prferences."
I refused to accept that and eventually they found me a weird parlor suite with a murphy bed -- one of those rooms normally used for entertaining or small trade shows -- but it is marginally better than what I could have gotten, I guess.
I know that many hotels don't allocate rooms in advance of check-in, but I expect better at a so-called luxury chain. The attitude of the front desk staff overall was disappointing. One of the clerks actually told me that the hotel was rated the best in the RC chain!
RC Pentagon is my lowest ranked RC so I sympathize...but if they didn't guaranteee non-smoking king (which I assume they did not) and were full, then what were they supposed to do?
Oct 21, 2005, 4:54 pm
#52
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Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG
I have never been at a St.Regis that comes close to FS service.
I returned there recently - was given the same room: the same awkward stain in the carpet was still there - this is 3 years later... (and I remembered it since it was not an insignificant stain!)
St. Regis Peking has I believe the best staff of any Beijing hotel (with perhaps the exception of the original Shangri-La hotel), but their physical plant is to be ashamed off these days...
Oct 22, 2005, 7:01 am
#53
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Originally Posted by TRAVELSIG
Out of interest, for an upcoming trip in November I was going to stay at the new St.Regis- but the rate is actually higher than FS- and I have never been at a St.Regis that comes close to FS service.
Oct 22, 2005, 7:27 am
#54
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Originally Posted by DrivingRain
Have you been to the FS and SR Houston yet? The St. Regis not only has a nicer facility, but also better service.
In my comment I was specifically thinking about
NYC
LONDON
SHANGHAI
Now..with Shanghai some people are really fond of the St Regis- but for me the 4S service is a level above- perhaps that is personal opinion. Note my discussion was centred around service- although physical plant would also be worth considering it was not part of my original comment.
Oct 22, 2005, 7:53 pm
#55
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Originally Posted by DrivingRain
Richard,
RC Pentagon is my lowest ranked RC so I sympathize...but if they didn't guaranteee non-smoking king (which I assume they did not) and were full, then what were they supposed to do?
RC Pentagon is my lowest ranked RC so I sympathize...but if they didn't guaranteee non-smoking king (which I assume they did not) and were full, then what were they supposed to do?
I am used to arriving at a very good hotel and finding rooms are preassigned. At most RCs and FSs there is a card (and usually a small amenity) in the room with your name on it, that's how I know.
Oct 23, 2005, 6:13 am
#56
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
They apparently had them, they were handing them out to others (without guarantees there too). Or, maybe go over the room preferences EARLIER and work it all out instead of making it a function of checkin time? It is supposed to be a luxury hotel chain, after all.
I am used to arriving at a very good hotel and finding rooms are preassigned. At most RCs and FSs there is a card (and usually a small amenity) in the room with your name on it, that's how I know.
I am used to arriving at a very good hotel and finding rooms are preassigned. At most RCs and FSs there is a card (and usually a small amenity) in the room with your name on it, that's how I know.
So they have more requests for King, non-smoking than the actual number of King, non-smoking rooms (a function of overbooking of preferences, not of rooms...which is typical for luxury hotels).
Are you saying that hotels should pre-assign the rooms early in the day and give someone (possibly you) what you did not request even if someone else turns out to be a no-show? Or would it make more sense to give the customers what they requested first come-first serve as that would maximize the number of people who get what they request? Clearly the latter makes more sense when the hotel is near capacity or a category of rooms is near capacity....which is what looks like happened to you.
This is not a service problem. When you make the booking the bed and smoking preference are either guaranteed or not. If not guaranteed, I always call to see if I can get it guaranteed. Whether it's the Ritz NYCP (a great hotel) or the RC PC (not so great) or an dFS or MO or whatever...every time I get the same answer that if it is not guaranteed it is because of a capacity issue and that they would do the best they could depending on availability, but could not promise anything in the category I want to book in.
Oct 23, 2005, 11:08 pm
#57
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Maybe I stay at too many great Asian hotels, but yes, I expect a luxury hotel to -- if anything -- be MORE careful than usual to properly pre-assign rooms if they expect to be full. Again, the "luck of the draw when you show up, and the last person in gets the shaft" approach is not the management style I associate with a true luxury hotel. As always, YMMV and in this case, it clearly does!
Oct 24, 2005, 6:01 am
#58
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Maybe I stay at too many great Asian hotels, but yes, I expect a luxury hotel to -- if anything -- be MORE careful than usual to properly pre-assign rooms if they expect to be full. Again, the "luck of the draw when you show up, and the last person in gets the shaft" approach is not the management style I associate with a true luxury hotel. As always, YMMV and in this case, it clearly does!
I don't understand how Asian hotels are immune to this. Being "more careful" makes no difference. If when you book it is not guaranteed then you know you have a good chance of being in a 2 queen or smoking or both!
Hotels can't just magically add extra non-smoking king rooms when they want to (with the possible exception of pushing two beds together....a common practice in Europe but I'm certainly not a big fan of that practice, and there is no solution for non-smoking).
Oct 24, 2005, 9:56 am
#59
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Originally Posted by DrivingRain
Hotels can't just magically add extra non-smoking king rooms when they want to (with the possible exception of pushing two beds together....a common practice in Europe but I'm certainly not a big fan of that practice, and there is no solution for non-smoking).
If they hadn't said anything I wouldn't have noticed.
Oct 24, 2005, 5:32 pm
#60
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FS San Francisco
I agree. Just returned from a 5 night stay there. Everything (room/service) was very nice - even though the hotel was 100% booked (big convention in town).
I especially liked the friendly experienced service at the bar (they have the kind of old fashioned - although not old - bartenders who can chat and make 20 drinks at the same time)
. Robyn
Originally Posted by Braniff
I have also been surprised by some of the negative comments on this property.
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay...
I am there regularly for one-night stays and I have found the rooms and service to be excellent. I am normally upgraded - no doubt due to my one-night stay...
I especially liked the friendly experienced service at the bar (they have the kind of old fashioned - although not old - bartenders who can chat and make 20 drinks at the same time)
. Robyn