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Your favorite autograph collection hotels?

Your favorite autograph collection hotels?

Old Feb 21, 2018, 12:29 pm
  #1  
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Your favorite autograph collection hotels?

I only started traveling for work about 2 years ago, and I fully realize I'm spoiled and blessed to be able to see new places. I have stayed at nearly every brand within the portfolio in the process (from FI up to RC). I've started to gain a bit of attachment for the Autograph Collection, but I know that all of them have a distinctly different vibe.I'm thinking of doing a few personal trips with my wife (within the US) and would probably stay at hotels within this collection. Curious to know which ones you all think are some of the best/worst properties within the collection, and why?

I'm really fond of The Hotel Minneapolis. Great location, aesthetically pleasing, good staff. I think the Raphael in Kansas City may have been my least favorite thus far. Lobby area and restaurant were good/decent...but the rooms and the decor throughout the hotel were kind of "meh".
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:21 am
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Originally Posted by obunewbie17
I only started traveling for work about 2 years ago, and I fully realize I'm spoiled and blessed to be able to see new places. I have stayed at nearly every brand within the portfolio in the process (from FI up to RC). I've started to gain a bit of attachment for the Autograph Collection, but I know that all of them have a distinctly different vibe.I'm thinking of doing a few personal trips with my wife (within the US) and would probably stay at hotels within this collection. Curious to know which ones you all think are some of the best/worst properties within the collection, and why?

I'm really fond of The Hotel Minneapolis. Great location, aesthetically pleasing, good staff. I think the Raphael in Kansas City may have been my least favorite thus far. Lobby area and restaurant were good/decent...but the rooms and the decor throughout the hotel were kind of "meh".
both MRS CALMSP and I have stayed at the Hotel Minneapolis as well, and agree with great location and a good overall hotel. We both always try to stay in the Autographs every time we travel for business or pleasure.

a few we have stayed in that we really like:
  • Hotel Minneapolis
  • The Brown Palace (DEN)
  • Hotel Adagio (SFO)
  • The Blackstone (Chicago)
  • Hotel Chicago
A few that we are looking forward to:
  • The Saint (MSY)
  • Hotel Park City
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 8:04 am
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The Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa (one of the quad cities) is a really great hotel if you find yourself in that area. I also enjoyed my stays at the Hotel ICON in Houston.

Union Station in Nashville was something else though - highly recommended if you want to visit BNA. Cash prices were kind of crazy, I did stayed their on points. (vs. the blackhawk, which is a beautiful hotel but is only a Cat 5 and rates are generally under $200 a night, can get as low as $150 with specialty rates, maybe more).
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 8:22 am
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Watermark Baton Rouge is the first one that comes to mind because I stayed there recently. Was for work so cant speak to whether its worth a trip. Rates are very reasonable.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 9:45 am
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
The Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, Iowa (one of the quad cities) is a really great hotel if you find yourself in that area. I also enjoyed my stays at the Hotel ICON in Houston.

Union Station in Nashville was something else though - highly recommended if you want to visit BNA. Cash prices were kind of crazy, I did stayed their on points. (vs. the blackhawk, which is a beautiful hotel but is only a Cat 5 and rates are generally under $200 a night, can get as low as $150 with specialty rates, maybe more).
I'll definitely look into that...the wife and I want to take a trip to Nashville during football season (thanks again for nothing, Rams...)

Originally Posted by CALMSP
both MRS CALMSP and I have stayed at the Hotel Minneapolis as well, and agree with great location and a good overall hotel. We both always try to stay in the Autographs every time we travel for business or pleasure.

a few we have stayed in that we really like:
  • Hotel Minneapolis
  • The Brown Palace (DEN)
  • Hotel Adagio (SFO)
  • The Blackstone (Chicago)
  • Hotel Chicago
A few that we are looking forward to:
  • The Saint (MSY)
  • Hotel Park City
I actually have a stay at The Blackstone coming up in a couple of weeks...definitely looking forward to it!
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 10:15 am
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The Davenport Grand Spokane!
Excellent Staff, Excellent Beds, Large Rooms, Great Valet, I can't say enough good things about this hotel! A wonderful value in a pretty city that is being revitalized
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Old Feb 23, 2018, 1:52 pm
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My two favorites that I've stayed in are the Santo Mauro in Madrid and the Blackstone in Chicago. The Santo Mauro is just a gorgeous property. People there were impressed we were staying there on a work trip as it's a great choice but not a cookie-cutter pick. The Palacio del Retiro in Madrid has better views being on the Parque del Retiro, and I got an upgrade to an amazing suite for my one-night stay there, but I still like the Santo Mauro better.
The Blackstone is awesome and so is the Spanish restaurant there. I also was lucky enough to be upgraded to a great suite there, and they had really great Chicago-specific decor and books.
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Old Feb 23, 2018, 2:25 pm
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For the last three years it has been a goal of mine to stay at every Autograph Collection in the U.S. I'm getting there. They're opening so many internationally that I may never be able to catch up. Some favorites (remarkable overlap with those mentioned above):

*Brown Palace, Denver, Colo.
*The Grand Bohemian, Mountain Brook, Ala. (this is part of the Kessler Collection, and any property in this collection will be among most tastefulhotels you ever visit)
*Hotel Park City, Park City, Utah (fantastic upgrade opportunities)
*Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport, Iowa (there is a bowling alley in the basement)
*Union Station Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. (this and Brown Palace will be the most "grand" of the Autograph properties)
*The Envoy Hotel, Boston, Mass.
*The Laylow, Honolulu, Hawaii (charges a resort fee, because Hawaii)
*WATERMARK, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (among the best service I've ever experienced)
*Morrison House, Alexandria, Vir. (just opened in past few months, I believe)
*The Citizen Hotel, Sacramento, Ca.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 4:45 pm
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Originally Posted by VisaW
For the last three years it has been a goal of mine to stay at every Autograph Collection in the U.S. I'm getting there. They're opening so many internationally that I may never be able to catch up. Some favorites (remarkable overlap with those mentioned above):
*Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport, Iowa (there is a bowling alley in the basement)
.
Blackhawk is outstanding. The restaurant staff really care, they do not have a concierge (but you can raid the gym in the basement for water if need be, and golds/plats get an excellent sit down breakfast (at the Bix Bistro [hotel restaurant], gratuity included), rooms generally have a fully stocked minibar, draft picks at the bar, fair prices for mixed drinks (including free pours), bowling alley in the basement is fantastic, and there are some good restaurants nearby (Duck City Bistro across the street is definitely worth the visit; Chef Jeremy is a character and the food is outstanding; especially the bone in rib and the pomme frites fried in Duck fat) and the nearby barcade ($4-$5 craft drafts and almost all the games are on free play mode). Hope to find myself in that area again.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 5:09 pm
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Weve enjoyed the three weve stayed at:

The Blackstone
The Lexington
The Winter Haven
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 2:47 am
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Originally Posted by VisaW
For the last three years it has been a goal of mine to stay at every Autograph Collection in the U.S. I'm getting there. They're opening so many internationally that I may never be able to catch up. Some favorites (remarkable overlap with those mentioned above):

*Brown Palace, Denver, Colo.
*The Grand Bohemian, Mountain Brook, Ala. (this is part of the Kessler Collection, and any property in this collection will be among most tastefulhotels you ever visit)
*Hotel Park City, Park City, Utah (fantastic upgrade opportunities)
*Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport, Iowa (there is a bowling alley in the basement)
*Union Station Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. (this and Brown Palace will be the most "grand" of the Autograph properties)
*The Envoy Hotel, Boston, Mass.
*The Laylow, Honolulu, Hawaii (charges a resort fee, because Hawaii)
*WATERMARK, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (among the best service I've ever experienced)
*Morrison House, Alexandria, Vir. (just opened in past few months, I believe)
*The Citizen Hotel, Sacramento, Ca.
ha! MRS CALMSP and I are on the same mission. But, getting difficult from when we first started! Currently at only 11.........but multiple times at multiple locations. Really 12, but can't remember the other NYC Autograph that left the collection.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:19 am
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Originally Posted by spainlover
The Palacio del Retiro in Madrid has better views being on the Parque del Retiro, and I got an upgrade to an amazing suite for my one-night stay there, but I still like the Santo Mauro better.
The Blackstone is awesome and so is the Spanish restaurant there. I also was lucky enough to be upgraded to a great suite there, and they had really great Chicago-specific decor and books.
My wife and SIL stayed at the Palacio del Retiro for 5 days while I was attending a conference out near the Airport and absolutely loved this hotel. It was this or Santo Mauro but for getting around town the Retrio was better suited for their needs. Both hotels were under my name and was upgraded to the 1 bedroom suite. The staff could not have been more accommodating and proactive in helping the ladies out for tours, recs for places to eat. We're going back in June and I'm leaning towards the Santo Mauro this time just to see how it compares given it's in a more residential neighborhood.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 12:20 pm
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I like Palacio del Retiro but Palacio del Retiro and Santo Mauro are not Autograph Collection properties. They are AC Hotels.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 12:36 pm
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The Adolphus (Dallas) is probably my favorite in the US. Cotton House in Barcelona was extremely nice.

I was a bit disappointed by the Adagio (San Francisco). I gave it a second try and was still underwhelmed. It wasn't bad by any means but just OK.

Looking forward to the Blackstone in a few weeks. I've stayed there before, years ago before it was an Autograph Collection property.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 1:29 pm
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Marriott Website:
Hotel Santo Mauro, Autograph Collection
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