SPG Best of Europe - What are your top European Starwood Properties?
#61
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Baltic Sea
Programs: SPG Platinum
Posts: 345
My faves
Madrid Westin palace. Awesome upgrades. Awesome Brunch. Awesome Location.
Pulitzer Amsterdam - same as above.
Athens - Bretagne.
Also W in Leicester square is great. Booked with 20k points x 2 nights. Upgraded to fantastic suite.
Pulitzer Amsterdam - same as above.
Athens - Bretagne.
Also W in Leicester square is great. Booked with 20k points x 2 nights. Upgraded to fantastic suite.
#62
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Alberta
Programs: AE(nothing), Fairmont FPC Platinum ,SPG Gold, Plat Amex, FS LUVR
Posts: 99
We enjoyed the St. Regis in Rome ( but somehow had a MIA butler to our suite) on points a couple of years ago. We are checking out the Gritti Palace this summer now that it has reopened after extensive renovations!
#63
Join Date: May 2007
Location: CA & TPE
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hertz Plat, Centurion, too many airlines
Posts: 618
Will be traveling to Greece in September... have already decided on 4 nights at Blue Palace, 4 nights at Mystique, and 4 nights at Grand Bretagne... would like to add one more stop and am deciding between The Romanos Costa Navarino and Santa Marina in Mykonos- where would you choose? This will all be on paid stays, so no need to factor in redemption differences if there are any. Is 4 nights in each locale a good amount of time? Many thanks.
#64
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
Will be traveling to Greece in September... have already decided on 4 nights at Blue Palace, 4 nights at Mystique, and 4 nights at Grand Bretagne... would like to add one more stop and am deciding between The Romanos Costa Navarino and Santa Marina in Mykonos- where would you choose? This will all be on paid stays, so no need to factor in redemption differences if there are any. Is 4 nights in each locale a good amount of time? Many thanks.
#65
Join Date: May 2007
Location: CA & TPE
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hertz Plat, Centurion, too many airlines
Posts: 618
A good recommendation Schley... although with SPG I usually use my points for cat 2 props and under and pay for cat 5 and up, with the exception of nights and flights, which I have not redeemed in a LONG time. All of my travel is on my own dime, and I find I tend to get better value at the low end properties. With Hyatt, I do just the opposite and save my points for cat 6 properties alone. If I did use points, would you suggest 3 5-night stays as opposed to 4 4-night stays and cross off either Mykonos or Costa Navarino altogether and enjoy Athens, Crete and Santorini each an extra day?
#66
Join Date: May 2007
Location: CA & TPE
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hertz Plat, Centurion, too many airlines
Posts: 618
Just a cursory look at rates and I can get a place like Blue Palace for around $1500 USD for the 5 nights... that seems like not the best use of 80,000 points, but I might be wrong.
#67
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, UK. AA EXP 5MM; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Ambassador Lifetime Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 254
Westin Excelsior, Florence
Hi All;
Love this hotel, 3 or 4 visits a year; book the cheapest room and always get one of the fabulous rooms with the giant terrace and the view over the Duomo.
Love this hotel, 3 or 4 visits a year; book the cheapest room and always get one of the fabulous rooms with the giant terrace and the view over the Duomo.
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Hah! If only that were true. You may love this hotel if you get one of those great upgrades, or think rather little of it if you only get a small one level upgrade, as was this Platinums experience.
#69
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,786
Best redemption options?
Any recent thoughts on good summer destinations in lower category ranges? An outdoor pool is important, but otherwise it could be a city destination or a resort.
#70
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: Everything is refundable
Posts: 3,727
The Jagdhof has nice suites in the upgrade pool as well.
#71
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal
Programs: Miles & More
Posts: 10
I stayed on many occasions at the Prince de Galles in Paris and both myself and my wife loved it so much we were excited that after extensive renovations the hotel re-opened at the end of last May, so I thought it will be a good idea to re-book 4 nights during early next September. The rates have practically doubled since my last stay, can someone tell me if it is worthwhile??
#72
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, AC Elite, Airmiles Gold, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
Posts: 785
Lower than Cat 5 props I don't think belong to this thread: SPG Best of Europe - What are your top European Starwood Properties. I'd love to be wrong.
#73
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA Plat 1MM, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold/SVN 3 Star Elite, ICG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 242
Will be traveling to Greece in September... have already decided on 4 nights at Blue Palace, 4 nights at Mystique, and 4 nights at Grand Bretagne... would like to add one more stop and am deciding between The Romanos Costa Navarino and Santa Marina in Mykonos- where would you choose? This will all be on paid stays, so no need to factor in redemption differences if there are any. Is 4 nights in each locale a good amount of time? Many thanks.
The Blue Palace is also gorgeous...Crete is very big, though, and you will need to figure out your transportation options if you want to explore at all.
Santorini is one of the two most beautiful places I have seen (Milford Sound in NZ the other), and 4 nights should be quite sufficient. Mystique is very pricey, though, and there are equally well-located, wonderful hotels in Oia that can be had for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price...PM me if you want a recommendation.
#74
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: europe
Programs: EX²-*wood platinum, EX-hyatt diamond, sixt platinum, hilton silver, leaders club, esselunga verde...
Posts: 2,048
Outdoor pool in italy for example:
Sheraton Roma category 3
Sheraton Firenze category 2, but outdoor pool may be closed...
The two starwoods at Fuschl: no outdoor pool, but at Schloß Fuschl you can swim in the lake.
#75
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: SPG LTP, hotels, OWE, STE+, *G, Octopus
Posts: 5,786
I suppose 1-4 are ideal categories. I've had Austria in mind and was also thinking about LM Lav Split.