littlevoices

Wanted to give a bit of an update on this property, having had two stays in December 2016 (for arriving and then departing Tibet for a total of 5 nights in Lhasa). I'm a SPG Platinum and was travelling outside of peak season, as such a lot of Tibet was quieter, including the hotel (this was a deliberate decision on my behalf). Both times I booked a rate that included a single buffet dinner and breakfast and stayed with my wife.

After my first stay I felt the hotel was a 3.5/5 - ok but nothing special. After 5 days travelling around Tibet in the "best" hotels in various towns off-season, which tended to mean choosing between hot water, running water or heating, I'd upgrade it to be the best in the region, but not to the usual Chinese standards/Asian standards I would expect. As my first stay at a St Regis it really didn't make me want to love the brand - the butler really felt like a marketing gimmick only.

Both times we were upgraded to the same one-bed suite with a garden view (of a nice mini-lake). The room itself was excellent with a superb bathroom (huge tub, separate shower and a toilet), nicely styled in wood and with a large living area. The TV had a good selection of channels and spun around so you could either watch in the lounge area or in bed.

Check-in and out wasn't super-quick, but I was given the upgrade, 500 points platinum bonus and also two gold drinks vouchers worth US$15 for the upstairs wine bar, plus breakfast vouchers. Herein lies the biggest problem with the property - the staff are friendly, but not very empowered and simple things were difficult to accomplish. Minor gripes included:
Both times using the drinks vouchers in the bar caused confusion. On the first stay we were told soft drinks only till we protested, then told we could get certain cocktails. On the second stay we were told to get the cheapest glass of wine ($6) rather than the $15 wine until it was escalated.
Both times using the evening buffet (free in my rate) ended up with a room charge on my bill that needed to be (seemingly manually/painfully) removed
Asking for our shoes to be shined needed a reminder both for the pick-up (after an hour of waiting) and then the delivery the next day
In all cases things were fixed, but just a bit more hassle than it should have been for what were simple BAU transactions. At least the breakfast buffet vouchers worked without problem.

Otherwise:

• Bar drinks were overpriced but had a great view of the Portala palace and the city in the far distance
• Location is ok to walk around, but nothing special. Higher floor rooms have a view across the (mostly souless) city to the palace, lower floor rooms get a view of the garden
• Buffet food (for breakfast and in the evening) was more focused on a Chinese market, but enough to keep a Westerner happy. There was an egg chef, bacon, Chinese sausage plus fruit and nibbles in the morning. In the evening the speciality seemed to be a hotpot, plus a roast meat. Like much Chinese food it was luke-warm and not refreshed regularly, though this may have been due to the off-season.
• Language issues mentioned from earlier reviews seem to have been solved in general - there was enough English to allow me to survive
• Internet speed was pretty slow (with or without a VPN), and interrupted frequently. You may blame the government but I had better reception in restaurants in Lhasa so something was the matter with the property

ozstamps

Helpful review <a href="https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/member.php?u=178623">littlevoices</a><br /><br />Am thinking of changing our 4 night booking from Four Points to here, despite the extra cost.<br /><br />I fully realise it is Tibet and not Hawaii or Cancun, but reviews of Four Points Lhasa are mostly pretty bad, and for some not insubstantial extra bucks, the St Regis might be well worth it?<br /><br />Hope internet issue has been addressed as I use it a lot in evenings.<br /><br />Gold Status apparently has zero benefits in either from what I can see.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g294223-d677143-Reviews-Four_Points_by_Sheraton_Lhasa-Lhasa_Tibet.html">https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g294223-d677143-Reviews-Four_Points_by_Sheraton_Lhasa-Lhasa_Tibet.html<br /><br />Any more recent stays and reports than Jan 2017?</a>

littlevoices

Hi ozstamps, seeing no other replies, if you have any other specific questions happy to answer them in a PM (or here), as I'm aware that Lhasa isn't the most frequently visited for Flyertalkers. After your mention I did take a quick glance at the four points reviews... I really think if you can afford it then the St Regis is going to be a more memorable hotel and stay. Four points is more functional, and if you are going to travel outside of Lhasa you will appreciate having a St Regis to come back to, the rest of the country is much more basic.

nldogbert

Hi all,

Just wondering, any recent experience at this property? I am thinking of visiting Tibet end of summer and was considering this property. From TripAdvisor, I see a mix bag of experiences.
Seems like the Shangri-La is the real true good 5* hotel.

Cheers!

bhrubin