FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Most aspirational hotel award redemptions in the world
Old Jan 3, 2016 | 7:10 pm
  #11  
bhrubin
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
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Originally Posted by SanDiego1K
Starwood (I expect bhrubin will have an extensive list)
  • St Regis Punta Mita (roughly an hour north of Puerta Vallarta)
  • W Vieques (island off of Puerto Rico)
  • Gritti Palace, Venice - wonderful property on the Grand Canal. Bliss is having breakfast on their deck watching the water traffic go by.
Another Starwood property where I'd happily return is the Elephant Hotel in Weimar, Germany. It's not so much that the hotel is extraordinary, though they do have a Michelin starred restaurant in house. Rather, it's that it has a great location in a fascinating small town
Haha, I do! But I'll reserve these to the properties which I consider to be comparable or close to the best luxury hotels in any specific market, both for Starwood and for Hyatt:

Starwood aspirational properties:

Gritti Palace, Venice--agreed! Booked for Oct 2016 instead of Aman Grand Canal. This is perhaps the 2nd nicest hotel in Venice, after all.

Al Maha, Dubai--haven't been but supposed to be incredible

St. Regis Punta Mita--agreed! Was just there Thanskgiving 2015 for 5 nights free...and upgraded as Plat to Deluxe Suite. Many, but not all, think the StR is better than the FS here.

St. Regis Mexico City--this is as good if not better than the FS Mexico City. Was there Feb 2015.

Las Alcobas, Mexico City--this is the best boutique option in the city, and in the spectacular Polanco district with great restaurants. I checked it out in Feb 2015 just before it joined Luxury Collection. It's amazing, and where I want to stay on my next visit.

Prince de Galles, Paris--this is among the nicest in town, unless you crave a Palace hotel, basically next door to the FSGV. Wonderful Art Deco hotel, with amazing service in a very pricey city. Many consider the PH Vendome to be more aspirational (and I do prefer the Vendome area), but service at the PdG is better than at the PH IMO.

St. Regis Istanbul--having stayed at and absolutely loved the nearby PH Istanbul Mackas Palace, I love this area...and have heard how amazing this property is. It isn't right on the Bosphorus like the FS or right in the midst of the Sultanahmet like the other FS, but a free stay here is definitely going to be worth it!

St. Regis San Francsisco--this is my favorite hotel in the city and my favorite St. Regis in the USA, regardless of points. I've been here many times (most recently Dec 2015) and have several stays already planned for both work and leisure in 2016.

St. Regis New York--this isn't my favorite in the city (I prefer the Chatwal) but it can be quite the aspirational stay for free, obviously. I'm booked here in June 2016 since it was 30K points/night vs 35K points/night at the Chatwal, shockingly. This clearly is among the nicest hotels in the city.

Chatwal, New York--this is my favorite aspirational hotel where I can get upgraded as SPG Plat in the city.

St. Regis Lhasa, Tibet--this is the best hotel in town by far...even though it's not always up to the same St. Regis standard. Was here in May 2012.

St. Regis Bora Bora--will be there Apr 2016 on paid (auction win) stay. This is a very pricey all-suite property so redemptions are limited and pricier...but free is free. But most consider this to be close to or as good as FS Bora Bora.

St. Regis Florence--never stayed there but visited, but this is among the best in town, up there with the amazing FS and more boutique Fiesole properties.

St. Regis Bali--never stayed, since it was my first Aman stays at Amankila and Amanusa...but even The Points Guy's recent review showcases how incredible this property is...certainly among the nicest Bali properties, even with there being so many great ones!

Tambo del Inka, Sacred Valley, Peru--we stayed at nearby Belmond Rio Sagrado but had dinner here...very nice property, some say the best in Sacred Valley

Palacio del Inka, Cusco--we stayed at nearby Inkaterra La Casona before this opened, but hear amazing things

Hotel Bristol & Hotel Imperial, Vienna--2 of the 4 best hotels in the city, along with PH Vienna

Schloss Fuschl--haven't stayed, but all SPG members rave

Alfonos XIII, Seville, Spain--stayed twice, nicest hotel in town

Trump Turnberry, Scotland--visited but never stayed, incredible property now being reburbished, intend to stay in future

St. Regis Rome--despite many poo-pahs from this forum, I suspect it's the nicest award hotel in the city...and is definitely among the best in the city

St. Regis Mauritius--obviously one of the best, if not the best, property on the island

Marques de Riscal, Elciego, Spain--dying to go here

Mystique, Santorini--dying to stay here, among the best properties on the island

The Phoenician, Scottsdale--not a place I aspire to visit, but this is among the SPG favorites

W Maldives--not for everyone, but this is a great aspirational award...though the St Regis Maldives opening next year will win for me


Hyatt aspirational properties:

Park Hyatt Istanbul-Mackas Palace--incredible service, very nice rooms/suites, stayed in Oct 2014 for award suite stay, upgraded to massive Terrace Suite, all for free. Down the street from the new St. Regis. I prefer this location to the FS Sultanahmet, and prefer this style over the FS Bosphorus, but it certainly held its own against both

Park Hyatt Vendome Paris--agreed! Not my favorite PH, but love the Vedome area, and this is absolutely one of the nicest hotels in Paris.

Park Hyatt New York--haven't been yet, but it's obviously one of the nicest in town, especially in such a pricey town

Park Hyatt Shanghai--agreed! It was amazing, even though we stayed at the Peninsula Shanghai, loved this property

Park Hyatt Sydney--agreed! Probably the nicest hotel in town, and certainly much better than the FS! I visited pre-refurb while staying at the Observatory (now Langham)

Park Hyatt Buenos Aires--agreed! My favorite in the city. We've stayed here and the Alvear Palace, but prefer the design here. Definitely better than the FS, and most consider this the nicest in the city

Park Hyatt Maldives--this has to be included when the other top hotels are so pricey in this place! The new St Regis opening next year will almost certainly trump this though.

Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow--visited during our stay at the RC Moscow (on award stay), almost stayed here instead since the ruble exchange rate was insane. Love the clean design here, so it's a matter of taste between the PH, RC, and maybe StR in Moscow, all of which are among the nicest (but the FS here is incredible)

Andaz Tokyo--never been, but boy do people rave about it

Andaz Maui--booked for suite for Thanksgiving 2016 (as paid room with DSU applied for a suite) since the FS is terribly overpriced and supposedly over-crowded during holiday periods, anyway. Supposed to be very nice, though perhaps not quite as luxe as others on this list...but certainly aspirational for Maui.


Riz Carlton/Marriott aspirational properties:

RC Shanghai, Pudong--agreed! We visited and think it's wonderful, especially the bar. We preferred the PH, but some will prefer this. Amazing hotel.

RC Hong Kong--incredible views, period. Tallest hotel in China, I think. We prefer the Upper House, but this is right up there with the best in town, period.

RC Moscow--amazing location and service, second only to the FS, we stayed here on award before the FS was completed in Oct 2014, when the ruble was insanely pricey

Haven't generally been as impressed with RC as often as StR, to be honest...but I hear the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay is amazing, too...as with the newer properties in Asia.

Can't say I'm overly impressed with Conrads or Waldorf Astorias, though the Waldorf Astoria Chicago (formerly Elysian) is one of the best there. Just didn't have great air con so I can't return. I also have heard nice things about the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai.

InterContinental properties rarely feel luxurious to me. The one exception is the IC Hong Kong.

Last edited by bhrubin; Jan 4, 2016 at 1:13 am
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