Originally Posted by
SeeingtheWorldfromIndy
2017 StRs visited:
Feb: Mexico City. Very nice hotel, but use the safe in your room! We had a suite at this property and came back from going downstairs for 2 hours to find that someone had gone through my wife's bag and stolen money. The hotel eventually refunded the missing money and SPG gave us points, but it took up a 1/2 day of our vacation to file reports and deal with it.
March: Beijing. This hotel was just okay. I was there for work and upgraded to a suite. Their were Israeli dignitaries staying at the building which resulted in much higher security and limitations than normal. It is not near anything that is walkable so I would not base myself here if on vacation.
December: Langkawi and will stay in Kuala Lumpur later this month.
We actually had a fabulous stay at the StR Mexico City....so much so that we're booked to return in summer 2018. Las Alcobas is beautiful and even better located, but the StR bar is too good for me to pass up (and LA has no bar). I recommend giving them a second chance...and remembering to ALWAYS use the hotel safe! You should know better, my friend!
As an aside, we also stayed in the Ritz Carlton Budapest and it was phenomenal. The service. The bar staff. Just a wonderful experience. Finding great service in Budapest is not easy. We were actually booked into the SPG Design Hotel and it was so terrible that I booked the RC even though I had already paid for the Design Hotel room. Booked using AMEX FHR to get 3rd night free.
Even if off topic, I so appreciate this. Though I expect this is one city where it would be hard to not stay at the legendary FS Gresham Palace, it's nice to know the RC is so good here.
Currently in Sule Shangri-La Yangon in Myanmar. We are in a suite with a view of the Shwedagon pagoda. It is a perfectly lovely hotel, but the style isn't quite my taste. Lots of brown carpets and wall paper....feels a bit dated, but not in a historic kind of way. On the plus side, suites have access to a lounge that serves all 3 meals and has an open bar from 5:00-7:00. That has been a wonderful treat after touring around the city. If Belmond Governor's Residence is available next time, I would consider that. Though if the price is right, would definitely stay here again. Bagan Lodge in Bagan is also excellent. We loved our short stay there.
We had lunch at the Governor's Residence, and it's quite nice. But we stayed at the Strand Hotel in the fabulous Strand Suite--and nothing compares in town. I highly recommend that suite in the Strand. It was true Old World charm and elegance, a sublimely and traditionally decorated and wonderfully spacious suite that was only a little bit pricier than the more mundane and much smaller GR junior suite. The Strand had comparably excellent service and a much better and very central location in town, as well.
We had stayed at the Aureum Palace Bagan in the top accommodation, the Island Villa. Was very nice accommodation, but the F&B was subpar...and we had a service miscue at the end that laughably traumatized my husband. But we loved Bagan!
Has anyone stayed at StR Rome post the renovation? We stayed Nov 2016 and the lobby was beautiful, but our room was ancient in a non-charming way. Hope the renovation changes that as we may come back to Rome next summer.
Renovation is supposed to complete in early 2018...but I wouldn't risk it if you were disappointed on your last visit. We were just there in Oct 2017 and the room renovations were in full swing--giving us an older junior suite. It was dated, and the bath was much smaller than we'd expect, but we still really enjoyed the room....but absolutely LOVED the lobby renovation. Truly remarkable renovation, so it's worth it to await the completion of the room and suite renovations. We are going to StR Florence in Oct 2018 and considered including the StR Rome again just to see the newly renovated rooms and suites. But we're more likely to return in 2019 or later.
Happy holidays and enjoy your travels!