It's been an even busier year than I remembered!
I must say I didn't think that an Aman would be near the bottom of the list but I guess the brand's decline has been something of a cause celebre around these parts for a while...
Waldorf Astoria in my experience should not be considered a luxury brand.
Silvan Safari A+
Hardware, Service and Food all completely flawless. Swarovski binoculars on our private game drives. 20+ gins. Saw the big 5 within 3 drives.
Hotel de Berri A+
Beautiful room hardware and very stylish public spaces. Central location but all rooms are quiet since they back onto a small private park. (excellent) Room service breakfast as standard. Staff uncharacteristically charming and friendly for a Parisian hotel.
FS San Francisco A+
Fantastic proactive service. Beautiful public spaces. Recently renovated rooms. Great F&B.
RC Kyoto A+
Incredible service hardware and F&B. Japanese breakfast is utterly sensational. Second visit and will keep returning.
Matetsi Victoria Falls A+
Service better than any Aman. All staff were utterly on top of everything. Room hardware is exceptional as is F&B.
Oberoi Udaivilas A+
Like no other hotel in the world. Spectacular grounds, very polished staff. Room hardware excellent as was housekeeping.
Oberoi New Delhi A
Unexpectedly superb. Hotel is frequented by locals and the restaurants and bars have a real buzz to them. Rooms are brand new.
Pool not as spectacular as other Oberois but still great for a city hotel. Extremely good service throughout.
Conrad Tokyo A
My 11th stay here. Location ideal for HND, views of Tokyo Bay are beautiful, club lounge staff very proactive.
Oberoi Amarvilas A
Location and grounds are absolutely incredible. Rooms and public spaces are in need of a refresh though. Food not the best.
Alila Fort Bishnagarh A
Incredible location and service. Food is top notch. The pool is too small though and there are no changing rooms.
Al Maha A
F&B and service flawless throughout. Bed is enormous and very comfortable. Overall design of rooms and public spaces feels dated though. Quite boring after 3 nights.
Umaid Bhawan A
The most incredible arrival experience of any hotel ever. Room hardware is excellent and the building itself is probably the most extravagant of any hotel on earth. Service a little hit and miss. Caviar and truffle omelettes for breakfast. Peacocks roaming around the grounds. Outdoor pool service not good, towels not always cleared. Menus not offered etc.
StR Florence B+
Great service but standard rooms are small and don’t have a coffee machine. Also lots of rooms have shower/bath combo. Breakfast is ok but nothing special. Good if you have elite status but otherwise doesn’t feel like you get a lot for what you pay here.
Leela Udaipur B+
Upgraded to the presidential suite which was astonishing. Butler service was perfect. Public spaces and F&B feel more mid-range than luxury though.
Intercontinental Amsterdam B
Beautiful old style hotel with excellent breakfast. Rooms are small though and location is a little out of the way. Nothing exciting or memorable here.
WA Berlin B-
Absolute debacle at breakfast and housekeeping inconsistent. Room hardware needs a refresh. Saved from a C by management who were very engaging and concerned when issues were raised.
Amanbagh C
Constant sales pitch from staff pushing for ‘special’ dinners on almost every interaction. No coffee machine in room. Air con points straight at your face in bed. Gaps around doors let mosquitoes in, electrical socket came out of the wall when unplugging a device. Air con barely functional in the gym. Best F&B of any hotel we encountered in India and a beautiful pool are not enough to justify the price or service/hardware failings.
WA Versailles F
An abomination. Barely functioning aircon in public spaces. Rude/ incompetent staff. Annexe building with wedding guests passed out on sofas and children screaming at all hours of day. Soundproofing completely inadequate. Beds not properly made by housekeeping. Kept waiting for 30mins at checkout since the hotel managed to lose our bags between our room and the car…