Not sure if this is a taboo topic or would be considered libelous, but I wanted to get the opinions of fellow FT members on what was their most disappointing luxury hotel experience. For me personally, they were:

1. The Majestic Barrière in Cannes - Having to pay US$800 a night for 5 nights wasn't the problem so much as getting a very plain and tired room with hardly any amenities was. Granted we were there during the Film Festival, and hence the inflated rates, but I would expect more "luxury" even if I was paying half our rate. And the service was practically non-existent. The attitude was that we were supposed to feel lucky for even getting a room there booking just 3 weeks in advance instead of the customary 9 months for the Festival. And when we asked for a hotel car to take us to a party, imagine our surprise during checkout that it cost US$600! Granted, we could have had it for the entire night, and had I known the cost, I would have had the driver take us to Monte Carlo and partied all night until the morning. Sadly, we went home quite early as it was our first night and suffering from jet-lag. The pool (which required a fee) and the beach were nothing to write home about, either, though this was expected.

The good things about the hotel (though hardly saving graces) were it's proximity to la Croisette and the Palais des Festivals, which was very convenient, as well as the view onto la Croisette during the Festival (what a madhouse!). Also the meals at La Villa des Lys in the hotel were bliss, though we didn't need to be hotel guests to eat there. Next time, we'll take our chances at Hotel Martinez or the Carlton, even though they're farther down from the Palais.

2. The Mark in New York - At the time we stayed there, it was the only Mandarin Oriental-managed hotel in New York, and we expected the same level of service and comfort of the other MO's that we have stayed at. Though the rates were actually lower than comparable hotels in the city at the time, we still felt very unsatisfied. First of all, we found the service very stiff and unaccommodating, especially from the front desk. We did not experience any warmness at all during check-in, and the process felt much more like a business transaction than the welcome I would expect from a Mandarin. Secondly, our suite was very, very tired. Perhaps this is part of the "charm" that their frequent guests enjoy, but it certainly didn't suit our tastes. It seems like nothing worked in the suite as well, from the fax machine and CD player to the kitchenette. Having stayed there for more than a week, it would have been nice to boil water for tea or perhaps heat up some leftovers from the previous night's expensive meal, but the stove and oven were inoperable. A call to the front desk told us they would check with "engineering" only to call us back a day later saying that the stove units are turned permanently off, even though in the cupboards were pots and pans! We were not thrilled with the bathrooms either (disproportionately small compared to the rest of the suite) and generally did not enjoy our stay, even after they upgraded us to a larger suite after we made our feelings know.

The one thing that made us not completely regret our stay at The Mark was the concierge, Giorgio. A very affable fellow who got us reservations at restaurants like Jean Georges, Cirque 2000 and Daniel with very little notice, not to mention floor seats to a Knicks game and countless Broadway shows - tix were not cheap but we were on holiday and at least got us out of the hotel!