Crowne Plaza Belgrade

What is your Priority Club status?
Diamond

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Standard redemption > King One Bed Suite

How are the rooms?
The hotel is a long thin building with the suites at the ends of the corridors, necessitating a long walk from the lifts past all other rooms. The key card is like a bank card with a chip, and you insert it into a slot on the wall instead of on the door. The chip is required to activate electricity in the room. I received no further gifts in the room and oddly, the (paid) mini bar was locked.

The suite is large and airy, with openable windows. When I stayed in late April, there was a cold snap in the Balkans, and the heating was insufficient during the night/early morning. I expect the air con would be adequate for summer heat though.

The handheld shower head had very poor water pressure and the water temperature would not stay constant, but the rain shower worked perfectly. Toilet paper was very poor quality. Wifi was a bit patchy in the furthest corners. There are standard Europe C sockets and one UK socket by the desk.

How is the exec. lounge?
Did not have access

What was good and what was bad?
In keeping with the CP brand, the hotel’s location on the New Belgrade / Novi Beograd side of the Sava river may better suit business travellers, but even for tourists public transport to the old city is very convenient, except during the afternoon rush hour when it may even be faster to walk.

The ground floor lobby contained an unpleasant smell of cigarettes, which permeated to the lifts, but this is a feature of Serbia.

Breakfast had a good range of quality food including Balkan specialities, but zero service.


Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
I paid 31k points instead of €150, which is a reasonable price for western Europe, but I thought Serbia would be cheaper like other Balkan countries are. IHG paid the hotel €114 equivalent in RSD for my redemption. I would be happy to stay at this price if business takes me here again.

Photos in master thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/36314807-post2.html