The "Please post your Le Club Elite experiences" 2012 master thread
 

As last year post your mini review/experiences as A-Club silver/gold/platinum here. For full reviews please post in the existing thread or start a new one if the hotel does not show up in a search.

Pullman Zhangjiajie
 

My honour to kickstart this thread for the brand new year :D

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked executive mountain view room and upgraded to a suite (Entry level suite I guess)

- How are the rooms?
An average sized suite for Chinese standards.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Platinum recognition, upgrade, Location to Wulingyuan scenic area. I would put a 15minutes walk to the entrace of Wulingyuan. No DCC. 8 bottles of water replenished everyday.

Bad: When I inquired about Wulingyuan, front desk wanted to sell me a map for 5 yuan, realised that my room has a map, I went to take it. When checking out, they wanted to sell me a map for 10 yuan. Not much, but I did not want to pay for a map. It should be a service to guests so I made some noises to the manager, she waived it off.

Lounge was closed as well but it should be opened during the peak period.

Despite the mountain view booking, there was no view and when I asked about it, they said due to construction of a new hotel next door. The right wing of the hotel has the view but it was not opened too. However, the view around the hotel is nowhere near the view up at the mountains. So not too hard about this.


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Yes, at 1.3k CNY for 3 nights with breakfast included. Good value for a UNESCO heritage site hotel near the scenic spot.

Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside, Malaysia.
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
It was ok.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked two executive club rooms, both were upgraded to Executive Suites upon request.

- How are the rooms?
An average sized suite with Indian/Moorish designs and motifs. It's got a sitting area and one toilet near the entrance and a bathroom/toilet on the other side.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Tranquil settings, like a resort. It's a good place for city folks in Kuala Lumpur to wind down which a short driving distance of 30 minutes. Other than that, Putrajaya hasn't got much going. It has four wings, go for the Rafflesia wing , lakeside view. I had the Jasmine wing which has no view to talk about, except a view of the road and a lone government building.

Was told by family member the Spa is superb. Had a walk through the facilities, the spa rooms were nicely furnished.


Bad:
One of the suite's air-conditioning wasn't working at optimal conditions. Not cold enough for the Tropics, hence room has a slight musty smell. Bathroom upkeep needs to be improved, fittings were missing, hot water took ages. Platinum recognition wasn't consistent, basically it's just the room upgrade. No welcome amenity. What was given was included in any club room benefit like welcome drink and fruit basket. The "fruit basket" was basically a plate of apples, more specifically, 3 apples: one red, one green and a yellow/red from a certain temperate country. Now this is a tropical country where fruits are abundant,I think the presentation was a joke. Certainly not my idea of "fruit basket". And almost expectedly, no turn down service was done.

Exec lounge wasn't attended on my first day there, wanted a drink, the fridges were literally locked! Had to request from the lobby bar. Cocktail hour, let's just say there's no cocktail to be served, one can help oneself with a Campari and some half empty wines. Hot foods were tasty though, with fried calamari, fried rice etc.



- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

. I used my redeemed vouchers for this stay. As it was new year's eve, I couldn't utilize my Accor Advantage Plus 50% discount coupon for group dining, so forced to pay full price on their NYE dinners. Maybe on a normal day/weekend where I can use my vouchers extensively, the value will be better.

Sofitel Los Angeles
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum (first time use, comp'ed platinum due to being Flying Blue platinum).

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
It was good, could have been better.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Did not book the cheapest room. I had booked a better room with Beverly Hills view for about $50 more per night. No upgrade but I did not ask at check-in.

- How are the rooms?
Not large. Nice view and amenities, beautiful bathroom.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Nice room, good restaurant, nice staff. Nice pool, once you find it.
I quicly received a mail confirming the points I got and that they would be transferred to my Flying Blue account.

Bad:
Expensive! For two nights, one breakfast for two and one dinner for two, plus valet parking (no choice), it cost about $1,000.

Plat recognition: they had to find my A-Club number after I checked in and it might be why they did not know I was plat and did not upgrade me. The only advantage I got was that after they found out I am platinum, they slipped two drink coupons under the door, which only get you a cheaper cocktail or a bad bubbly. Not great when you know that DSK was given a full bottle of Dom Perignon at the NY property...


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

It's a nice hotel and as it was the new year I understand it was expensive, but the treatment I got as a plat was underwhelming, it is not enough for me to put the Sofitel high on my priority list next time I go to LA.

Please tell me they don't say it is only valid for cheap plonk? :confused:

Novotel Beijing Peace
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked cheapest Room. Asked for upgrade during check in but denied citing hotel was full.

- How are the rooms?
Adequate. Nothing too spectacular.

- What was good and what was bad?
Loved the location right by Wangfujing.

Full review and some pics posted on my blog.

Sofitel Athens Airport, Spata, Greece
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum Favorite Guest Business.

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

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Superior Queen, got upgraded to Luxury Queen on the 3rd floor.

How are the rooms?
Not overly spacious. Modern design, clean, functional. Some wear and tear here and there, more in the corridors than the room itself.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Very friendly staff.
Excellent service in the rooftop restaurant. I even went to the lengths of writing to the management to compliment them on the restaurant staff.

Bad:
It being an airport hotel, I had hoped to have a view on the runways from the room. As it was, from my room the view was very limited.

Plat recognition:
Got the upgrade, drink voucher and in room present without asking. Perfect!

Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
It's a perfect solution if you arrive late at night or have an early morning flight. It is not the best solution for tourism in Athens.
I found the price in line with the quality and service offered.
When needing to stay close to the airport, I would certainly return.

House drinks only :td:

Mercure Willis St, Wellington
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Only 'standard' rooms available

- How are the rooms?
Quite big, but also dated

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Given room on top floor. Quiet. Free Parking

Bad: Found syringe under bed side table when checking to see I had everything on departing. Have written to manager and told staff on departure (who couldn't care less). Will post on TA if no response hear within one month.


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Yea and no

Novotel Bandung
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked two superior at Premier Floor (both upgraded to Executive at Premier Floor using Advantage Plus Room Upgrade Vouchers + without any problems)

- How are the rooms?
Average size 32m but seems more spacious than the actual size.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Got complimentary Pocari Sweat, some peanuts, and ordinary mineral waters, asked for taxi but were escorted to their hotel car and told it's free (presumably after I mentioned my room number; which is executive room;) ). staffs are polite and mentioned my name everytime I entered the lounge.

Bad: The premier lounge didn't have free drinks all day, they only provide during afternoon hi-tea (4pm-6pm)

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Yes, I booked during supersale and it was only 42 USD per nite (net of taxes) for superior at premier floor. Book them during early breaks promotion; very good deal ^

Sofitel Bangkok Silom (as of April 2012 Pullman Bangkok Hotel G)
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
It was just about ok.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked suite, no upgrade offered.

- How are the rooms?
Nice suite, showing age a little, still nice.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Location, Club Sofitel lounge


Bad:
Entry lobby not available due to construction work. Some lounge staff were trainees with little English.


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Good value, probably won't return after this trip.

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
No

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Luxury Room (best "room" category before Suites),.. no upgrade

- How are the rooms?
Furnished very well to the highest standard, top of the line hi-tech equipment. Huge bed, very comfortable. However I doubt it has the announced 35m² (abt 375 ft²). The bathroom is a big disappointment, since it is about 1 by 4 meters (3 by 12 ft), which is just too tiny for a shower, a bathtub, a toilette and a mini sink. No space to get dressed or even put your wash bag at.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Location. View on the channel. Room, especially quality and design of interior. Housekeeping and Maintenance Service (professional and very quick).

Bad:
Getting there i didnt have my Plat Card with me, but my account number saved in my mobile phone. Spelling it to them, writing it down and mentioning the Platinum Status, we didnt get an upgrade, no vouchers, no perks, nothing. We even had to fight for a 2 PM check out for 2 days later, although the Hotel was only maybe 25% occupied.

Ordered In-Room breakfast for 2, one continental breakfast for me and fruitplatter, orangejuice and birchermusli for the girl. The tray was decorated for one person. orangejuice was not freshly squeezed, birchermusli was a bowl with dry musli + milk and jourghurt on the side (guess they never heard of "BIRCHER"-musli) and the fruitplatter (for 9 EUR / 13 USD) was a little bowl of a 50 cent Walmart fruit punch can.

After 3 weeks I called Service and asked why the points havent been added to my account yet. Turned out they didnt even put in my Aclub number into the system at the hotel.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
No,... reception staff was quite rude and always gave you the feeling that you are allowed to stay there instead of making you feel welcome. The bill for 2 rooms for 2 nights was 1,877 EUR (abt 2,600 USD), which might have been ok, if everything would have been ok, but for the treatment and service recived, they wont see me again. We stayed at 2 other hotels in that area within a distance of 500 meters (Hotel De L'Europe and Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam) which were both stunning and similar price range with a lot more perks, even with no loyalty program membership or existence.

Hi,
Have you received a response from the hotel? If not, could you please PM me your email adress, name and the dates of your stay? I will transfer your request to the concerned department. Thank you!



Hi,
Has our service customer credited your missing points? If not, could you please PM me your A|Club number as well as the dates of your stay. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience!
Christopher

MGallery St. Ermin's Hotel, London
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Gold

- 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?
Booked Superior Queen Plus. Upgraded to Executive King without having to ask.

- How are the rooms?
Very good. Spacious by London standards, very comfortable bed with good quality linen and good pillows. Fairly nice bathroom, but the shelf was a little narrow and the toiletries, although nice, were in bottles attached to the wall of the shower. I would have preferred small, individual bottles, a la Sofitel.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Room upgrade and drink voucher given without prompt.
Billing issue (see below) sorted out with no fuss by deeply apologetic manager.
Excellent concierge and very friendly, attentive staff throughout the hotel (desk, bar and restaurant)
Great bed.
Received an inexplicably large number of A|Club points (I'm hoping this doesn't mean they're going to send me a bill me for something - I didn't touch the minibar!)

Bad:
Got billed for breakfast despite this being included in rate. Sorted out with no fuss though.
No gift (chocs, fruit, etc)

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Certainly would. I thought St. Ermin's was an excellent value alternative to the Sofitel - paid £182 including breakfast, which I consider quite reasonable for this class of hotel in London. Good room size, well located but still quiet (just around the corner from St. James' Park Tube, within spitting distance of New Scotland Yard, but set back from the street at the end of its own drive)

Yes, missing points were credited the same day.

Great! Happy to hear it.
Christopher

Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun airport
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked cheapest Room. Upgraded to Executive room

- How are the rooms?
I find the washroom to be small for an executive room

- What was good and what was bad?
Good
Location is the only selling point as I left my room at 7:35am for my 8:30 flight.
Bad
the room was way too warm. Thermostat is useless. I have to turn off the a/c but I was still sweating during my sleep

Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
I'd say ok. Just occupied the room for 9 hours, will return if I have to fly out of Baiyun for early morning flight.

Pullman Jakarta Central Park
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked a superior twin bed, upgraded to a Deluxe Queen in Executive Floor with Lounge Access.

- How are the rooms?
Good as always, might be a bit small for some. It has an open bath room and the shower is practically in the middle of the room. Need to be aware if you're planning to share with anyone but your spouse.

- What was good and what was bad?
Platinum recognition, upgrade to executive floor. Very good service in the executive lounge. Didn't get any welcome gift on my most recent stay but I got a calendar last January. Hotel is literally next door to the Central Park shopping mall.

Bad: Traffic Jam, but it's the same anywhere in Jakarta.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Yes. Very good value, booked the standard room on a discounted rate (SQ promotion) and upgraded to an executive floor with lounge.

Pullman Central Park Jakarta
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Not quite.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Deluxe. Got upgrade to Executive floor but ended up in a Superior Room because Deluxe rooms don't face the park which is bizarre! Club benefits included.
. Late checkout offered
· Welcome drink given
· Welcome gift promised on Monday as office was closed but was not followed up / given.


- How are the rooms?
Modern and clean (it's a new hotel) but quite a few small issues:

I was given a Superior room when I booked a Deluxe room (but it seems the Superior rooms are better as they face the park!).
· Cups for espresso machine are too big.
· Minibar is overpriced for Indonesia, (e.g. almost 6USD for a can of coca cola!) especially with Hypermarket downstairs, the hotel should consider pricing at more reasonable levels. In addition, on Executive floor, the same drinks are available in the lounge, thus, a complimentary minibar would be better for executive floor.
· Toiletries are standard Pullman ones - usually the Club Floor would have premium toiletries. Bois D’Orange (Roger et Gallet) range is used at the Pullman, Bangkok. Other executive floors usually provide L’Occitane toiletries. I later found out that only the Executive Suites contain the luxury Bois D'Orange toiletries.
· All TV channels were unavailable for short periods one evening (26/01 2am - 3am), then kept coming back on, and off again.
· Broadband and Wireless internet is not up to international standards - it is not possible to play a short YouTube clip without it stopping (on lowest 240 quality).
· Shower oscillates between hot and cold if you turn the water to lukewarm mode.
· Shower door opens inwards which is problematic if you wait for the water to heat up in rainforest mode, as when you get in the shower the outside of the door gets wet and leaks onto the bathroom floor. Also, as the towel rack is positioned on the outside of the shower door, your towel gets wet too!

Housekeeping

Coffee pods not filled up on 2nd day·
On 2nd day, only very small bottles of complimentary water given (half the size of the bottles given on other days)
Cotton buds disposed of when packet not used up, then not replaced for 2 nights.·
Crumbs were still visible under the desk – this area had not been vacuumed properly.·
It took 3 phone calls to arrange a shoe shine (but when it was arranged, it was good).·
One morning, I forgot to put the ‘Do not disturb’ sign on. Housekeeping rang the bell and then opened the door and came in the room while I was just approaching the door to answer it.


Executive lounge·
Egg menu for breakfast would improve the experience.
· Excellent range of fresh juices, however, sometimes it is difficult to know what they are. Labeling them would really help.
· International labeling (English) or multi-lingual would be better, as things like ‘Srikaya Bao’ would not be known by non-Indonesians. Even the Chinese translation ‘Lai Wong Bao’ would not be sufficient. Perhaps ‘Sweet custard bun’ or ‘Milk Yolk Bun’ would be better. Also, there were some English language errors, such as ‘Sweat and Sour Chicken’ (should be ‘sweet’). Once this was pointed out, it was replaced with the Indonesian translation!
· Spoons for the muesli / yoghurt in the small pots should be placed nearby (they are currently near the coffee machine).
· Consider moving the glasses to the same level as the juice.
· Evening cocktails – half way through my stay, the hotel changed its policy for ‘Cocktail Hour’ to only allow the drinks stocked in the lounge to be consumed (previously, any drink on the bar menu was available but these had to be made on the ground floor and took 20 mins to serve each time). Unfortunately, this means that there is a limited range of drinks available compared to other Executive lounges such as other Pullman and Sofitel hotels in Asia. Now, there are no cocktails available and only a limited number of spirits (4 bottles in total on display). The best solution would be to produce a different menu (on 2 pages) with the list of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks available during ‘Cocktail Hour’. This would provide a much better experience for the guest.
· The breakfast range is rather limited compared to Collage restaurant. Although guests on the Executive floor can choose to go to Collage for breakfast, having breakfast in the Executive lounge should provide a more unique experience. Unfortunately, the only difference is that fresh juice is available in the lounge and that the food selection is minimal. This is understandable if the room occupancy is low. However, it might be worthwhile to also have a simple two page breakfast menu in the lounge with the different egg choices and other dishes that are available downstairs in Collage but not in the lounge (e.g. Japanese options, dim sum, waffles, pancakes and so on). Then, the breakfast buffet in the lounge would not serve the hot items but focus more on more pastries, fruit, smoked salmon options.
· The soft drinks often take a while to serve in the lounge if there is no ice available. Sufficient ice should be stored in the executive lounge and one staff member should be able to make simple cocktails there. If soft drinks run low, they should be filled up in the fridge on a regular basis, rather than waiting for a guest to order one and tell them they need to get it from downstairs!
· More choice of business magazines in the lounge, e.g. Economist, could be considered.

Hammam / Changing room in Spa·
My locker didn’t have a towel in it. Had to request one. Extra towels should be made available in the changing room – it appears that the hotel is economizing and not making towels readily available in the changing rooms.
· No water machine available in changing rooms – it is usual for 5-star hotels to provide drinking water in the changing rooms or even some tea, especially after coming out of a steam room.
· The showers in the changing rooms were cold. Even after running the water for 5 minutes on full ‘H’, the water was still cold.
· The design of the entrance had not been given any practical thought. If there are a few guests getting changed in the changing room and a new guest arrives during that time, when the door is opened, those walking down the corridor from the spa towards the life can clearly see inside the changing rooms. This could be potentially embarrassing.
· No tissues are available in the changing rooms.
· There should be a disposable box for the hand towels directly under the sink, as otherwise, the only place to dispose them is in the big basket in the locker area. Perhaps a basket could cover the drain under the sink and be used for disposing of the hand towels.

Positive Aspects of the hotel

Although the points above indicate that the Pullman Central Park Jakarta has not yet reached the level of other Pullman hotels in Asia, it is clear that this hotel has the following advantages that will go a long way in ensuring that it reaches comparable standards:
· The location in Central Park is a great asset to the hotel, as it means that dining and entertainment options and all easily accessible to the guest – something that is rate in Jakarta.
· The staff in all departments strive to make the guest’s stay as relaxing and enjoyable as possible, albeit with some of the constraints outlined above. It is clear that Anya and Helebid (not sure how to spell it but he replaced Anya during the Cocktail hour on Monday and Tuesday and usually works for in-house dining) are an asset to the hotel in that their personal approach to serving guests is both personal and efficient. Among the many hotels I have stayed in, the two employees mentioned above rate among the top. It was also surprising that one member of the housekeeping team greeted me by name as I passed a room he was cleaning on my way to the life – this certainly surpassed my expectations as housekeeping rarely has contact with guests.
· Collage restaurant – the food here is exceptional, with a wide range of international food available.

So, these are the 3 assets, the location, the food and most importantly, the staff. With a number of minor improvements to facilities (mentioned above) and more consistent service delivery in housekeeping, this hotel would certainly meet the expectation of any seasoned traveler.

Nice review, thanks. Could you perhaps edit your post so that the hotel name appears at the top, ideally in bold type?

Or your moderator could do the same thing :)

Great review with some excellent observations.

You should send this directly to the hotel and I'm sure they will do whatever they can to rectify it as as you have some very straight forward and quite simple solutions to the errors/faults you found (bar the irritating shower door opening inwards and water temperature fluctuating that is :mad:) ^^^

:D:D:D

Novotel Montreal Airport
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Gold
- 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?
Booked superior room and received it

- How are the rooms?
An average sized room.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Hotel is very inexpensive

Bad: No Elite recognition whatsoever. I asked if an upgrade was possible and the person at the counter promptly said no. When I asked if my card number was in the system all he said was yes. I then asked again for an upgrade and he said the elite cards dont work at the novotel regardless of what it says online.

Hotel is located near an industrial park and near a busy highway so it can get quite noisy. Hotel is also extremely hard to get to if you are not familiar with the area

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

It is good value and despite having zero recognition for status I would return simply because it is cheap

Mercure Jakarta Kota
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked two Executive Deluxe rooms (the highest category in the hotel) and one Deluxe room. I booked one Deluxe room so it could have connected to the another Executive Deluxe. There aren't many connecting room available on this hotel, mostly superior.
. Inputting 1 year old child on the reservation system, and surprisingly...one of the room has bathtub for the children (on room number 718)
. Asking for late check-out until 1 pm, the hotel staff seems objected and after saying I usually got flexible check out on other Accor hotels since I'm platinum, the staff told me that they would be very happy to offer check-out until 3 pm. ;)
. Got welcome drinks for all of the rooms (6 persons)
. Free parking
. The connecting rooms on the 18th floor (the highest floor) were still hold for us despite our late arrival (after 6 pm).

- How are the rooms?
The rooms on 18th floor offer city panoramic view, we could see National Monument (Monas) from the distance and also flashing neon from nearby Paragon. While the room on 7th floor has 180 degree view to swimming pool. The Executive Deluxe is very spacious, 56 m2, while the Deluxe room probably around 40m2.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good: Weekly Dim Sum Buffet Lunch is very good in terms of value and taste, 76,000 IDR/person (8.50 USD/person) is unbelievable !! Even in Ibis Jakarta Slipi would costs 120,000 IDR/person (excluding drinks). The Dim Sum Buffet Lunch offers variety of Dim Sum, hot and cold dishes, deserts, and free hot and iced tea. A|Club points were posted on the same day. They said that they input all the points everyday at 10 pm, which is a good news. ^

Bad: Mediocre buffet breakfast, Staffs are not trying to be friendly even-though I'm not saying they are not friendly, just not trying to..

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Good value, probably will return but just for dining.

MGallery VIE Bangkok
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

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

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Grand Deluxe, no upgrade offered. Hotel explanation: The next best room jumps a category hence no upgrade. Questioned it (including with the GM) but no. Even Accor APAC could not change this but noted that they will follow this up. However the hotel provided a free dinner for 2 which was great. GM joined us for a glass of wine during dinner and was very helpful.

- How are the rooms?
Nice, effectively a suite, showing age a little. Not exactly spotless, stains on table and windows had finger prints on them.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Location (away from the tourist madness), restaurant.

Bad:
The unclear upgrade policy which only serves to disappoint elites. No free WiFi

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Good value, will return once upgrade policy is clarified. Like this hotel better than the MGallery Muse in BKK.

(stay was Jan 2012)

GM having wine with you? Cool~

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

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

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Luxury Room (king, high floor) and given junior suite (without asking, low floor). Not sure how the lower floors can be described as city views unless that's a view of a building opposite. Asked back at reception and moved to a high floor. Why not just allocate highest first? They claim they only give high floors on request. Drinks vouchers handed over without asking.

Late check out requested till 2pm, offered 1pm, being Platinum didn't seem to matter much but eventually they agreed.

No welcome gift. I asked what it would have been and told they don't offer welcome gifts just drinks. On check out, the same receptionist said the welcome gift was noted on the account as chocolates to be sent to the room, but they didn't arrive. Maybe they went to my original room.

- How are the rooms?
The usual Sofitel decor. Having just come from the IC TS, I missed extras such as power sockets built into the bedside lamps. No iPod dock/charger, etc. No accessible plugs by bed. Lovely Hermes products in bathroom

- What was good and what was bad?
Good: Staff, all very friendly and professional
Bad: Wifi reception very poor in room. Some areas I couldn't get a signal, others it kept dropping out. Also don't like tiered internet access. Just give it free, not dial up speeds for free, make you pay for anything more. I heard others complaining about AT&T signal issues, T-Mobile isn't much better. Maybe something with the way the building is constructed?

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
I rebooked on a 3 for 2 rate that appeared just before I went, so a good rate. I'd return if rates were competitive.

Seoul Ambassador Pullman (ex Sofitel)
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked executive deluxe room and upgraded to a junior suite

- How are the rooms?
great, 2 big size rooms with beautiful bathroom, with jaccuzzi bath and shower separate

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Platinum recognition, upgrade, airport KAL limousine for Won 15000.
2 bottles of water everyday.
plate with fruit the first day
Excellent breakfast in the executive lounge
Happy hours from 6pm to 8pm, that can do an excellent dinner if you need...
free navette to town center each hour
Metro at 5 minutes

Bad:
nothing

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?

Yes. I returned 4 weeks after but not upgraded for room (the hotel were full)
no problem for me: all people are very professional and kind.
My favorite hotel in Seoul.

Sofitel Europe Brussels
 

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

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

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Classic room, apparently upgraded to superior, no noticeable difference

- How are the rooms?
OK but lacking typical Sofitel amenities such as Bose radio, minibar. Duvet is thin.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Location

Bad:
No welcome back, unclear upgrade, first room looked like someone had slept in the bed so needed to change, no newspaper in the morning, no welcome gift. First night flowers in bathroom, second and third night they were gone :confused: Late check out had to be argued over and only managed 2pm.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Value was this time not so good, probably return because it is convenient for me.

Pullman Jakarta Central Park
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Booked as Platinum; check-in as Gold

- 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?
Booked three Deluxe rooms (without breakfast) and all of three rooms were upgraded to Superior Executive; including breakfast and pre-dinner cocktail.

- How are the rooms?
Got Superior Executive means that your room would be smaller (30m) than the previous one (Deluxe = 32m2). The room is little bit small since there are too many things around. However, the view is beautiful; overlooking to Tribeca Park

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
1. Three of my rooms were upgraded despite the hotel occupancy was 100% on that time. It seems that they have allocated the rooms to be upgraded.
2. Fruit Platter, Macaroon, Tiramisu, and Salmon on all of my rooms ^
3. Got Calendar as welcome gift; plus they gave me mousepad since I didn't get the calendar until I checked-out :)
4. Staffs are friendly

Bad:
1. Superior room is a little bit small; actually 30 m2 is enough but I think the room design makes it seem smaller than the actual.
2. I booked the room under Pullman-HSBC offers and as predicted, they didn't know that Advantage Plus member would receive additional 10% discount on accomodation upon check-out, however the problem was solved by fantastic Executive Lounge Staffs.
3. The Executive Lounge only provides free drinks during pre-dinner cocktail (6pm-8pm), other than these hours...all of the soft drinks are chargable; only tea and coffee were complimentary.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Yes. For Sure

Novotel Avignon Centre
________________________________________

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked Standard Executive Room and received Standard Executive Room. I was told by the check-in staff that they don't do upgrades here.

- How are the rooms?
This hotel was upgraded a few months ago and hence the rooms were without a flaw. Very clean all new. I liked a new feature where a milk glass between the main room and the bathroom turns milky by the click of a button and reverse to see through. Very fancy. Other than that all standard Novotel amenities and a very good selection of TV channels. Designer lights in the main room also very cool.

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
In house Spa (very good massage treatment received)
Location

Bad:
No Le Club Platinum recognition whatsoever
Check-In welcome procedure rather clunky and unfriendly

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Would return for the clean and modern rooms and the Spa

Mercure Duesseldorf Hafen
 

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room and that's what I got.

- How are the rooms?
The rooms are all renovated and very nice. Rooms towards the street are pretty noisy due to the tram. Very comfotable bed and great TV.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
-Excellent breakfast with fresh juices and fruits
-Great TV with FREE pay TV
-Good location in a great city
-perfect public transportation available
-Welcome gift every other stay
-Empty fridge so you can BYO
-Food quality in the restaurant is excellent

Bad:
- Noise from the street

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Not cheap, but good value for Duesseldorf. I surely will return

Pullman Sanya Bay Resort and Spa
 

What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
NO

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked Superior Seaview and got exactly that. No upgrade as they claim rooms are tight. However, they are selling all sorts of room online.

- How are the rooms?
This hotel is about 1.5yrs old but the rooms are already run down. Walls are moldy and ants all around.

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
cheap rate.

Bad:
No Le Club Platinum recognition whatsoever
Check-In welcome procedure sloppy. No welcome drink, no welcome gift. No RECOGNITION PERIOD.
Asked for late checkout, but again turned down.
Willing to pay for half day, but the check in staff actually told me to do it online. I am not sure if he was just brushing me off or what. How on earth will one be able to book half a day online?

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Plenty of nice hotels here. Will not come back and will tell all my friends to avoid this ...... place.

Hello chentaiman,

I'm sorry to hear that you had such a poor experience. I will relay your comments to the proper department within the Accor group, which will be sure to address this matter.

In the meantime, please continue to share your experiences with us, as this helps us provide a better service for our guests at accorhotels establishments.

Thank you once again for your feedback.

Best wishes,

Chris

Novotel London St Pancras
________________________________________

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
No

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked what was described as a Superior Room (Queen bed or 2 single beds) Asked for a queen bed in booking comments. Showed Platinum on check in. told that it was two singles asked for a queen, was offered an upgrade to Executive King for 20GBP extra per night, which I declined.

- How are the rooms?
Tired.

- What was good and what was bad?

Good:
Bed was comfortable, considering. Towels & toiletries were decent.

Bad:
Tired room. Expensive. No Le Club Platinum recognition whatsoever. Worse still being offered a paid upgrade means they had a more appropriate room available. Hotel is under refurbishment but no mention of this on the Accor website, seemingly also no reduction in room rates during this period.

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Never. I've been matched to Best Western Diamond recently, so anything under 'M' gallery will try with BW.

Pullman Paris Montparnasse
 

- What is your Le Club status?
Platinum

- 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?

Cheapest available, always got my (at least) one-category upgrade without asking, though I had indicated in the message to the hotel my Accor status because I was asking for late check-out, so maybe they "got the hint".

- How are the rooms?

Tired pre-renovation. Better now.

- What was good and what was bad?

The in-room equipment could be a little better, as the Novotel not far away feels more modern in that department. The stays are usually satisfying.

Mercure Auckland
 

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked Superior 2 Double Beds room and upgraded to a Superior 2 Double Beds Harbour View

- How are the rooms?
Good space, decor is a little old, but everything still works well.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Platinum recognition, upgrade, Location (right in the middle of Auckland CBD).

Bad: The temperature of shower water is a bit tricky to adjust.


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Great value, only costed about NZD280 for 3 nights. Valet parking is at a premium ($40 per night), but understandable due to the location. We end up using a near by public car parking which costed only $15 per night (5 min walking distance).

Novotel Impact Bangkok

- What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- 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?
Booked Deluxe Room and got just that

- How are the rooms?
New and typical of newer Novotels.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good: bed was comfortable. Room is clean and fresh looking. Wifi is free of charge regardless of devices logged on. And it's quick speed.

Bad: Nothing really bad. Breakfast choice could have been better. The location of pool is at the back of the hotel in the annexed building on the ground floor and depressingly dark.


- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
If you have business at Impact Convention Centre. Otherwise not ideally located for tourists.

Mercure Duesseldorf Hafen
 

..another stay there so another post, too:

What is your A|Club status?
Platinum

- Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room, did not receive an upgrade (did not expect either)

- How are the rooms?
The rooms are all renovated and very nice. Defintely recommend a room towards the backyard. So much more quiet than the rooms facing the street.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
-Excellent breakfast with fresh juices and fruits
-Great TV with FREE pay TV
-Good location in a great city
-perfect public transportation available
-Welcome gift every other stay
-Empty fridge so you can BYO
-Food quality in the restaurant is excellent
-Room facing the backyard!

Bad:
- No noise, so nothing bad

- Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Not cheap, but good value for Duesseldorf. Returning next week