IMH

The afternoon tea and evening spreads were for two people, right, Kobetraveller? (I certainly hope so!)

Kobetraveller

Actually, all servings in these photos were for a single guest. They would probably have adjusted the portion sizes had I stayed more than one night. I couldn’t finish everything. 😊

SullyofDoha

My wife and I were there over Christmas and the actual food and beverages look pretty similar.
Did they check you in upstairs in the executive lounge or was it all done on the ground level?

Kobetraveller

Executive Lounge is still closed. Check in and Check out at the Lobby Front Desk at the moment.

Kobetraveller

Sofitel Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This hotel has already been covered recently so I wont write too much here.

Checked in three days ago for 28 nights after booking entry level room and was upgraded to Prestige Suite on 21st (of 23) Floor with all appropriate amenities. No SNUs used.

Informed of 9 am check in time the day before check in. Cannot fault the service. Wonderful from top to bottom despite continued government restrictions and closed international borders (CM still closed). Afternoon Tea and Cocktails food in the Lobby has varied each day.

Hotel is very willing to tailor afternoon tea and cocktails to individual tastes ... for example, replacing all pastries with healthier items.

Highly recommended for anyone in the country now. I would say that Diamond Status is taken very seriously here.

I would say the same thing about Pullman KLCC. Finished a one week Stay there a couple of weeks ago. Premium brand so the presentation and quality of Afternoon Tea and Cocktails was not as high as Sofitel but the efforts by Management and staff to provide personalized service was top notch.

patty canuck

Not sure if this has been going for a while and what it is from - COVID or being Diamond status:

If you book with Fairmont.com, most rates I previously saw were offered to me at 5% off the advertised rate. Now I am checking again for going back to hotels/travel and have noticed 10% off as an ALL member.

Can someone clarify if this is COVID v. Diamond related? Or something else?

I usually call the hotel directly as my experience is that I not only get a phenomenal rate, but also 9 times out of 10 get a complimentary upgrade that moment without any SNU use so I am not frequenting the Fairmont.com website as much.

CanadaDH

I noticed that as well, didn't question it, made a few bookings for next year, and was just pleasantly surprised to be able to get an additional 10% off on most rates. You're correct, that it generally used to be only 5%, and generally only the full Daily Rate.

Maelstrom

Are you referring to the member's rate benefit, which is a part of the program available for members of all status tiers? The member's rate benefit allows for a 5-10% discount off the rate of the day, except in Asia-Pacific (due to the presence of the Accor Plus program in APAC).

CanadaDH

Yes, the members rate. While the rate was always promoted as 5% - 10%, with Fairmont properties, it was typically only ever 5% that showed up in a search. Until recently, when searches started showing 10%. And, it didn't typically show up on discounted rates. But with some of the recent promotions, like the Stay Longer promotion that's running right now, the 10% stacks on top. I used to completely ignore the member discount, since I rarely saw it on anything other than the full Daily Rate, and there was generally something better available. In-house reservations would sometimes toss in the 5% on top of a different promotional rate, but on a web search, it was not available on many rates. Whether that was intentional or just another Accor IT glitch, who knows?

Maelstrom

Oh, that's interesting. You're right, I do not think I have ever seen that discount stacked on top of promotional rates before.

patty canuck

Has anyone had experience of complimentary free breakfast on the Monday AM of a long weekend?

BTW, went to Ottawa last weekend; Novotel.

Great staff. Room clean. Upgraded from a superior double to executive king with sofa bed on CAA/AAA rate. Breakfast both days was to be only room service/continental, but staff allowed the kitchen to whip up FOUR full american breakfasts with coffee/tea/OJ/bottled water, etc. instead of continental - pretty much the amount of breakfast was the rate of the room itself.

Goldorak

Not supposed to work. If granted, it will be only a hotel gesture.

Kobetraveller

Novotel KL, Malaysia

International borders are still closed here and will probably remain closed for most categories of non-citizens until the end of this year at least so this update will only be useful for people already in the country.

Just finished 3 X 2 nights Boost Stays

9 am check in each time including last weekend when hotel was fully occupied due to widespread water disruption

Booked entry level room 3 times at current C19 discount rates and upgraded to one bedroom Suite (not Jr Suite) three times

No SNUs used


Points of interest

Good

Mini breakfast buffet now operating from 6 am rather than choice of American or Asian breakfast sets (walk in price RM 20)

Newly renovated Food Exchange on the Mezanine Floor has been nicely done and is completed

Newly renovated Premier Lounge next to Reception also looks very nice and seems to be ready. FO told me that they hope to reopen by mid October. Depends on occupancy, I guess.

All staff I met were extremely helpful and proactive

20 Mbps wifi


Not so good

They are still renovating the first of the three tiny guest lifts in the Lobby. It seems that the three renovated lifts will not be operating until the middle of next year. I would be reluctant to book this hotel on weekends when occupancy is highest with Staycationers. Long wait times with only two lifts. If proper social distancing rules are followed according to the markings on the floors of the two operating lifts then only two people can enter at one time. Last weekend there seemed to be up to ten people in the lifts at peak times despite people waiting up to 20 minutes to enter. Two nearby service lifts are currently available to us but are also extremely slow.

The hotel seems to have suspended the Welcome Drink and Welcome Amenity but I do not blame them as the current rates are less than 50% of the pre-C19 rates.

Spiral Lounge in the Lobby is ready but has not yet reopened for service. People can freely sit there though.

Mini a la carte menu of about ten items is available for lunch and dinner (all items RM 25 before A+ discount). Quite ok given low occupancy during the week but could become tedious for longer Stays . . . an abundance of food just outside this hotel of course.

Anyway, the upshot is that I believe that the senior management of this hotel is taking the new Diamond Tier seriously (same with Sofitel and Pullman KLCC according to different brand standards) . . . all the negative points mentioned are related to the unfinished renovations and the current C19 low occupancy and rates

Marky Marks

I assume you were staying in Novotel KLCC, right? (not sure if there is another Novotel in KL ) We staied there as well in December last year, and had very similar experiences like you. Hotel in renovation, great upgrades (2 rooms --> 2 suite upgrades) and already in preCovid times no drink vouchers. After complaining, they just offered tea or coffee from the breakfast area.

We had much better experience in Novotel Melaka, where the lounge was open with a great sea view and vouchers for every person in our family (5) were given as well.

SullyofDoha

If I may ask, why did you stay there when just around the corner was the Pullman with better facilities and a great club lounge? It is seldom much more money too.