Peninsula HKG lounge catering contract not renewed, Plaza Premium replacement
May 1, 2016, 11:40 pm
#181
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MNL
Programs: CX MPO DM, Le Club Accor Platinum, World of Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,284
I was at the Pier last Friday, my flight out of Manila got delayed a bit...so I arrived at the lounge around 7:45 in the morning, I had to wait for more than 15 minutes to get my order taken. Every time I tried calling the attention of the staff, they would tell me to wait and that they would get back to me....I finally got to order my Breakfast Plate at close to 8:15 but by 8:40 it hasn't been served yet....my flight to Bangkok was already boarding so I had no choice but to head over to the gate.
I saw a few lounge staff working the floor that morning, someone in an SP uniform, which I suppose is the supervisor was helping clear up the tables, while someone in ISM uniform (Manager) was helping manage the place...from what I observed there seems to be an issues with the kitchen and the food isn't coming out as fast as possible.
Hope they would have worked it out by next week...
I saw a few lounge staff working the floor that morning, someone in an SP uniform, which I suppose is the supervisor was helping clear up the tables, while someone in ISM uniform (Manager) was helping manage the place...from what I observed there seems to be an issues with the kitchen and the food isn't coming out as fast as possible.
Hope they would have worked it out by next week...
May 1, 2016, 11:41 pm
#182
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
Horrible that the experiences are now consistently bad. I thought I was the one having a bad day having to repeat my order multiple times...
Food quality is a difference from two weeks ago. My Bircher Muesli was a little weird (too runny/gloopy compared to the perfect one two weeks ago) and the baked eggs lacked seasoning and the meat it was supposed to contain. That plus the bad service!
Food quality is a difference from two weeks ago. My Bircher Muesli was a little weird (too runny/gloopy compared to the perfect one two weeks ago) and the baked eggs lacked seasoning and the meat it was supposed to contain. That plus the bad service!
May 1, 2016, 11:59 pm
#183
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
May 2, 2016, 12:14 am
#184
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MNL
Programs: CX MPO DM, Le Club Accor Platinum, World of Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,284
May 2, 2016, 2:21 am
#185
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 810
Currently in the Wing F. Service is poor: Slow to take orders, training is being conducted table side (how to set it), not nearly as polished as before. In fairness, however, I have to believe service can and will improve over time and am hopeful.
The food, on the other hand, is more concerning, and noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts - everything has deteriorated. Seeing some interesting catering options such as beef sausages during mid-afternoon. Even simple things like the fruit isn't prepared as nicely as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
I hope things get sorted out soon.
The food, on the other hand, is more concerning, and noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts - everything has deteriorated. Seeing some interesting catering options such as beef sausages during mid-afternoon. Even simple things like the fruit isn't prepared as nicely as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
I hope things get sorted out soon.
Last edited by Frayed_Yak; May 2, 2016 at 2:39 am
May 2, 2016, 2:24 am
#186
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,189
Currently in the Wing F. Service is poor but in fairness. Slow to take orders, training is being conducted table side (how to set it), not nearly as polished as before. however, I have to believe service can and will improve over time and am hopeful.
The food, however, has been disappointing, noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts, everything has deteriorated. Even the fruit isn't as nice as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
The food, however, has been disappointing, noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts, everything has deteriorated. Even the fruit isn't as nice as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
May 2, 2016, 3:17 am
#187
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: PNW
Programs: FreeAgent; DL Silver; IHG Diamond/ Ambassador
Posts: 705
Sitting at the Wing J and service level is indeed disappointing. Staff is slow to react and have no product knowledge (asked for a Cathay Delight and the guy didn't understand me at first).
The resident WTM was a mix in the bag: reasonably tasty soup with plumper than The Pen wantons, however nose dived with some funky flat noodle. Hopefully, things might improve.
The resident WTM was a mix in the bag: reasonably tasty soup with plumper than The Pen wantons, however nose dived with some funky flat noodle. Hopefully, things might improve.
Me: wonton noodle please.
Lady: noodle for wonton out of stock. I suggest you just get wonton soup, or I can have them make Dan Dan and put wonton for you.
Me: ???... Ok, whatever's available.
15 minutes later, guess what I saw sitting in the counter? The tray BEFORE mine had the wonton noodle soup with the HK style thin noodles, and the one AFTER was the wonton noodles with the thick ones. I pointed out this out, and she looked embarrassed and just handed me a new buzzer and said, "ok, wait ten minutes."
After 20 minutes waiting, guess what she had on my tray: Dan Dan with wonton!!!
I actually had to point to one of the trays of wonton noodle soup and said, "THIS is what I wanted!" Looking embarrassed a second time, she just handed me the tray then hurried away to the back kitchen.
It seems this lady is under a lot of stress. Lol.
May 2, 2016, 3:56 am
#188
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: CX - DM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Titanium
Posts: 542
Currently in the Wing F. Service is poor: Slow to take orders, training is being conducted table side (how to set it), not nearly as polished as before. In fairness, however, I have to believe service can and will improve over time and am hopeful.
The food, on the other hand, is more concerning, and noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts - everything has deteriorated. Seeing some interesting catering options such as beef sausages during mid-afternoon. Even simple things like the fruit isn't prepared as nicely as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
I hope things get sorted out soon.
The food, on the other hand, is more concerning, and noticeably a couple steps down from before. from the salad bar to the mains to the desserts - everything has deteriorated. Seeing some interesting catering options such as beef sausages during mid-afternoon. Even simple things like the fruit isn't prepared as nicely as before. The quality is totally heading in the wrong direction.
I hope things get sorted out soon.
I will be heading to The Wing F on Wed to witness/experience myself. I'll report back to see if there's any improvement.
May 2, 2016, 4:22 am
#189
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
what a $#@$#2% disaster.
never in my wildest dreams did i imagine it would be this bad. even if a transition period, there's no excuse for just how absolutely crap these reviews are. anecdote after anecdote after anecdote, from many posters who are regulars and very frequent fliers. Many DMs in here. i won't see it for a week but really don't think i need to see it to acknowledge something is wrong right now.
who the hell was overseeing this for CX? Is PP just a bunch of hucksters?
PP does a nice job with the Bridge, but I guess if I'm thinking about issues the food there is abundant, albeit not really high quality. And the staff don't have to interact with people. Maybe the majority of the value add there is just in the CX design.
I'm still hopeful, but I'm just shocked at how bad this is. I've dealt with a number of F&B companies..and I can't think of any F&B company, from a one-off Michelin restaurant to a fast casual group to a fast food chain putting such a disastrous leg forward. It's not that hard to run a restaurant, although kitchen familiarization could take a week or two. But the service errors, screwed up orders, kitchen problems, the whole thing doesn't sound promising. I'm sure (hopeful) a lot will improve, but now I don't have hopes it will get back to where it was. What a shame. I hope they prove me wrong.
Maybe they just bid super low and some moron at CX decided to believe something that was just too good to be true
never in my wildest dreams did i imagine it would be this bad. even if a transition period, there's no excuse for just how absolutely crap these reviews are. anecdote after anecdote after anecdote, from many posters who are regulars and very frequent fliers. Many DMs in here. i won't see it for a week but really don't think i need to see it to acknowledge something is wrong right now.
who the hell was overseeing this for CX? Is PP just a bunch of hucksters?
PP does a nice job with the Bridge, but I guess if I'm thinking about issues the food there is abundant, albeit not really high quality. And the staff don't have to interact with people. Maybe the majority of the value add there is just in the CX design.
I'm still hopeful, but I'm just shocked at how bad this is. I've dealt with a number of F&B companies..and I can't think of any F&B company, from a one-off Michelin restaurant to a fast casual group to a fast food chain putting such a disastrous leg forward. It's not that hard to run a restaurant, although kitchen familiarization could take a week or two. But the service errors, screwed up orders, kitchen problems, the whole thing doesn't sound promising. I'm sure (hopeful) a lot will improve, but now I don't have hopes it will get back to where it was. What a shame. I hope they prove me wrong.
Maybe they just bid super low and some moron at CX decided to believe something that was just too good to be true
May 2, 2016, 5:45 am
#190
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,189
I will be there again this saturday,looking forward to see the development.
May 2, 2016, 6:05 am
#191
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: CX - DM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Titanium
Posts: 542
Toby Smith, General Manager - Product, is overseeing lounge development. Pretty sure he's aware of all these. Let's just hope CX/PP can get this sorted asap. And you're right, transition period often has glitches but all the reports so far suggested that it isn't just small glitches...more like an epic fail!
May 2, 2016, 6:38 am
#192
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Admittedly, of the times I go out of my way for interesting experiences, this is perhaps the first time I'm doing so to specifically verify a bad one
But fair point. Sadly, with the amount most DMs travel through HKIA, we have a vested interest to see this come out right. Even though our relationship with CX is strictly about dollars, I can't change the fact I live in HK and will use their lounges for the foreseeable future. I really hope this gets back to the way it was.
May 2, 2016, 7:05 am
#193
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCA/KUL/RGN
Programs: RJ Gold, AZ E+, Air Asia Platinum
Posts: 2,189
Ha alrighty then! I shall go this weekend and do so with my sharpest critical glasses on.
Admittedly, of the times I go out of my way for interesting experiences, this is perhaps the first time I'm doing so to specifically verify a bad one
But fair point. Sadly, with the amount most DMs travel through HKIA, we have a vested interest to see this come out right. Even though our relationship with CX is strictly about dollars, I can't change the fact I live in HK and will use their lounges for the foreseeable future. I really hope this gets back to the way it was.
Admittedly, of the times I go out of my way for interesting experiences, this is perhaps the first time I'm doing so to specifically verify a bad one
But fair point. Sadly, with the amount most DMs travel through HKIA, we have a vested interest to see this come out right. Even though our relationship with CX is strictly about dollars, I can't change the fact I live in HK and will use their lounges for the foreseeable future. I really hope this gets back to the way it was.
Also,obviously we are on FT and we are aware of all the technicalities,but "normal" people probably don't and I don't think they will be able to spot a big diffirence between Pen and PP. Personally I did not find anything really awful in PP experience,but then again,my expectations are probably lower than of others on here.
The Pier is still an amazing lounge,mainly due to it's layout which gives a very nice ambiance.
QRC3288,I would be extremely intrested to know your opinion,when you visit the lounge.I might even bump into you since you are flying this weekend?
PS:I spotted this sign next to the J Pier entrance,strangely the sign next to the F lounge also has Sapphire logo (Oneworld priority logos were not there in the past).
