Andaz Tokyo - REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Feb 25, 2018, 8:22 pm
#1216
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Well, at least that hasn't been my experience in most places in Japan (if you go to 7-11 at night you can see the employees hating their lives, and kicking around boxes).
Feb 25, 2018, 9:09 pm
#1217
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
It is also not America, where you can tell the service personnel hate their jobs/lives. The waitress walked around with a scowl on her face, when organizing the tables (as close to a scowl as I've ever seen in Japan).
Well, at least that hasn't been my experience in most places in Japan (if you go to 7-11 at night you can see the employees hating their lives, and kicking around boxes).
Well, at least that hasn't been my experience in most places in Japan (if you go to 7-11 at night you can see the employees hating their lives, and kicking around boxes).
Rest of the hotel, though, is solid five stars, both hardware and software.
Feb 25, 2018, 9:23 pm
#1218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
I definitely didn’t experience something as drastic as you, but their F&B service is definitely the weakest link of the hotel, as seen from my previous posts. Their director of F&B, is rather unresponsive at times and have ignored my emails/ post-stay surveys.
Rest of the hotel, though, is solid five stars, both hardware and software.
Feb 25, 2018, 9:24 pm
#1219
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
I definitely didn’t experience something as drastic as you, but their F&B service is definitely the weakest link of the hotel, as seen from my previous posts. Their director of F&B, is rather unresponsive at times and have ignored my emails/ post-stay surveys.
Rest of the hotel, though, is solid five stars, both hardware and software.
It is also not America, where you can tell the service personnel hate their jobs/lives. The waitress walked around with a scowl on her face, when organizing the tables (as close to a scowl as I've ever seen in Japan).
Well, at least that hasn't been my experience in most places in Japan (if you go to 7-11 at night you can see the employees hating their lives, and kicking around boxes).
Well, at least that hasn't been my experience in most places in Japan (if you go to 7-11 at night you can see the employees hating their lives, and kicking around boxes).
Feb 25, 2018, 9:27 pm
#1220
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,216
Pastry shop is great. The Sushi is a spectacular rip-off. BeBub burgers are awful. Tavern is what it is. Agree that F&B is weakest link.
Feb 25, 2018, 10:27 pm
#1222
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Niwot, CO
Programs: AA XP, BA G, AS 100K, Hyatt G
Posts: 146
i stayed here a few times when it just opened for less than a year. Even then service was great and I remember breakfast spread was great but on weekend it was very crowded.
Feb 25, 2018, 11:45 pm
#1223
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Just reminds me of the buffets in Asia where things run out quickly and it is all about massive quantities of food, with no regards to quality (specifically frequented by a specific nationality of people).
Feb 25, 2018, 11:52 pm
#1224
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
I encountered one of these waitresses years ago. Simply ignored seating me. I was pissed and would have thought it'd be better now.
I do wonder if a lot of the staff here aren't Japanese, like the guy who checked us in seemed Chinese. At PH they seemed all Japanese, at least the ones we encountered, and seem to have better English as well (even doormen).
Feb 26, 2018, 3:44 am
#1225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
I'm not sure what you mean by creative, but I saw eel fried rice which I have never seen before. Other than that, standard breakfast fare, maybe lower quality. Kyoto actually has some quite nice fusion Japanese food, like buckwheat tacos in a pop-up restaurant by Honke Owariya.
Some front desk people cannot be bothered to help customers with luggage (like the man when we checked-in yesterday), while I just saw a lady struggling with 2 large suitcases for a customer. I'd say the staff here seem snooty without reason to be. PH is much classier.
I do wonder if a lot of the staff here aren't Japanese, like the guy who checked us in seemed Chinese. At PH they seemed all Japanese, at least the ones we encountered, and seem to have better English as well (even doormen).
Some front desk people cannot be bothered to help customers with luggage (like the man when we checked-in yesterday), while I just saw a lady struggling with 2 large suitcases for a customer. I'd say the staff here seem snooty without reason to be. PH is much classier.
I do wonder if a lot of the staff here aren't Japanese, like the guy who checked us in seemed Chinese. At PH they seemed all Japanese, at least the ones we encountered, and seem to have better English as well (even doormen).
Andaz Tavern is quite creative for lunch and dinner. The Pastry shop made an interesting fashion chocolate set for Valentine's. Bebu is always doing some sort of ethnic night. I found their burgers good during the opening. Maybe things changed.
They do have a multi-ethnic staff. Some Taiwanese, Koreans, etc among the front end staff. I don't want to blame foreign staff for bad service but I have noticed they are very nonchalant in engaging people in the lobby. It's like if they don't receive prior notice from.the ground floor then they don't respond.
I agree that PH is much more attentive and doting than Andaz. They're sharp and always willing to help.
Last edited by Aventine; Feb 26, 2018 at 6:17 am
Feb 26, 2018, 6:25 am
#1226
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 547
Baggage handling and the overall arrival experience are much much better and refined at the PH than Andaz, I definitely agree. The fact that PH bell staff can magically say “welcome Mr/ Ms XX” when opening the cab doors even on my first stay still blows me away to this day (I have removed all baggage tags from my luggage).
I actually think the food at breakfast is not bad at all, especially the Japanese selection (the fish from the buffet was even better than the fish main in Prince Gallery’s made to order Japanese breakfast), although the Nutella French toast has gone downhill (and dry) lately and the “freshly squeezed” OJ is a joke and tastes more like water than OJ.
Feb 26, 2018, 7:11 am
#1227
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
Did you by any chance arrive on foot via the street entrance? Whenever I arrive from the street, no one will help with my bags as no bell staff are stationed at the street entrance nor the foyer between the lift lobby and drive way. Not making any excuses for them, just my observation and experience.
Baggage handling and the overall arrival experience are much much better and refined at the PH than Andaz, I definitely agree. The fact that PH bell staff can magically say “welcome Mr/ Ms XX” when opening the cab doors even on my first stay still blows me away to this day (I have removed all baggage tags from my luggage).
I actually think the food at breakfast is not bad at all, especially the Japanese selection (the fish from the buffet was even better than the fish main in Prince Gallery’s made to order Japanese breakfast), although the Nutella French toast has gone downhill (and dry) lately and the “freshly squeezed” OJ is a joke and tastes more like water than OJ.
Feb 26, 2018, 7:57 pm
#1228
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Niwot, CO
Programs: AA XP, BA G, AS 100K, Hyatt G
Posts: 146
My references would be PHT, GHT, HRT and HR Hakone. Though it has been a few years since I last visited the Andaz Tokyo so my memory of the breakfast there is a bit hazy, but I think the breakfast quality would be comparable to GHT or Hakone if not better. Otherwise I would not have re-visited as breakfast is a big part of my decision to visit or stay-away. Whether Andaz F&B have gone down since that I cannot make a comment on.
Feb 26, 2018, 8:39 pm
#1229
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
Did you by any chance arrive on foot via the street entrance? Whenever I arrive from the street, no one will help with my bags as no bell staff are stationed at the street entrance nor the foyer between the lift lobby and drive way. Not making any excuses for them, just my observation and experience.
Baggage handling and the overall arrival experience are much much better and refined at the PH than Andaz, I definitely agree. The fact that PH bell staff can magically say “welcome Mr/ Ms XX” when opening the cab doors even on my first stay still blows me away to this day (I have removed all baggage tags from my luggage).
Feb 27, 2018, 12:03 am
#1230
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
Of course, they should still ask whether you want assistance with the bags in an ideal world, but I don't think it's a sign of service failure if you have reached the upper floor lobby with your bag.