Just back from my first stay ever without being placed on the RC floor. Instead, I, too, was given a room with a view and breakfast coupons. No replacement of water for rfrost, either.

You're Diamond and didn't get the club access? Did they give a reason?

There was no availability. IIRC, a couple of years ago Hyatt mandated that at international properties there would be no club access if they couldn't give you a room on the club floor.
I wasn't very happy about it (I really like most of the
RC staff there, and that's one of the big draws for me, as I don't love the hotel's location or the rooms), but I also had a schedule that I thought wasn't going to allow me back for the cocktail hour, and figured it would be interesting to try breakfast downstairs.

Churchill no more!
 

Just returned from London and a weekend stay at the Churchill! I checked in about noon on Friday and was told that the club was on the 2nd during renovations since areas of the 8th floor were being renovated. I was given a renovated room on the 7th floor. After unpacking I stopped by the lounge on 2 to check it out. Yes, small but adequate, thank goodness it is temporary. Mid afternoon a get a call from a gentleman who informs me that although I was told I have access to the club, I am now being denied access to the club since "I am not on a club floor (although parts of the club floors are under renovation) and the temporary club on the 2nd floor is small". I was offered a bottle or red wine and breakfast vouchers. This is not good customer service. Don't offer something to a Diamond member and then recind it!!!

I then called housekeeping to request an iron and ironing board (about 3:30pm) and was told it would be delivered 'straight away'. After an hour and a half wait I needed to leave for an appointment and then out to dinner and theatre that evening. When I returned at midnight -still NO ironing board/iron.
Called and requested one again! Finally arrived 20 minutes later.

Next morning about 8:40am I went down to breakfast. I left the newspaper on the door so that the room would appear 'occupied'. Upon my return about 20 minutes later, the maid was in my room cleaning it! When I mentioned that my paper was hanging on the door, her response was "I put it on the desk". This was a Saturday morning!!!! Why would a maid deliberately knock on a door at 8:30am when the paper is still hanging on the door knob? I then had to wait for her to finish BEFORE I could brush my teeth and use the facilities! Very lacking in customer focus.

Also. the room was extremely HOT! When I first arrived, the heat was on full blast and was at least 40c! The cool portion did not work and the only way to cool the room was to keep the window, with all of the street noise, open all the time (Except of course whenever a maid went into the room - she would ALWAYS shut it)!!!! Thus, 2 awfully warm nights which made it impossible to sleep!

I find the new tubs extremely narrow for footing and one can't help but hit the glass door continuously as one showers!

As a Diamond member for many many years and a past guest of this hotel, I had one of my most unenjoyable visits at an upper end Hyatt in a long, long, time.

I left the comment card for the manager. I'm anxious to discover if he cares enough to contact me regarding my stay.

I think I much prefer the Ren Chancery Court! Great location, nice roomy rooms, with irons/ironing boards/ ice machines, nice lounge, etc.

My experience in Europe has been that housekeeping, front desk, reception, whatever is centrally located in the property for check in or requests does not provide what those of us the the States are accustomed to, at least in a timely manner...sometimes not at all. I say this with reference to 4 star + hotels. Ones that are truly deluxe might be another story. The only way around this...and it works very well consistently...is to speak to a maid directly regarding your request. If you are in a country with a different language than yours, learn the basic words you will need....towels, blankets, drinking glasses, tissue, etc. If the language is one I have almost no knowledge of, I write down any words I will need. I have always received excellent and immediate service from the staff even if some pantomime must be employed. Reception in Europe simply does not respond promptly to the needs of guests. I have no idea why, but it has proven true in many hotels. Staff on the floors will go out their way to accommodate. Try it!
p.s. One phrase you must know, even if you mangle every syllable, is: "It doesn't work".

Side note, interestingly this hotel has no "premium" suites. I needed something big for a reception in July and wanted to give them business on a presidential, corporate funds, but alas, they don't have one. The largest suite is aparently the 100 SM one bedroom. Nice property, but strange they have no premium suites.

They have (or had!) a group of rooms on the 9th floor called the "Presidential Suites" which consists of four rooms, all of which are suites of various sizes, and all of which can be interconnected to form a large 4br/4ba/4 sitting room facility plus guest toilet/sinks. It would be a super-suite of sorts. This area is currently in the half being remodeled and possibly they didn't want to rent them to you because they are not confident that the work will be done by July.

I stayed last there last Saturday. They checked me in early and gave me a room on the 8th floor (I am Diamond). But I did have to settle for a smaller room. My big housekeeping complaint - they kept barging in on me when the privacy button was switched on. Happened twice. No Diamond amenity offered.

If housekeepers barge in, or knock on the door and ask to clean the room, simply tell them firmly, but politely, to come back later. Until check out time you are under no obligation to accommodate them. If I know the time I'm leaving the room so that it can be cleaned, I will tell them so they can arrange their schedule accordingly...but it is a courtesy I am giving them. "Would you mind coming back later?" should do the trick. By the way, does anyone know the taxi fare from the Churchill to Piccadilly or St Paul's or Knightsbridge for example...it is farther up than we usually stay in London and would like some idea of the cost.

To give you an idea, taxi from Churchill to Paddington station on a Sunday morning was right at 6 pounds. At today's exchange rate, that roughly equals about $250. :mad: OK, so that's hyperbole...

And Churchill to Picadilly Circus is about 20 minutes walking. I'd expect it to be cheaper than the trip to Paddington except there is often a lot of traffic on the main streets if the taxi chooses to take you that way (and it's difficult to avoid for at least a small part of the journey on Regent even if the cabby wants to).

Churchill to Knightsbridge, probably also 6-7 pounds and traffic shouldn't be too bad. St. Pauls would be more.

Back from another stay, I'm pleased to report that I did get a room on the 8th floor, and this must have been the right-handed version, as the toilet paper and master light switch were both on the right side (I still think they should have placed master switches on BOTH sides of the bed, and the lack of drawer space remains a problem).
I found the small club room on the 2d floor cramped (it was SRO the one morning I made it down there for breakfast). They told me the renovated club room should be finished some time in May, and the renovations overall should be completed in June.
I did not hear construction noise per se in my room, but there seemed to be a lot of loud conversation in the hallway, some of it from construction workers.
I did not see Arianna, but I did see Ingrid.

...and I understand that on the other floors they have changed the standard no-name toiletries (which seem to be used throughout Germany, as well) to "White River Falls" products made by WaterL'eau. I had never heard of the brand, before, but it seems to be a step up.

The renovated and expanded 8th Floor RC will be re-opening on 11-Apr.

I actually liked the old "no-name" toiletries at the Churchill. They smelled kinda manly, almost like a nice cologne. Although my wife disliked them for that very sme reason........"too manly smelling". :eek: