LZ-HMI

Link:
The Age 6 March 2006

I guess that explains all the baby cots lined up on level 9 at the moment. We were "upgraded" to an executive suite (from Club King Spa) at the weekend, and there were about 8 cots parked outside our room. There was also a service elevator area just opposite, with the door propped wide open. There was lots of baby resuscitation equipment and a breastfeeding chair inside -- not sure this was exactly inkeeping with the dark wood-pannelled look elsewhere in the hotel!

Didn't see any evidence of the babies. But judging by the number of newlywed couples, there may have been a few concieved on Saturday night....

777 global mile hound

Any promotions ? Twins get triple points?
No wonder why the Regency Club was closed on select days
Have a good stay

AdaQuonsett

I've done searches for this hotel and many of the reviews are horrible. The photos of the hotel are beautiful, has the hotel had any major improvements in service lately?
I understand they do have fireplace guest rooms, are these worth the extra cost?

RichardInSF

No, IMO, but I'm one of the folks who has had (big) problems with the service at this hotel, you should probably get another view from a fan.

sfpaul900

Having just returned from 4 nights at the PH MEL (using points), please permit me to add my two cents.

The hotel itself is lovely. I redeemed enough points to book a suite, and that's what we had (no fireplace, but otherwise perfect). Whirlpool tub, city/cathedral view, comfy bed. Be prepared to pay a hefty sum for Internet access ($29/day) and even for buying a power adapter plug from the mini-bar ($10).

IMHO, where the hotel falls apart is service. I won't bore you all with details, but every time we needed even the most basic assistance (restaurant reservations, additional power adapter, a place to wait while our room was prepared, locker in the health club, removing luggage from the taxi, etc), they failed to come through. Only one employee, Matthew, seemed to be genuinely caring and helpful. I only wish we'd found him earlier.

Diamonds get their continental breakfast in the form of a buffet in Radii, a handsome restaurant with atrocious service. Everybody was running around doing something, yet on some mornings getting a second cup of coffee was next to impossible. While the breakfast was included, gratuities were not. One thing that really had me shaking my head was, one morning I decided to order a hot dish along with the continental buffet (for an additional $8, I think). I ordered the pancakes. A few minutes later the waiter came back and said he was sorry, but they had run out of pancakes. Uh, I ask you, how does one run out of pancakes?? He asked if I would like waffles and I said yes (so obviously they had not run out of flour or eggs). BTW, the waffles were terrible, but on a subsequent morning, the pancakes were delicious.

Upon check-in, I asked for, and received, key access to the Park Lounge. Evening cocktails and snacks in the Park Lounge were nice, if not spectacular.

At the risk of sounding like an Ugly American, I found the service level everywhere in both SYD and MEL to be, shall we say, more casual than in the US. Even in places like The Windsor (afternoon tea) or Koko (dinner), servers just didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to do anything. But that may be my impatient New Yorkerness coming through.

Bottom line, had I been paying for the room at the MEL PH, I would've spoken to the GM, but since we were on holiday, using points, I didn't bother. Next trip, we'll probably stay elsewhere.

AdaQuonsett

Well, do they know they're doing a poor job? I mean are the staff just lazy or do they really have no idea of how to do their jobs?

Where in Melbourne do you recommend staying?

sfpaul900

IMHO, it appears that they are not trained properly. I remember years ago, reading an article in the San Francisco Chronicle interviewing a career waitress at Zim's, a long-gone, sorely-missed, chain of all night diners. When asked her key to success in dealing with grouchy, early-morning patrons, she said 'I always greet them with a smile, a menu in one hand, and a coffee pot in the other'. When being seated for breakfast at Radii, the hostess did manage a smile, but each day we were seated without a menu or coffee. It's the little things that matter, like the waiter not bothering to tell us that juice was self-serve, at a counter not 10 feet behind us.

Or at the health club. Upon arrival we were told we could take a shower while our room was being prepared. The receptionist directed us to the men's locker room, but we had to go back to her twice, once for keys to lockers (hey, we're New Yorkers, we don't leave our wallets and passports unattended--ever), and the second time to get razors. Stuff like this should be offered, not have to be requested.

Lastly, is it the guest's responsibility to track down the concierge to find out the status of dinner reservations? Again, I think not.

As for recommendations on where to stay, since it was my first visit to MEL, I can't be of any help. But the Westin looked nice from the lobby, as did the Marriott. Sorry I can't be more help.

trekkie

Having been in sydney and travel to melb often for past few years, i do agree with that sentiment. some hospitality/travel staff will even give you "arrogant attitude that its my way or the highway". With regards to the PH melbourne comments, PH is better than the grand hyatt in terms of furnishings. The lounge issue has been discussed to death before.Only on weekends is breakie served in the lounge but the spread is supposed to be buffet and includes a few hot items at least on my last stay in dec 06.You often have to ask for things in order to be served in australia but you shouldn't really have to.

Im surprised that a room wasn't available as the wait for a room shouldn't be more than 1/2 hour and an offer of a drink voucher is normally given at this property. The fireplace is available in some rooms. The manager at this property is aware that some staff are somewhat perceived lazy.

RichardInSF

IMO, the problem goes all the way up to, and including, the GM. Someone who ought to know once told me that the problem at this property was a focus on the bottom line when instead they should be focussing on increasing the top line. But it may be that Melbourne just doesn't support PH type rates, at least in that location.

AdaQuonsett

Well, it sure seems Melbourne isn't the place to go if you want luxury and service. I just talked to a man who stayed at PH Melbourne and he said most of the employees there were overly friendly, but service was bad. He said when he asked strangers on the street Melbourne-specific questions he got more accurate answers than when he asked hotel people.

lalala

Doesn't this all come from the fact that in Australia, you typically don't tip service personnel?

Why bother doing a good job when 90% of your clientele isn't going to reward you in the end.

I have only been to NZ and Australia once. I was amazed that they didn't accept or expect gratuties in hotels and restaurants, but then when we started noticing lax service, we realized these things are linked.

Just my thoughts...

lala

pdb

I hope that's not the reason.

I've stayed at the property several times over the past few years and can attest that while the service level is not 4 Seasons, the staff generally is quite accommodative and reasonably knowledgeable. (Ok, I admit I'm biased--they've always given me great rooms...including a Ambassador "Cathedral" Suite. The Grand Club has an excellent cocktail hour and who wouldn't prefer the breakfast buffet at Radii to the typical continental fare otherwise offered in the Club?)

RichardInSF

No, the problem is unique to this hotel. Hotel service is not great in Australia anywhere I've been, but it's not the joke it has been at this hotel.

For example, I have never had a service catastrophe at the PH Sydney and I've had a different major catastrophe EVERY time I stay at the PH Melbourne. I have naively been going back at 2-3 year intervals to see if things have gotten better.

For example: The last time, all the cold water stopped in the middle of the night in my half of the hotel and the night staff refused to 'bother anyone' to look at it until morning.

This meant it was impossible to flush a toilet or take a shower (except with scalding hot water), etc. They eventually deigned to provide me with a bucket so that I could take the scalding hot water from the shower and pour it into the toilet for a flush, but even that took 30 minutes of middle-of-the-night negotiation with a staff that couldn't care less.

holtju2

In developed countries service personnel are typically paid a living wage and thus tipping is not expected.

holtju2

BTW I stayed there in earlier this year using FFN's and checked the Grand Hyatt out as well. PH is much nicer than the average GH Mel.

I don't recall that I would have had any problems there. I thought that the lounge was actually quite nice.