mlpinto

Hi

Apologies in advance for a ramblign post...

I have just got back home from three nights at Le Grand IC Paris which I had booked on the Conde Nast Promo (3 nights for the price of 2 and a free meal at Cafe de la Paix).

I booked a Club Room, expecting an upgrade to a junior suite due to my Ambassador status.

First the good - we had a lovely room - upgraded to a junior suite which was very spacious and our Ambassador gifts were ready and waiting for us.

Now the not so good - the "free two course meal" at Cafe de la Paix is actually just a discount voucher for 62 Euros. Still we had a delicious meal and were more than happy with the quality of food, wine and service.

And the bad - on arriving, we were shown to our room by the "Customer Relation Manager" When I checked with her that lounge access was included in our reservation she told me it was not. I asked her to double check my reservation, which she did by calling the front desk and she told me we could have access but only if we paid 80 Euros each per day. Her explanation was that Club Rooms did not have lounge access as standard.

At this point I thought I had been confused when making my reservation and let the matter go. My booking included breakfast in Cafe de la Paix, which was gorgeous. I also had a busy time in Paris with not much time that I would have spent in the lounge.

However, now that I'm back home and have checked my reservation - it does clearly state access to the Club Duplex with breakfast, snacks, evening drinks, etc. I knew my memory wasn't that bad!

Needless to say I have emailed the hotel and Ambassador customer services and look forward to what they have to say!

Has anyone else had a similar experience? If so what compensation did you get?

Cheers

Marcel

pauleeepaul

Sounds like you got hosed. If the Club room rate doesn't include use of the Club then what rate does? I generally want use of the club, and always thought booking a club rate/room was the way to ensure access without (over)relying on AMB status. Maybe the Le Grand is still licking its wounds from the assault on the Club (and the Moet in particular) that the Departures promo brought on last year. In any event please post how you fare.

Imperial Special

If this is so, why would anybody pay EUR445 for a Club Room when they can have a Deluxe Room for as low as EUR311?

mlpinto

My point exactly! Albeit that I paid EUR330 for the Club Room and the Deluxe was about EUR270 at the time I booked.

Anyway - I'll post again when I get a response from PC or the hotel.

Cheers

Marcel

mlpinto

Well I just got a reply from Ambassador Customer Services. They have told me that:

"Your feedback has been shared with the management staff of the
InterContinental Ambassador Service Center, which will in turn pass
them on
to our corporate executives that make decisions pertaining to future
enhancements of our program. Further, we have documented your specific
experience so we may follow-up with the hotel."

As compensation they have ordered me another free weekend night certificate. Better than nothing, I guess.

Cheers

Marcel

Imperial Special

I had thought of buying Ambassador before using the Conde Nast offer but in view of the treatment of ML Pinto I think I'll skip that and just book a Deluxe room and have breakfast at the Cafe de la Paix.

mlpinto

Yep - sounds a good plan. Mind you the Club room we had was very nice.

At Cafe de la Paix, make sure to try the strawberry jam with chocolate that they have at breakfast (it's not in the pots on the table but with the pastries, etc)!

Cheers

Marcel

Tempus Fugit

I would have thought that a refund of the difference between what you paid for and what you actually received ie 60 Euros per day (330-270) would be the appropriate compensation AS WELL AS something extra to make up for their mistake. Not wanting to make trouble but I would have pressed for a refund as 60 Euros is not a small amount!

mlpinto also wrote:
" However, now that I'm back home and have checked my reservation - it does clearly state access to the Club Duplex with breakfast, snacks, evening drinks, etc. I knew my memory wasn't that bad!"

And this is why I always carry a copy of the confirmation with me!

While I have not had that exact problem before, I have had a disagrement (at a Westin property a few years ago) as to whether or not the rate did in fact as I claimed include 2 people (without a surcharge for the second person) . Luckily I had the reservation center FAX me a confirmation as well as email it. The hotel clerk pushed the email confirm aside (this was before email confirms were widely used and accepted) as if it meant nothing, but when I dug out the FAX with the Westin central reservation letterhead prominentaly displayed he immediately apologized and the matter was settled.

Since that time always carry the confirmation with me, though since I often book on line it is either a print out of the confirmation page or the email confirmation (or both if there are some "extras" included or the rate is unusually low etc).

Gustaf

And what was the reply from the hotel itself?

mlpinto

Well, I had a telephone call from the hotel's guest relations manager earlier today. This has left me even more disappointed. She first explained that this was a cock up at their end and my reservation was incorrectly recorded. She also said my profile had been amended and they would very much like the opportuntity to have me stay again, etc, etc, blah, blah.

Things took a downward turn when she said " your booking for a Club Room only entitled you to a superior room and your ambassador status would entitle you to an upgrade to a deluxe room, but we upgraded you to a junior suite (so stop complaining and asking for compensation)". When I said that a one level upgrade from a club room should be to a junior suite anyway she said this is only the case for Royal Ambassadors!

Sadly when she called I was about to go into a meeting so didn't have the time to argue. Needless to say this looks like it will go on for a while!

Cheers

Marcel

DoubleJ

This makes no sense at all. "Your booking for a Club Room only entitled you to a superior room" A booking for a Club Room by someone with no IC status whatsoever would still get them a Club Room. Is a Superior Room considered equal in rank to or above a Club Room at the LeGrand IC Paris? Or is this a condition of the Conde Nast Promo (Book two Club Room nights, get three Superior room nights instead)? Someone please enlighten me.

Dino2020

I have sent you a PM with the email address of the PA to the general manager, she is sorted out my issues no problem at all.

In an email I would highlight you paid for for a club floor room with club access, you were upgraded as per the terms and conditions for Ambassadors, in now way should this of affected the club lounge access.
No where in the terms and condtions does it say when you are upgraded do you lose the right to club lounge access the upgrade applys to the room only.

And I would go on to say

That you have been upgraded before from a club floor to a suite and have never lost the lounge access, and your reservation clearly stated you had club lounge access and if it is the policy of the Legrand to go against the terms and conditions set out by the priorty club this should of been explained when the upgrade was offered.

And as a gesture of good will, for causing stress and as form of an appology you would like a partial refund for not been able to access the club lounge.


Dino

mlpinto

Yes it is ridiculous. Looking at a random date in March a Club Room is more expensive to book than a junior suite! The hotel rep implied that I would have had a superior room on the club floor with lounge access, but was upgraded to a junior suite on the club floor with no lounge access!

I'm awaiting my next response.On the bright side my points posted today including a nice three night stay bonus!

Marcel

Imperial Special

So a Club Room (EUR445 p.n.) is a Superior Room (EUR294 5 day avp) but without the Club facilities if you get an 'upgrade' to Junior Suite which now costs less than a Club Room!

I used the Departures offer last year and was very happy. Before it expires on 28 February I had planned to use the Conde Nast offer by purchasing a Deluxe Room. I had thought of buying Ambassador before booking but in view of this 'upgrade' I will definitely give that a skip.

mlpinto

Another day, another bizarre development... Here is the latest response from Ambassador Customer Services:

"While we believe that you have been mislead upon booking the reservation
online, we can also confirm that the hotel has offered you a so called
"Press promotion by Conde-Nast newspaper United Kingdom edition" upon
your arrival which entitles you to have a three nights stay for a price of
two nights and you were given two dinner vouchers worth 31 Eur per person.
This is the reason why you have not been offered the Club lounge access.

We will still get in touch with the hotel to discuss this matter further and
will inform you of the resolution as soon as possible. "

If anyone else was planning to use the Conde Nast offer - don't!

Cheers

Marcel