PhilH

OK, there is a new CP property opening in Queenstown, NZ ^ , which is the refurbished Park Royal hotel. It looks like a very nice option for anyone heading down to Queenstown, which is an amazing destination. I am looking to be there in March and was unable to book a revenue stay (no availability), but there was availability for award stays. I found this a bit weird, so enquried and it appears that revenue stays ("all channels and rates") will be book-able on the ICHG website from 9 January 2006 (all going to plan).

I'm intending to stay in March, so will try and post a review/report on my website once I have done so. Anyway just FYI for anyone interested in this property, there is a special refurbishment website:

http://www.refurb.queenstown.crowneplaza.com/

TrayflowInUK

I just booked two nights there later this month... hope it's nice! I noticed your website lists Mercure instead, did you change your mind?

TrayflowInUK

Just finished a 3-day stay at CP Queenstown a few days ago.

Paid $132 for two nights, booked ahead of time on PriorityClub website with 14-day advance purchase rate. All $ quoted here are NZ$.

Showed up at the hotel 1 day early by accident (!), and they moved our booking ahead one day and honoured the 14-day APEX rate. In the end we stayed a third night and they gave us the same rate again, no questions asked.

Hotel is bang in the centre of Queenstown, location cannot be faulted. Easy to find as well, on road towards Glenorchy.

At check-in, we were offered us a $40/night upgrade to a lake view room on 7th floor. I asked about a complimentary PC Gold upgrade, they said they'd already upgraded me. I had booked 2 Double Beds Mountain View Non-Smoking. I was upgraded to... 2 Double Beds Mountain View Non-Smoking. I remarked that this seemed somewhat weak, but I was told that I was moved up two floors already, and that constitutes an upgrade. Whatever. I kept my $40.

Room was very nicely decorated, furnished and laid out. Beds very comfortable. Everything seemed new and well-maintained, good-quality fixtures and fittings.

Hotel décor is very chic, I really liked it.

Hotel has FREE parking including FREE valet parking. This being NZ, when I tried to tip valet driver he seemed a bit surprised. Didn't try again!

Hotel has a wireless internet service through the conference centre, but you need to get an access code from the front desk, who will deny that the WiFi is working. But I could get a login page! Anyway, they wouldn't give me access code, saying instead that I had to use broadband connection in room. Cost was pretty high, a really silly (and extortionate) tariff: 68c/min up to a maximum of $33.69/24-hr period. ...! Oh, and 20c/MB for every megabyte over 50 MB in your 24-hr period!

No gym, pool, or hot tub, but there is a decent sauna facility on 4th floor. Laundry also on 4th floor, $2/wash (including soap), $1/dry. Pretty damn good value for a major chain hotel IMHO. American-sized washing machines too, proper ones unlike the dinky ones we have to deal with in Europe!

Breakfast has four options, can't remember cheapest one, but there is hot buffet breakfast for $17, cold buffet for $17, or full Kiwi (hot+cold) for $22. All food is on the same buffet area. The buffet was EXCELLENT all three days, eggs were about as good as hotel buffet eggs can get, service was very friendly. Very wide choice of food. You do have to ask aggresively get coffee though!

There were a few hiccups, and I'm not sure whether to attribute them to typical big-name hotel fleecing or just new hotel jitters.

We got in late first night and were dead tired, having been stuck behind a mudslide near Haast Pass. So we ordered Room Service, something we rarely ever do. We thought menu was pretty good value (considering it was Room Service in a CP); menu stated "No Delivery Charge" and "Beer - $5". Well, we were charged $4 delivery charge and $6.50 for each beer. Trouble is, I did the ordering and Mrs. TrayflowinUK signed the bill while I was on a conference call. When we disputed the following morning, front desk couldn't believe that our menu said no delivery charge. So we had to bring it downstairs. They apologised profusely and refunded the $7. I stated repeatedly that the $7 is not the issue, it's the principle. Either way, that evening when we returned we had a new menu... showing a $4 delivery charge.

Bottom line, we were happy with this hotel and thought it to be great value. I don't know if the $132/night rates will be continuing, I think I got a great rate due to shoulder season and because it's a new hotel.

mario33

Thanks for the stay report.

When I was in Queenstown a few years back, I noticed the Parkroyal was one of the best located hotel there and being just across the road from the lake, the view must also be quite spectacular. However the Parkroyal did look very run down then, and I promised myself another trip to Queenstown if they ever refurbish that hotel. Looks like the time has finally come for another trip to Queenstown

Now my problem is getting a cheap airticket to NZ, which is not easy if you live in KUL especially with MH increasing their fares lately

Dave Noble

I stayed there a few weeks ago and also found it a nice hotel. I didn't make use of valet parking since I found it easy just to park on the car park on the 6th floor.

I am not surprised that you didn't receive an upgrade as a gold member, since there are not that many lake view rooms and upgrades are not a listed benefit of gold status. As a platinum member, I had been automatically been allocated a lake view room

The price for in room internet seemed to be pretty on par ime for Australia and new Zealand

Dave

AJLondon

I stayed there early April and was most impressed with the treatment and the staff. As Plat RA, got an upgrade to 7th floor lake view. ^ (I had booked the cheapest standard room.) Surprisingly, the reception staff knew what RA stood for. Got escorted to the room by the duty manager. The room was great with a balcony, flat screen telly etc. Turn down service with choccies and bottled water etc. What was most impressive was the personalized treatment, in that every manager of staff knew my name and always addressed me as Mr AJLondon. ^

As a VIP guest, (their words not mine!), I also got an invite for a private cocktail party with senior hotel staff and some VIP's from Queenstown to celebrate the launch of 360, their new restaurant.

Buffet breakfast was excellent too. And the lovely Irish lady (blonde hair, 40's) made a wicked combo of a Cafe Mocha + Espresso for me each morning at breakie.

The chief conceirge (Nathan Wise) was most knowledgeable, and helped sort out my wine tours, Milford Sound trip etc. He patiently explained to me all possible options and price ranges and the differences between them, before letting me choose. And his recommendations were spot on. The two younger concierges were fabulous eye candy too.

P.S.: Internet access: Once you walk out of the hotel and take a left and follow the road (the one with cars, and not the pedestrianized one) for about a 100 metres, you should come across to atleast 2 web cafes which offer internet access for about $2 an hour.

TrayflowInUK

This is probably the third time I've ever used valet in my life. Since we only took the car out once a day, I figured I'd try it out. I never waited for the car, no one expected baksheesh, and it was right in front of the hotel. Very impressed.

I'm not a hotel programme guru, so I have a hard time keeping track of all the published bennies of all the multicoloured cards in my wallet. So I routinely ask for an upgrade, why not, and almost invariably get one, albeit a small one. I'm writing this from an upgraded room at the CP Auckland, which I got only after I asked the front desk staff about an upgrade when I checked in last night. They said they will always grant one to a PC Gold on request if space is available. At the end of the day, I usually don't care that much about room upgrades, so I'm not at all disgruntled about the CP Queenstown in that respect, but I don't want to be told I'm getting one when all they did was move me up two floors.

Yes, rate is exactly the same here in Auckland. My complaint is two-fold: first, no matter what they charge at other hotels, the rates that the big name hotels charge for in-room internet are nothing short of fleecing, when Holiday Inns in the US seem to have free internet! I have lived in UK/Europe since 2002 and this rate is on par, and sometimes a little cheaper, than what you find at the big name hotels there. But it's still a rip-off, and I wish I had the fortitude to vote with my feet! I stayed at two motels here in NZ that gave me Wifi for free, and another that charged me $20 for 24 hours cumulative. Anyway, my second complaint is 68c/min up to $33.69... where the hell did they come up with a tariff like that???

Dave Noble

Without knowing all the room options, they may have higher level rooms as a different classification.

*shrug* what they may do in the US is irrelevent to what they do in Oz/NZ.

Dave

3points

I hear myself grumble over this remark!! Have to admitt ANZ hotels seem to be behind on the room Internet rates..would'nt it be great to use your PCR points for in-house internet?

Or why don't they provide FOC for plat members etc.. Would be interested to see what its happening in the rest of the world


[QUOTE=TrayflowInUK] .....My complaint is two-fold: first, no matter what they charge at other hotels, the rates that the big name hotels charge for in-room internet are nothing short of fleecing, when Holiday Inns in the US seem to have free internet!.... QUOTE]


On another note looking forward to maybe seeing the Queenstown hotel this winter..

cheers
3points

jswong

Just completed a 3 night stay and must say I loved the place (great location, rooms, views etc..). I did however have I more than my fair share of problems which I think come under staff training. My rate was booked months ago (with lounge access, breakfast, internet access etc) for a very reasonable $224 NZD per day

However the problems I had included

1) Internet access. First told I only had access only in the business centre and thus only used internet access there. Then told I did not qualify for free internet access at all (when I reqested another access code). Last person told me that I had it in my room and that it was indeed free! (found this out on the second night)

2) Lounge access. Of course there is no lounge at this CP. No problem but what nobody (apart from the GM.. more about that later) told me was that I could request the canapes/drinks in my room or request them in the bar

3) On check out my credit card was charged for the stay (despite my rate being completely prepaid and a cash credit being prepared). I did challenge and the charge reversed/voided

4) No mention of the free/included breakfast at check in (I had forgot about this as I don't normally eat breakfast)

On my second day I asked to speak with the General Manager. I am pleased to report he was extremely helpful. He explained that the package I purchased, in essense, no longer existed and that it had been discontinued due to confusion especially regarding the lounge. In lieu of that my reservation was termed a Crowne Upgrade, although he did concede this was noted in my booking and the staff should have known what benefits this included. In the end he reduced my first night rate (given that I had not had the benefits of the rate for the first night) and I think might have been responsible for a bottle of wine disappearing from the account

I note that on the PC website the exact same package as I purchased is still listed (possibly more a limitation of the website than anything else). It may be that I was simply unlucky but I don't like having to enquire about and fight to get the benefits included in the rate

The canapes that I was able to take advantage of on the 3rd night were fantastic (hot and specially prepared). As mentioned I loved the room (a lake facing room is a must) and otherwise found the service very friendly etc..

And would/will I stay there again?? Absolutely!!

Jeff

Brendan

I have a room reserved there for 2 nights in March 2007 @NZ$195 a night rather than 25K PC a night. I am a Pt Ambassador & also intend 2 stay at the IC Wellington & the HI Christchurch City Centre (15K PC points a night rather than NZ$195.) In fact, if I tour NZ in a different order, the NZ$445 Presidential Suite in CHC is bookable @ 15K a night ^!

Please note that these (maybe all NZ) hotels now quote rates GST-included from Sep. 1/ 2006.

Chris Wheatley

How does the CP compare to the new Sofitel? I know the locations are very close, but the views from the CP would be better.

SASfan

What sort of upgrade can a Gold member with the purchased Ambassador status expect from this property?

Thanks!

daveinsf

I just completed a five night stay at the CP Queenstown on the 5,000 point a night saver deal that was offered a couple months ago. I called ahead to find out the chances of getting a lakeview room. Was told that for $NZ60 a night I could get a deluxe lakeview room so I opted for it since from my previous two stays I know they do have a lot of non-lakeview rooms. Room was on second floor (three stories up) so wasn't ideal but still could see the lake pretty well although the Steamer Wharf Building kind of blocked part of the view. Breakfast wasn't included so we ate at the Vudu Cafe, which I recommend. We did eat the CP the last morning and the food is OK, but nowhere near as good as the spread at the Auckland Hilton. Internet rates are ridiculous, as they are in many places in New Zealand, at 68 cents per minute but there are nearby Internet Cafes that offer it at $3 per hour. And Patagonia Chocolates gives you free wireless access with the purchase of a coffee or whatever. Most of the staff at CP were recent arrivals from other countries: Brazil, England, Canada, Czech Republic.. Nice group of people although many of them knew very little about Queenstown due to having arrived so recently. I was told an Intercontinental and a Westin are going in across the lake, about 20 minutes outside Queenstown, so we'll see how that changes the equation. I would probably stay at the CP again, mostly because of the location, close to town and right across from Steamer Wharf. I'd definitely recommend doing what you have to do to get a lakeview room though.

P.S. One first for me was I found the price of a coke or diet coke in the hotel mini-bar to be the cheapest price in the main part of town at $2.50. Apparently part of the reason is the 24 hour convenience store burned down a couple months ago.

silver springer

Hi Dave. Nice meeting you at the Auckland Hilton and congrats on a nice report. What a good deal you got on 5K point stay! THis will definitely will be on our list the next time we are in Queenstown.

Cheers--Mary Anne