Please post your Royal Ambassador experiences (Archive Thread 2010)
Dec 30, 2010, 4:20 am
#706
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: XMN, TPE, TSA
Programs: JGC-P, OW Emerald, IHG Diamond
Posts: 53
Dec 30, 2010, 8:52 am
#707
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: England
Programs: IHG
Posts: 526
IC Cologne
What is your PC Status?
RA
What room did you book and what did you receive?
Cheapest room Sweet Dilema reward night, I was offered a suite but asked if I could swap it for a standard room with Club access. This was agreed so I did not get to see the original room.
The concierge desk was unmanned and there were no bellboys so we carried our own bags to the room.
How are the rooms?
I was disappointed and would describe the rooms as shabby.
Agreed it's an old hotel but our room needed a major refurbishment.
What was your welcome gift/
None received
Did you receive fruit in the room?
No
How was the club lounge?
On the 7th floor and unmanned at 2pm. I tried to make a Latte but there was no milk in the coffee machine so I made a pot of tea only to discover there was no cold milk either.
The following morning when my wife and I were eating breakfast I was aksed for my room number. The guy went away for a moment and then returned and said were not entitled to eat here and should take breakfast downstairs, causing embarrassment in front of other guests.
Maybe this was because we had a standard room on the 6th floor, not a 7th floor club room.
I politely asked him to check again which he did but did not return. I approached him 5 minutes later and asked if he had contacted reception to which he replied "Yes, it's ok now".
What was good?
Good location, easy to walk to shops, river, restaurants etc.
Reception staff were helpful and friendly. Complimentary mini bar drinks were granted along with free movie.
What was bad?
Club service, unmanned concierge desk, old carpets, very old bathroom.
Value for money?
With Club access and free mini bar this was exceptional value but as a paying guest I would be reluctant to return here.
Additional comment
Guests must to pay a "mandatory" 5% City/Culture/Tourist tax, even on reward nights.
What is your PC Status?
RA
What room did you book and what did you receive?
Cheapest room Sweet Dilema reward night, I was offered a suite but asked if I could swap it for a standard room with Club access. This was agreed so I did not get to see the original room.
The concierge desk was unmanned and there were no bellboys so we carried our own bags to the room.
How are the rooms?
I was disappointed and would describe the rooms as shabby.
Agreed it's an old hotel but our room needed a major refurbishment.
What was your welcome gift/
None received
Did you receive fruit in the room?
No
How was the club lounge?
On the 7th floor and unmanned at 2pm. I tried to make a Latte but there was no milk in the coffee machine so I made a pot of tea only to discover there was no cold milk either.
The following morning when my wife and I were eating breakfast I was aksed for my room number. The guy went away for a moment and then returned and said were not entitled to eat here and should take breakfast downstairs, causing embarrassment in front of other guests.
Maybe this was because we had a standard room on the 6th floor, not a 7th floor club room.
I politely asked him to check again which he did but did not return. I approached him 5 minutes later and asked if he had contacted reception to which he replied "Yes, it's ok now".
What was good?
Good location, easy to walk to shops, river, restaurants etc.
Reception staff were helpful and friendly. Complimentary mini bar drinks were granted along with free movie.
What was bad?
Club service, unmanned concierge desk, old carpets, very old bathroom.
Value for money?
With Club access and free mini bar this was exceptional value but as a paying guest I would be reluctant to return here.
Additional comment
Guests must to pay a "mandatory" 5% City/Culture/Tourist tax, even on reward nights.
Dec 30, 2010, 2:03 pm
#708
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
IC Paris Marceau
IC Paris Marceau
What is your PC Status?
RA
What room did you book and what did you receive?
Booked executive, got suite with terrace.
How are the rooms?
Wonderfully designed room: It isn't overly large (probably 50 sqm), fairly large bathroom with large bathtub (bathrooms in other rooms are a tad tiny).
I did like the chique-elegant furniture, although I'm not a big fan of "design hotels".
Two sets of 200ml Hermès toiletries.
Nice (albeit smallish) terrace with view over Paris with chairs and some sunloungers. Great in the warmer months.
Seating area.
What was your welcome gift?
Bottle of Taittinger ^
Macarons (Fauchon) ^
What was good?
Upgrade and treatment was perfect.
Staff was wonderful, always greeted by name
Concierge was excellent, recommended a great restaurant and made serveral reservations for us, got us "side-entrance" tickets for Musée d'Orsay (skipping the long line).
What was bad?
-
Value for money?
Will certainly return. Value in Paris Hotels? Oh well...
What is your PC Status?
RA
What room did you book and what did you receive?
Booked executive, got suite with terrace.
How are the rooms?
Wonderfully designed room: It isn't overly large (probably 50 sqm), fairly large bathroom with large bathtub (bathrooms in other rooms are a tad tiny).
I did like the chique-elegant furniture, although I'm not a big fan of "design hotels".
Two sets of 200ml Hermès toiletries.
Nice (albeit smallish) terrace with view over Paris with chairs and some sunloungers. Great in the warmer months.
Seating area.
What was your welcome gift?
Bottle of Taittinger ^
Macarons (Fauchon) ^
What was good?
Upgrade and treatment was perfect.
Staff was wonderful, always greeted by name
Concierge was excellent, recommended a great restaurant and made serveral reservations for us, got us "side-entrance" tickets for Musée d'Orsay (skipping the long line).
What was bad?
-
Value for money?
Will certainly return. Value in Paris Hotels? Oh well...
Last edited by Chinatrvl; Dec 30, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Dec 31, 2010, 3:42 am
#709
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
5% of what on a reward night?
Dec 31, 2010, 7:22 am
#711
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Manchester
Programs: Hertz Gold / Hilton Diamond / Hyatt Plat / Marriott Gold / IC RA / SPG Plat
Posts: 707
"Each reward is valid only for a double or king room for one night and tax. Reward Night reservations may be booked for multiple hotel rooms (less than 10) on the same stay date at the same property provided the Priority Club Rewards member number is recorded on each reservation and the required points are redeemed for each room. Rooms are limited, subject to prior sale and availability of allocated resources and may be unavailable during high demand periods."
Dec 31, 2010, 9:06 am
#712
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: England
Programs: IHG
Posts: 526
Only standard room taxes are paid by PC, separate city taxes are not covered.
Cologne introduced a City Art & Culture Tax on 1st October 2010 which inturn attracts 7% government VAT. http://www.stadt-koeln.de/1/stadtfinanzen/06826/
There is a dedicated thread on the subject.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...rd-stay-2.html