stimpy

-Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, very much so! Probably the finest modern hotel I have seen in Eastern Europe. At least from an RA Club perspective.

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked cheapest and got a club corner suite.

- How are the rooms?
Very nice and modern. Excellent water pressure in the rain shower. Elemis products, also same in health club.

- How is the exec. lounge?
One of the nicest in Europe. They don't call it evening snacks. They call it dinner and they have regular two-person dining tables in the dining area. Four hot dishes, all nice and plenty of other stuff too. Lots of decent drinks, all free pour. At least one guest may come in for free and partake of whatever. Lots of nice couches and chairs in this large club, and a library. Free internet terminals and free wifi.

As mentioned by Jouy, the 43rd floor pool is real nice albeit small for my tastes. The jacuzzi is nice and reasonably hot as is the sauna. But the steam room isn't hot enough. The rest of the health club is pretty nice too. Power Plate, Lifecycle stuff, good set of dumbbells, etc.

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
-upgrade
-staff
-lounge
-view
- Free internet in room, not sure if that is due to Club or RA?
-decent minibar
- car service. Nice 5-series BMW's that cost about the same as a Parisien taxi. The normal taxis are pretty cheap here. 48 zloty from the airport.
- RA gift of fruit and bottle of Argentinian plonk.
- short walk to huge shopping mall

Bad:
- nothing

nicolas75

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum RA

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, as always

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked cheapest room and received an executive suite on the club floor with club access

How are the rooms?
Contemporary still warm interior design
Superb grey marble bathroom
Expresso machine
Ipod dock
Free wifi

How is the exec. lounge?
Large, elegant, quiet, with excellent staff and very good selection of food
Magazines, books, games, free wifi, PC with printer

What was good and what was bad?

GOOD
- Very attentive and smiling staff
- Elegant décor
- Pool
- Club access
- Free Wifi

BAD
Nothing

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Absolutely. IC is an excellent option to stay in the exciting city of Berlin

Mystery_Voyager

I just finished another stay in IC Berlin today.
So far, I always was very pleased. But this time I was very annoyed!
Instead of upgrading myself to the promised (!) Suite I received a regular room on the club level. Newspaper was two days old...greeting card for another guest in the room... old fashioned TV which one could hardly view from the bed.
I complained and they said that all junior suites were occupied. I just wondered that regular junior suites were bookable online...
But instead of upgrading me to another suite they offered an upgrade to a Junior Suite on the club level IF I were willig to pay extra!!
I just wrote a complaint to the hotel...hope they will sort it out and not just say "we are soooo sorry...". I will report!

BugAlugs

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
yes
- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Deluxe Double Bed / received club double bed
- How are the rooms?
Nice, clean, classic, Elemis product.
- How is the exec. lounge?
didn't use it
- What was good and what was bad?
It was all good, had to change room first time as it as two single beds.
- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
At the business rate it was exceptional value, Perhaps I should of pushed for a suite as the club access (although nice) isn't of much use to me when on long days.

stephen77

IC Dubai-Festival City.

What is your PriorityClub Status?

Platinum RA.

Were you happy with hotel/stay?

Yes - perfect ^

Which room did you book? What upgrade did you receive?

Booked a Club Room on an advance purchase rate for 7 nights. Showed on priorityclub as an upgrade to Superior Suite. On check-in i was upgraded to a 2 Room Suite with 1 King Bed and 2 Single Beds. Also used my weekend night voucher.

How are the rooms?

Fantastic! Lovely 145 SQM Suite on the Club floor - level 26. The Suite had a separate Lounge, dining area and bathroom with small kitchen area. 2 separate bedrooms - one with a King Bed and the other with 2 Single beds. Both Bedrooms had separate bathrooms with tub and shower areas. Elemis products. Fresh flowers in the room x 3. Complimentary WIFI in the room as I had booked a Club package.
Minibar included soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits.
Welcome treatment included welcome letter, fruit and water. Ambassador gift was 4 Dubai drink coasters.

How is the IC Club Lounge?

The lounge is on level 26 offering lovely views over downtown and the Dubai skyline. They had 3 daily presentations. Breakfast which included made to order eggs and was served until 11am. Afternoon tea consisting of sandwiches and cakes 3-5. Evening drinks and hot food and salad items from 5-8. Moet Champagne is available during this time. Complimentary WIFI is available in the lounge.

What was good and what was bad?

Good?

* Early Check-in at 5AM.
* Amazing Room Upgrade.
* 2 way airport Lexus transfer with Club Package - however the airport is only about 5-10 minutes away depending on traffic!
* Extensive gym with free weights and machines.
* Excellent pool area with attentive staff.
* Festival City Shopping on the doorstep.
* Late check-out at 18:00

Bad?

* ? location - you do need to get taxis everywhere which is no major issue. Around £4 each way into downtown.

Value for £ / Would you return?

Yes i would return. The staff are so friendly and helpful. The hotel is not cheap but its perfect in every way!

Goonerfish

What is your Priority Club status?

Platinum RA

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?

Delighted

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked executive room through virtuoso (club lounge access included) and was upgraded to a Prestige Suite Opera House View.

After getting there at roughly 1 pm I was told our room was not ready and was given a voucher for 2 free drinks at the bar. My GF and I naturally chose the most expensive drinks on the menu and sat down in the bar to wait for the rooms to be ready. Cut a long story short, after yet another 2 free drinks voucher and a few trips to the club lounge, I was told our room still wasn't ready. I was offered a room in the meantime to wait in which I declined and went out for an hour or so to come back to being told yes my room was ready and that they had a lovely "deluxe" room ready for me. I laughed at them and said that my reservation had shown on PC as an Opera House View Prestige Suite...NOT A DELUXE ROOM. After the reception guy insisting that there was a mistake on his system and that no suites were available that night I started to kick up a real big fuss and displayed my frustration at having been kept waiting for nearly 4 hours and in the end not even getting allocated the correct room!! Eventually form having no suites available. like a miracle he found me an Opera House View Prestige Suite and I was eventually given my key. Not the best start to a day when I had been travelling for 8 hours or so and the purpose of the trip was to propose to my GF!

How are the rooms?

Seperate lounge and bedroom areas
1 Bathroom & Toilet and Seperate guest toilet by entrance.
Very elegant and grand design
2 large flat screen TV
3 balconies leading out to directly opposite the opera house... BEAUTIFUL VIEW
Lovely main bathroom

How is the exec. lounge?

Yes quite good!...I booked through Virtuoso therefore Club access was included in the rate which is a good thing because I think the rate to enter the club lounge is in the region of 120 Euros (90 for Royal Ambassadors)

Received nice breakfast in the morning with a selection of hot dishes too. (Not just the standard cold continental breakfasts you receive in most club lounges) On one morning my GF ordered an omelette, which was brought up to the lounge some 10 minutes later piping hot & freshly made!

Luchtime snacks were finger food with some gorgeous dessert options.

Dinner was again finger food including frois gras and various tasty selections.

Lounge was open until 9pm and from 7pm they also offered unlimited free alcohol which was greatly received. (All known major spirits and beers and local champagne)

Staff could not do enough for you!!

Def one of the nicest club lounges I've visited.

What was good and what was bad?

GOOD

- Very helpful staff, from the concierge to club lounge staff and especially guest relations!!!
- Grandeur of the décor
- Hotel Ideally centrally located
- Lovely room - In the end!
- Free bottle of champagne delivered to celebrate engagement.
- Returned from dinner to find guest relations had let themselves into my room to lay out Rose petals on my bed in the shape of a giant heart. Also rose petals in bath with a handwritten note along with a plate of patisserie s and cakes. (AMAZING TOUCH!!!)
- Minibar was well stocked and replaced instantly when asked (Was completely free as RA with no issues at check out!
- Used BOGOF without any issue!
- 4pm check out!


BAD

- Check-in fiasco and having to wait too long for our room.
- Internet is expensive
- Room service is EXTORTIONATE!! (20 EUROS FOR A BOWL OF CEREAL!!!)


Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

1 MILLION percent!!!

Paid 328 Euros for 2 nights (Used bogof 2nd night) for a room which on the best available rate is 925 Euros per night!! So that's nearly 2,000 Euros worth of stay for just over 300 Euros....not forgetting unlimited minibar and club lounge access.....Was incredible value for money and I would not hesitate to return!!!!!!!

flylinda

Did she say YES??????

uk1

...... and by this stage ... how much had she drunk?!

vsevolod4

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Delighted as always

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Deluxe Room; one night prepaid rate; second night free. Upgraded both to Executive Suite, which is a Hospitality Suite

- How are the rooms?
Two full bathrooms, a foyer, a pantry/wetbar area, a hospitality area which has a dining room table, couches, two flatscreens. Lovely. This time it was a corner arrangement where the hospitality room is a bit smaller than the nearby area (in that configuration, the bedroom had two double beds; the corner suite has a King). Most importantly, 2 minibars. Moet in both! Replenished daily.

- How is the exec. lounge?
Not offered.

- What was good and what was bad?
+ Staff could not be nicer.
+ The hotel is the jewel in IC's crown for North America.
+ Lovely location
+ Most historic hotel in DC, and in IC's North American portfolio
+ Able to access Borders' WiFi from across the street
+ Private label Napa Cab as the RA gift
- Could have a Club for RAs.
- The Peoples' Democratic Republic of the District of Columbia levies ridiculous taxes on hotel bills and everything else.

- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?[/QUOTE]
Both are good value for money. True, some days the Willard runs $500; others it runs $240. It's a bargain in the latter case

Goonerfish

Funnily enough nearly the whole minibar!! (Well it was free!!!)

And she said................................YES!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wahey!!!!!

I see a few bogofs coming in handy for honeymoon!....Bora Bora and Moorea me thinks!!!!

vsevolod4

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard, got 2-class upgrade to "executive room" which is basically a junior suite. You don't get suites here.
But, for the past several months, RAs DO get access to the outstanding lounge.

- How are the rooms?
A little bit noisy if you're next to an elevator, but nice, tastefully furnished.

- How is the exec. lounge?
Outstanding; perhaps the best in North America. Large, bountiful food and drink, open all day (although alcohol only from 5pm ff.). Some people actually pay $60 for the privilege.

- What was good and what was bad?
Slightly skimpy upgrade but the lounge access makes it a net win (to be fair, the IC San Francisco in SOMA gives you a suite AND lounge access, better upgrade, less of a lounge).

- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Yes, I have now started staying again at the Mark; I had stopped for several years.
And the AAA rate was $108, which is outstanding VFM.

uk1

Congrats - well done. Keep her plied with booze and hopefully she won't change her mind.

Chinatrvl

IC Berchtesgaden

-Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, absolutely!

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked executive got penthouse suite.

- How are the rooms?
Great 150 sqm suite, as previously mentioned. Privacy issues regarding bathroom and bedroom, but we have managed to live with it by now

- How is the exec. lounge?
Wish this hotel had one!

- What was good and what was bad?
Good:
- Upgrade
- Room ready when we checked in
- New RA wine which tastes good (Winkler Hermaden Blauer Zweigelt)
- Tasty chocolates and other sweets as additional RA present
- Front office manager - she's awesome
- Concierges great, but they expect double digit tips every time...

- They have great trips and events, mostly for free:
+ Walking tour around the Obersalzberg, during day
+ Same walking tour with torches (very much recommended, very impressive)
+ Wine tasting, dégustation (free!)
+ Horse sledge rides (charge)
+ Sushi class (charge)
+ "Kid's bakery" (free)

Bad:
- "Normal" front desk staff can be a bit snotty.
-Spa area gets croweded when everyone returns from skiing etc. (between 4.45 and 6 pm) --> avoid during this time, and go for the wine tasting instead

- Value for € or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Yes, already planned, adv. purchase was below 200 €/ night - great

jimthehorsegod

Contratulations!

So, about the reception. I assume we'll all get our invites soon, but if you wouldn't mind letting us know sortof mid-morning GMT that'll give us in Europe a chance to get the cheap rooms before the yanks wake up and pinch them all

Goonerfish

Absolutely....invites are in the post as we speak! All donations gratefully accepted!!!

Incidentally....should we be more worried about the yanks nicking the cheap rooms or the Germans nicking the sunbeds????