Jet2K

I thought it might be useful to have a thread similar to the excellent Royal Ambassador experiences thread, but focusing on the Priority Club Elite experiences:

- What is your Priority Club status?
- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
- How are the rooms?
- How is the exec. lounge?
- What was good and what was bad?
- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

If you are an Gold or Platinum Ambassador, there is a dedicated thread for Ambassador Experiences. If you post a stay at an Intercontinental Hotel in this thread, I assume that you have no Ambassador Status

Please add the name of the hotel and the city, state for US / CDN, and country, since there are a few cities which are in many states / countries like: Kingston, Paris, Berlin, Portland, etc. to name a few.

Moderators Notice:
Newer Posts could be found in this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...periences.html

FLYGVA
co-moderator IHG Forum

stimpy

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum

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

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked cheapest for about €70, received top floor two room suite (#811) with large balcony and rack rate of €339.

How are the rooms?
Typical Euro HI. Sofa bed in the 2nd room.

What was good and what was bad?

Good:
* Great staff, upgrade and location
* Free Wifi
* Brilliant warm sunshine over NYE weekend

Bad:
Nothing really. Parking under the hotel for €15 is reasonable.

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

essexadventurer

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Ambassador

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, was great value - paid under Ł70 for two nights

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard double on 2 for 1 rate, upgraded to Club floor with Club access without asking.

How are the rooms?
Room was not as large as some of the exec rooms at the HI in Birmingham, but it was very well decorated and very clean. Bathroom had nice premium toiletries - "Prija", and there was complimentary water in the mini-bar.

How is the exec. lounge?
It reminded me in some ways of the CP Heathrow lounge in terms of layout. There was an extensive selection of soft drinks 24/hours a day and also a PC to use. We missed the evening service on our first night but wine, beer and nibbles were served from 5:30-7:30 on New Years Eve, when the lounge was very very busy. A member of staff poured your wine and handed out the beer (maybe because it was new year and they were worried the drinks would go walkies otherwise?) When the wine service was closing she poured us a very large glasses (i.e. half a bottle each ) which kept us going!

There was also complimentary buffet breakfast in the club lounge. At weekends you can usually use the full b1 restaurant downstairs. We did this the 1st morning but on New Years Day (Sunday) they put breakfast in the club lounge because the hotel was so busy.

I'd also note here that I suspect that usually they offer spirits in the club lounge from 5:30-7:30. I could see bottles locked away in the room behind the club reception, but it never made its way out for us!


What was good and what was bad?

Good:
* Nice room
* Central Location
* Excellent value given quality of hotel, upgrade we received and the fact it was NYE.
* Breakfast was good both days

Bad:
* The hotels car park (run by a private company) was fairly expensive. Birmingham has lots of cheap city centre car parks if you know where to look. We ended up in the council car park on Pershore Street which is Ł3 for 24 hours and only 10 or so mins walk from the hotel.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Without a doubt, we had a great stay ^

JAT74L

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Royal Ambassador

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?
Standard Queen Bed upgraded to King Exec plus a voucher for a drink (when taking a meal in the restaurant) as an Ambassador member!

How are the rooms?
Quite nice, bit of a view no wi-fi.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A



What was good and what was bad?

Good:
Pleasant location. Easy enough access to the City via the DLR station which is 2 mins walk.

AMB recognition at a CP!

Bad:
Nothing really.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
At a reasonable rate, yes.




JAT

travel light

[QUOTE=Jet2K;7062784]

- What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum
- Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Quite
- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Deluxe, to "semi-ocean view"
- How are the rooms?
standard.
- How is the exec. lounge?
n/a
- What was good and what was bad?
Best: free valet parking, which otherwise costs $27, in this hyper-automotive area. Walking distance to Pier and beach bike trail. Across the street from Bike center
Worst: unimaginative corporate esthetic

- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Good value at 25K points.

tycosiao

Anyone with recent experience on this property, upgrades on paid/points stays.

I am going to NYC in March and looked at hotels and this property has a good ranking at TA and what I am seeing is free breakfast (included for everyone?)
and free cocktails at happy hours. (for plats)?

Anyone with suggestions on good values for redeeming points for NYC area? CP Times Square? Candlewoods?

Thanks

tafawke

I just got back from three nights (all reward) over New Years Eve at this property and I couldn't fault it.

Happy Hour is every Tue Wed and Thurs from 5pm to 7pm for all hotel guests regardless of PC Status.

Breakfast is also included as free for everyone and wifi is free throughout the hotel.

All three lifts were working and I hardly had to wait at any time during the day or night.

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum

Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
- Queen w/ view. Received same, 30th Floor.
- 3 nights reward
- Late check out on New Years Day 2pm instead of 11am

How are the rooms?
Nice. Not a "suite", but a modest-sized room with (well-equipped) kitchenette. Very good work desk. Would be great for long-term.
Excellent bed - very comfortable.

How is the exec. lounge?
None.


What was good and what was bad?
- Very nice free cocktail hour (beer, wine, hot & cold snacks). No seats but I took up a plate and a drink to my room and that was perfectly acceptable for me.
- Courteous and professional staff - especially Dan at Reception and Eddie the doorman.
- Nice breakfast spread - usually busy but I went quite early and found a seat very easily
- Promised "view" - could see 42nd Street where I would be spending NYE...

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
As a reward night so as a freebie in Times Square over New Years it was perfect - it would have been around $1500 for the three nights otherwise.

tycosiao

Thank you very much and indeed this staybridge can be a good choice at NY area..

RoutingWonk

- What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Ambassador

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

Yup, Quite


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

Booked a Garden View (2nd Tier) and received a Lagoon View Panoramic (4th Tier, highest below suites)


- How are the rooms?

Very nice but themed rustically, so the chairs felt rickety at times but I believe this was by design and not age.

- How is the exec. lounge?

It didn't have one.

- What was good and what was bad?

The Good: The view, the weather, it was a short trip from the airport but didn't have overhead traffic ruining the experience.

The Bad: The food was good quality but was very expensive considering the bump up in cost you'd expect at an IC and then the bump up in price being in French Polynesia but the servings were enormous, even by US standards. I would have preferred some options on the menu that were more reasonable in size and price. Also their high-end restaurant was good but certainly not the once in a lifetime experience they make it out to be.


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

It was about $300 USD/night and I stayed on an AMB BOGO. It was definitely worth the money, and I'd go back even without the BOGO.

WVOz1970

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum

Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
- Double standard
- Received executive level falls view Queen with balcony overlooking the falls
- Complimentary bottle of wine in room

How are the rooms?
Dated. This is an historic hotel though, so I kind of expected a smaller "old timey" room. Bed was comfortable. Because of the warm winter, I was still able to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the falls view

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A


What was good and what was bad?
- Staff was outstanding. Greeted me as a platinum member and immediately informed me of my upgrade.
- Balcony view was outstanding... but you "share" balconies. There's only a small wrought iron fence between each balcony that allows you to easily see next door and even hop over if you were so inclined.
- Elevator... this was a little odd. You rode the standard elevator to the 8th or 9th floor (can't recall) and then got off and walked around the corner to the "executive level" elevator. This added to the old-time feel, as this was an old elevator with the window you could see in and the collapsible metal grid that opened with the door. Really expected to see someone sitting there when I walked in asking me what floor I was going to.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Great value for the price, as I paid about half the cost of a falls view room. I realize that I was there in the off-season. (I was in NY on business and decided to stay on the Ontario side simply because there's more to do). I would imagine the chances of a balcony level upgrade in summertime are slim to none. I will be back in the area in February and will probably try the same thing again.

frechen

HI Paris - Gare de l'Est (France)

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Ambassador

Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Double standard. Received 6th floor suite with view including Tour Eiffel, Montmarte and Gare de l'Est. Also voucher for two drinks at the bar und 1 hour of free (cable) internet (only had my iPodtouch with me).

How are the rooms?
I remember that hotel was one of the first to have the new HI logo two years ago, I think it used to be a Mercure before that. Had been there already once in the then "brand-new" HI. Hotel is in a typical Haussmann-building just outside the Gare de l'Est station. You just "fall out" of the TGV from Germany and into the HI. I still like the interior design (call it traditional) of the hotel, just the bathrooms (one might see pictures taken by other guests on trip advisor) might need a modernization sooner than later. Flat-TV just offers some channels, not even all french TNT-stations.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
Check-in-lady was very nice and offered us this christmas gift of room on the 6th floor. As usually in France, breakfast is more or less limited. So perhaps just have a coffee and some viennoiseries around the corner or in the Gare de l'Est. Métro its just outside the hotel as well as various busses (take the bus and you are traveling with a view and there are also less other tourists in the bus).

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Good value for the price. Very good location if arriving by TGV but not the most city centre for sightseeing but still ok. Would return!

nicolas75

Some tips to visit Paris by bus on RATP (public transportation) lines:
http://goparis.about.com/od/transpor...nd_Buses_7.htm

frechen

HI Paris - Opéra-Grands Boulevards (France)

What is your Priority Club status?
Platinum Ambassador

Were you happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Double standard on a reward stay. Sadly, we booked too late to get an executive room they had on offer for reward nights when they opened after renovation. As we love cities, we were happy to get a room with boulevard view. I would consider this as an upgrade on a reward stay ("better view" and a bit "larger" than others). Nothing else offered.

How are the rooms?
You might find old pictures of this former hotel Brébant on the www. Quite a change to the new rooms. A modern and still warm design throughout the hotel (we even saw some lights in the hotel we had been thinking about for our own home). Large modern bathroom (black tiles) with bathtub.

How is the exec. lounge?
N/A

What was good and what was bad?
TV offers e.g. all french TNT channels, BBC1 and 2 as well all german-RTL-Group-stations in their austrian versions (tv ads are austrian) and Canal Plus-movie/sport channels. So you will stay informed. Wifi is charged, so we did not use it. Everything new, just remember the comments on the air condition here on flyertalk as well as elsewhere. It was december with 5 to 10 degrees C outside and the AC in our room seemed not to be able to cool the room. So you better open the window - and will be aware of the boulevard. If you are used to silence this is quite something different. If not, enjoy it as we did. Hotelbar not yet open but already named in the elevator (so obviously planned) - just step outside, there is enough on offer. On check-out, we would have been charged two drinks from the minibar we had not consumed. Were deducted without discussion.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Good value for the points (only 15000 per night). Very good location right on the métro "Grands Boulevards" (two lines). Busses as well in front (one way street so busses on the way back do not stop in this street!) and around the corner. Just a few stops on the number 20 bus to the old Opéra, the Roissybus (at Auber) or the large department stores. Around the corner you will find restaurant "Chartier" (check your tourist guide :-)), a Carrefour-shop with a large wine selection in the basement, several irish pubs as well as the Hard Rock Café. Even on reward stays, you will have to pay the city tax (was 1 Euro per night and person). Would return to this hotel (or others I like ...) when in Paris.

frechen

When in Paris, just ask nicolas75 :-), he will have the best links ("75" for "Paris"?).

nicolas75

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/16243704-post5.html

Tips for bars/restaurants around HI Grands Boulevards