Kagehitokiri

IC franchises, and owner was said to be looking at selling.

bhrubin

I think it was being referred to as strange in that Hayman likely won't be perceived as luxurious under the moderately luxurious IC banner than with another flag. The IC Hayman likely won't be able to command rates as high as it might have commanded under another flag. The owner may have second thoughts when the revenue from the IC Hayman is evaluated in the not too distant future. It's an opportunity cost issue.

Time will tell. But while it may be comfortable for the ownership to stick with IC for all its properties in that Australian portfolio, it likely isn't the best business choice for the Hayman property.

scented

stimpy

IME, when it comes to IHG, and Accor as well, Australia is treated rather different than the rest of the world. They could absolutely command very high rates for Hayman island. The other thing to understand is that the majority of guests at Hayman are from Australia, followed by certain other countries in Asia. These people have a rather different view of IC's than those in the US and Europe. The two IC's in Sydney are rather pricey. The newest IC at Double Bay is the former Ritz and placed in a very high end neighborhood. But I also expect that the owner is looking at overall annual revenue rather than ADR. If the rates are a bit lower than before, but the annual revenue is higher, well then...

Shangri-La

Waldorf Astoria to Cairo:

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article98472.html


Ritz-Carlton to St. Kitts:

https://www.caribjournal.com/2018/02...ming-st-kitts/

Mandarin Oriental to operate a second property in Chile:
Mandarin Oriental Signs Hotel in Vińa del Mar, Chile

KatW

Forbes Travel Guide Awards

KatW

Kagehitokiri

could be chinese govt controlling who gets waldorf NY condos
or could sell, likely for good amount, might be in high demand

anbang owns Strategic Hotels >
FS jackson hole, scottsdale, austin, silicon valley, washington
RC half moon, laguna niguel
https://web.archive.org/web/20160211.../portfolio.php

chinese government owning FS washington will have an impact
last year media said china wanted anbang et al to sell overseas

silicon valley will also have impact, if tech industry stay / meet

DrivingRain

Hi everyone,

Im not sure where to post this as a new thread didnt seem right, so I'll try it right here.

I have a question about a travel agent hang-up on check-in/check-out times in and I'd like to get your views on it:

1. About a year ago I emailed my Virtuoso agent (I wont name who as the point of this is not to call out any individual in a public forum) stating I'd like to book a vacation at a Virtuoso property
2. I prominently stated the specific times of check-in and check-out, which were somewhat unusual-- though not overly egregious--- due to the flight times (10am in and out "after-dinner" are what I wrote)
3. I prominently re-stated those specific check-in and check-out times in a subsequent email as I didnt want that point to be overlooked (among other key points)
4. We traded emails on various topics and the check-in /out time was never raised as an issue (nor were any number of other details that were particular details of this specific trip)-- and the hotel was booked
5. Now, fast forward 10 months and we are 2 weeks out from the trip and within the cancellation penalty period-- I get an email from the agent asking if I was planning on staying at an airport hotel because my flights would put me at the hotel too early for check-in and too late for check-out. Naturally I brought up the original emails and note that my flights havent changed at all, so there's no change of plans and we'd only being staying at the vacation property: 10AM in, out after-dinner. The agent came back and said no one ever guaranteed us that time.
6. So the agent is not taking responsibility in any way, citing the Ts&Cs that state check-in and check out times-- and that we'd have access to the lobby & public spaces for 4-5 hours after arriving from our 24+ hour journey to the hotel.
7. No other options or ideas have been proposed. Of course I could just offer to pay an extra $2k in hotel cost for a couple hours, but that would be a very difficult pill to swallow-- it's something that I should have been weighing 10 months ago if my request was an issue. Even if other ideas were proposed by the agent, they too should have been was a conversation for 10 months ago when weighing whether I'd want to book this trip at all.
8. The conversation has devolved to the point where there will likely be some awkwardness if/when we arrive no matter what happens and so Im considering cancelling.

Question 1-- Is this a case of buyer beware and I should have gone various steps further and asked for the specific check-in and check out times in writing at booking? In retrospect, asking for that in writing would have solved the problem, but is this something that is standard practice? Similarly, if I had mentioned on multiple-occasions a specific medical condition that drove a not-so-unusual request for accommodations of a dietary need that is not explicitly guaranteed as part of the fine print, should I have insisted on a menu and/or a guarantee of its availability?

Question 2-- Is there a higher authority within Virtuoso to discuss the issues at hand?

bhrubin

With apologies, IMO this is an issue where it seems both you and your TA likely share responsibility.

Your expectation for any hotel to somehow grant you such early check in in advance is pretty unreasonable (unless staying at a Peninsula hotel or other rare properties). Of course, your TA should have told you that, too--hence my belief that you both may be responsible for this issue.

Had the TA actually realized your unreasonable expectation, your TA likely would have told you in advance that you either would need to pay for an extra hotel night in advance or simply wait until you can check in at your preferred hotel. Or perhaps you could have negotiated for a hotel that might have allowed the early check in, had you stressed the importance of that element--but likely that would not have allowed you to stay at your preferred hotel.

That is pretty much the same situation you find yourself in now, so to me this isn't much different than what would have happened regardless.

To me, this feels like you're unaware of how unreasonable your original premise is and therefore unaware that you are scapegoating your TA. Your TA shares some responsibility if you were clear about your expectation, but I think your expectation here was the bigger issue. Sorry.

Either way, I hope you can find a reasonable hotel scenario that satisfies you.

Personally, I would just go to your preferred hotel and hope for the best. If an early check in isn't possible, then I'm sure a spa shower or changing room will be made available for the 4-5 hours that you might have to wait.

DrivingRain

No need for apologies. That's a perfectly legitimate point of view, though I disagree that the request is out of bounds. I routinely have such requests accommodated -- most notably when landing in Europe from the US or similar red-eyes into NYC or other locales. If a hotel is unable to accommodate a mid-morning check-in, then I look elsewhere--- no big deal. The hotels are well within their rights to reject such a request and would never question them over such a rejection. The timing of such a rejection though is critical. In this case the agent simply looked over and missed my multiple requests-- that is evidenced by her being ignorant of my flight times when she wrote me this week about what I was going to do about landing and departing late.

Otherwise, I certainly agree I could have prevented this. Following up and asking for documenting every single minute detail seems to be the way of the world.

stimpy

This is true for many of us. Not to mention there is an entire hotel chain that guarantees 8AM check in for their elites. When I arrive in Europe or Sydney, LA, etc., on a red-eye I know for sure that I can get straight into a room at an Intercontinental, even if it is a temporary one.

SanDiego1K

I don't find the request out of bounds at all. Everything is fair game at the point of making the booking. The request can be made of the hotel. The hotel can say no and then you can decide whether or not to proceed with the booking in light of their decision. That didn't happen and you are now where you are. It's highly probable that you will be allowed an early check in though perhaps not immediately on arrival. What we have done in similar situations is to have our meal (late breakfast for you, sometimes an early lunch for us) and then hopefully get room keys.

bhrubin

Please let me clarify: I don't think the request is out of bounds at all! I'm all for asking! I just think the expectation that a hotel can promise/guarantee such an early check in without any additional payment is unrealistic. I therefore believe the expectation from a TA is also unrealistic.

I also request early check in and often find it fulfilled--but the hotels almost never have been able to guarantee that in advance (barring a rare Your24 early check in guarantee at a St Regis once). It is the expectation that your TA somehow can guarantee the early check in for a hotel that I find to be the issue here.

KatW

I live in fear of this very glitch so I tend to stand on my head to do all I can to prevent it. Whether booking through agent or directly with venue, I try to make clear early arrival and/or late departure. One way I try to tip the scale in my favor is to indicate that I am perfectly willing to pay for these privileges. That usually gets listening/reading ears/eyes to prick up.

Agreed, it is not an unusual ask by any means, especially at luxe venues accustomed to guests flying from hither, thither and yon.