Your favorite hotels in 2012
Oct 1, 2012, 3:27 pm
#46
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 105
My favorite stays thus far, no order:
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai
Raffles, Singapore
Aman Summer Palace, Beijing
Eastern & Oriental, Penang
RCHK (many stays, it's an addiction
)
I'm wary of how easily hotels are given stars in Dubai but the Zabeel was a very pleasant surprise. It was a bit too crowded than I prefer, but I still had the loveliest of times and liked it much more than the Burj al Arab. I've also stayed at both the One&Only hotels, Raffles, Armani, both Addresses, and a slew of other 5 stars (or "5 stars"
) in Dubai which were all nice, but I'm going to make a week long Zabeel stay a yearly habit.
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai
Raffles, Singapore
Aman Summer Palace, Beijing
Eastern & Oriental, Penang
RCHK (many stays, it's an addiction
)I'm wary of how easily hotels are given stars in Dubai but the Zabeel was a very pleasant surprise. It was a bit too crowded than I prefer, but I still had the loveliest of times and liked it much more than the Burj al Arab. I've also stayed at both the One&Only hotels, Raffles, Armani, both Addresses, and a slew of other 5 stars (or "5 stars"
) in Dubai which were all nice, but I'm going to make a week long Zabeel stay a yearly habit.
Oct 1, 2012, 8:15 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Summit County, CO.
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Ambassador, Hyatt Diamond, American Platinum
Posts: 384
Stayed here this summer and very much enjoyed it. Nice change from normal SPGs I stay in for work. We hosted a meeting here and the main meeting room had a domed ceiling - outstanding acoustics. Would host a meeting here again.
After booking a dinner reservation, the concierge actually looked me and my coworker up on twitter and tweeted us to have a nice meal. Nice touch.
Very nice, personal service. Best hotel ever would be an overstatement in my opinion.
After booking a dinner reservation, the concierge actually looked me and my coworker up on twitter and tweeted us to have a nice meal. Nice touch.
Very nice, personal service. Best hotel ever would be an overstatement in my opinion.
Oct 1, 2012, 11:02 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
1) Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn - Chateau St. Jean Suite, wonderful stay. We walked to downtown Sonoma our first day there, not realizing quite how far it was. Called the hotel and they sent the brand new BMW (740 something or other) to pick us up...
2) Hotel Saratoga Havana - It may not be world class, but hey, you are in Cuba! Rooftop pool was enjoyable with a good bar and food that was fine. Location nice. For Havana, pretty darn good.
3) Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman - Spa, room, pool, beach... Grand Cayman in Feb... Relaxing and comfortable.
4) Fairmont Millenium Park Chicago. Yes, we got the suite and gold floor upgrade, which helped. Great location, we love Chicago. (although, next time we will give the Park Hyatt a try.)
5) Ritz-Carlton South Beach - Yes, we were here over Memorial Day coinciding with Hip Hop weekend. And loved it. The club level (Ritz CC) upgrade, and Oceanfront room with balcony certainly helped. But really just a good property with good restaurants and a good beach in a good location...
2) Hotel Saratoga Havana - It may not be world class, but hey, you are in Cuba! Rooftop pool was enjoyable with a good bar and food that was fine. Location nice. For Havana, pretty darn good.
3) Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman - Spa, room, pool, beach... Grand Cayman in Feb... Relaxing and comfortable.
4) Fairmont Millenium Park Chicago. Yes, we got the suite and gold floor upgrade, which helped. Great location, we love Chicago. (although, next time we will give the Park Hyatt a try.)
5) Ritz-Carlton South Beach - Yes, we were here over Memorial Day coinciding with Hip Hop weekend. And loved it. The club level (Ritz CC) upgrade, and Oceanfront room with balcony certainly helped. But really just a good property with good restaurants and a good beach in a good location...
Oct 2, 2012, 8:36 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
before or after feb 17? that appears to be first court date >
http://www.compasscayman.com/caycomp...p-for-auction/
http://www.compasscayman.com/caycomp...p-for-auction/
Ritz hotel property up for...31 October auction
12 unsold condominium units...14 unsold lots [out of an original 19, five of which have since been developed] that were designated for development of “deckhouses”. There is also some vacant land available for future development.
Ritz-Carlton resort, including 365 guest rooms and suites. That includes 65 rooms available through contractual agreements with third-party condominium owners on the property.
12 unsold condominium units...14 unsold lots [out of an original 19, five of which have since been developed] that were designated for development of “deckhouses”. There is also some vacant land available for future development.
Ritz-Carlton resort, including 365 guest rooms and suites. That includes 65 rooms available through contractual agreements with third-party condominium owners on the property.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Oct 2, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Oct 2, 2012, 11:16 am
#53
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1K, American EXP & 3 Million Miler, Hyatt Globalist & Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 2,360
Oct 2, 2012, 11:31 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
We are staying in a Ke'Alalua villa here. It is very well laid out. It is about 2800 square feet inside with 3 bedrooms with another 800 square feet of lanai space. It also has a lovely garden shower which everybody in my family loves.
Our residence club villa at Punta Mita is about 2000 square feet with another 800 or so on the terrace. The terrace at Punta Mita has a better ocean view and more comfortable chaise lounges. It also has an outdoor shower.
I will give a quick comparison of some various aspects of the two resorts. They have a somewhat similar feel. Both are quite spread out with Punta Mita having less rooms spread out over more space, but both are very appealing low rise resorts. Both are surrounded by lovely residential areas, but at Punta Mita the homeowners are not allowed to use the Four Seasons hotel unless the house is on the Four seasons proper.
Pools- Hualalai has a more diverse selection of pools, but none of them is as breathtaking as the main Nuna pool at Punta Mita which looks as if it falls right off a cliff into the ocean below. The adult Palm Grove pool at Hualalai is better than its counterpart at Punta Mita. It is very quiet and the setting is extremely tranquil. The adult pool at Punta Mita is beautiful but It has no ocean view and can get quite hot. We have been using the Seashell pool when we have our kids in tow. It is nice, but can be a little wild.
Food- I would give the edge to Hualalai. We have enjoyed all of the restaurants here very much. We especially like that all of the restaurants are on the beach here. It allows us to eat while our kids run can run around on the beach and have fun. It makes for a very relaxing way to eat as a parent. We can do this also at Bahia at Punta Mita, but at Hualalai you can do it all three of the restaurants.
Beach- Punta Mita clearly has a better beach. Sitting on the quiet beach at Punta Mita under a palapa with just a few other people around is a sublime experience. While Hualalai is a great beach resort, the beach is itself is just serviceable and not really good for ocean swimming.
On the whole I like each of the resorts equally and would rate them as the top two beach resorts in North America with Esperanza a small step behind. I will think of some more to add tomorrow, but for now I need to go watch a little of the Olympics.
Our residence club villa at Punta Mita is about 2000 square feet with another 800 or so on the terrace. The terrace at Punta Mita has a better ocean view and more comfortable chaise lounges. It also has an outdoor shower.
I will give a quick comparison of some various aspects of the two resorts. They have a somewhat similar feel. Both are quite spread out with Punta Mita having less rooms spread out over more space, but both are very appealing low rise resorts. Both are surrounded by lovely residential areas, but at Punta Mita the homeowners are not allowed to use the Four Seasons hotel unless the house is on the Four seasons proper.
Pools- Hualalai has a more diverse selection of pools, but none of them is as breathtaking as the main Nuna pool at Punta Mita which looks as if it falls right off a cliff into the ocean below. The adult Palm Grove pool at Hualalai is better than its counterpart at Punta Mita. It is very quiet and the setting is extremely tranquil. The adult pool at Punta Mita is beautiful but It has no ocean view and can get quite hot. We have been using the Seashell pool when we have our kids in tow. It is nice, but can be a little wild.
Food- I would give the edge to Hualalai. We have enjoyed all of the restaurants here very much. We especially like that all of the restaurants are on the beach here. It allows us to eat while our kids run can run around on the beach and have fun. It makes for a very relaxing way to eat as a parent. We can do this also at Bahia at Punta Mita, but at Hualalai you can do it all three of the restaurants.
Beach- Punta Mita clearly has a better beach. Sitting on the quiet beach at Punta Mita under a palapa with just a few other people around is a sublime experience. While Hualalai is a great beach resort, the beach is itself is just serviceable and not really good for ocean swimming.
On the whole I like each of the resorts equally and would rate them as the top two beach resorts in North America with Esperanza a small step behind. I will think of some more to add tomorrow, but for now I need to go watch a little of the Olympics.
Nov 15, 2012, 7:25 pm
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
Bumping this thread up here for end of year travel.
Just logged a stay at St Regis Bahia Beach PR. While the room was great with an incredible shower, the service was awful. I was younger then most guests so they always gave me a glaring stare. The same thing occurred at the St Regis Princeville in March. Maybe it is just my age that throws the people are the front desk off.
edit: it hasn't been an issue any other place.
FYI: The Horned Dorsett in Rincon is a great place. I went there for 4 nights after the St Regis and it was amazing. Each room with their own plunge pool. Great for surfers.
Just logged a stay at St Regis Bahia Beach PR. While the room was great with an incredible shower, the service was awful. I was younger then most guests so they always gave me a glaring stare. The same thing occurred at the St Regis Princeville in March. Maybe it is just my age that throws the people are the front desk off.
edit: it hasn't been an issue any other place.
FYI: The Horned Dorsett in Rincon is a great place. I went there for 4 nights after the St Regis and it was amazing. Each room with their own plunge pool. Great for surfers.
Nov 16, 2012, 11:19 pm
#57
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Free Republic of Florida
Programs: LH Senator, CX Diamond, UA Prem Plat, Fans of MO Elite
Posts: 589
For 2012, my favorites are:
1. Hotel Caruso, Ravello
2. Amanpulo
3. Shangri-La, Paris
4. Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
5. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
6. Park Hyatt Milano
Disappointments for 2012:
1. Park Hyatt Paris - Vendôme
Looking forward to in Q1 2013:
1. Mandarin Oriental, Paris
2. The Dolder Grand
3. Waldorf Astoria Berlin
4. Armani Hotel Milano
1. Hotel Caruso, Ravello
2. Amanpulo
3. Shangri-La, Paris
4. Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
5. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
6. Park Hyatt Milano
Disappointments for 2012:
1. Park Hyatt Paris - Vendôme
Looking forward to in Q1 2013:
1. Mandarin Oriental, Paris
2. The Dolder Grand
3. Waldorf Astoria Berlin
4. Armani Hotel Milano
Last edited by Mr. Strong; Nov 16, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Nov 17, 2012, 2:20 am
#58
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Gold, Shangri La Golden circle
Posts: 65
My favourite in 2012 was Shangri La Valley wing in SIN, a great resort like city hotel. Raffles SIN was an interesting experience as well.
My all time favourite is Peninsula Tokyo.
Next year looking forward to Peninsula Paris.
My all time favourite is Peninsula Tokyo.
Next year looking forward to Peninsula Paris.
Nov 17, 2012, 3:53 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Geneva
Programs: Miles&More Senator
Posts: 41
our all time best.. without any hesitation: One&Only Reethi Rah.
Pristine beaches, JeanMichel Gathy (pool)villa`s, highest quality restaurant venues and service levels reaching the best possible standards. We are fans!
We were there a few months ago and can`t wait to go back in a few months
Pristine beaches, JeanMichel Gathy (pool)villa`s, highest quality restaurant venues and service levels reaching the best possible standards. We are fans!
We were there a few months ago and can`t wait to go back in a few months
Nov 17, 2012, 4:07 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: A metal nomad
Programs: Mucci des Delices Exotiques,Order of the Platinum Hairbrush,Her Royal Diamond
Posts: 23,729
And the MO Paris, I like the outdoor seating, but doesn't it remind you of a Holiday Inn?