uggboy

Berlin draws a lot of visitors/tourists but they're mostly young and don't want or can't pay high rates for luxury hotels, they might prefer "trend-setting" modern boutique hotels as their "home" during their visit to Berlin. Yes, Berlin hotel rates are pretty competitive against the rest of Western Europe incl. Paris, Milan or London etc, but some hotels for example incl. Hotel de Rome can be pretty expensive for Berlin that is. We loved our stay at Das Stue which brings design/luxury/services/heritage together and would stay there again in our future. We had a look at the Regent and we might would want to stay there also in our future, while at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski we enjoyed the location, room and selected services, while in other parts we had problems with their service, a mixed bag IMHO, while the Grand Hyatt was wonderful in every single way, beautiful design, gorgeous room, wonderful food and location, while by some not seen "as a real luxury" hotel, IMHO it is a luxury hotel and shouldn't be missed in Berlin.

Indeed, Munich can be pretty expensive, for example the MO which usually costs 600/700 E to start with for a night in their entrance category rooms. Hotel Bayerisher Hof also can be expensive at 400 E plus a night from their entrance category rooms onwards. For many this is seen as expensive, because it is seen in a German context compared to lets say Berlin overnight charges.


Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

offerendum

If you like a FS from 1996 mostly in it´s original state you will be very happy Without joking the suites are nicely sized, but decor is dated. Also I don´t like the public spaces. I especially miss a pool. Prices can be a steal.

uggboy

Good to know in regards to their prices.

How was the service?

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

uggboy

Looks like Rosewood wants/is looking for a presence in Germany...

http://www.hotelmanagement.net/opera...oper-community

Will Four Seasons re-enter the German luxury hotel market in the future and follow Rosewood? Maybe Munich like Mandarin Oriental...

Interesting thoughts...

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

Shangri-La

Thanks for the feedback. It is odd that Berlin has such low rates for the reason you mention (tourism), plus it's the capital of Germany, and has vibrant start-up tech scene (perhaps the best in Europe).

Frankfurt wouldn't work outside of Munich?

offerendum

Terrible at breakfast, otherwise OK.

uggboy

Because these tourists are mostly younger and don't or won't invest into luxury hotel experiences. They want to visit/experience the city, the "modern" buzz, nightlife, culture etc which doesn't incl. "high capital expenditure per night" in luxury hotels. They might look for boutique properties with interesting design/architecture/lifestyle offerings, but without the "high" cost. Das Stue sticks out a bit, it's high-end design-driven and beautiful and we saw plenty of young people there, especially in their bar, could be they haven't stayed but experienced "the buzz" instead of something different.

Overall, Berlin, Frankfurt etc same as with Germany as a whole aren't known to be very expensive in terms of hotels, but might offer a high standard, this depends however on the establishment itself IMHO.

I believe however that Berlin/Munich/Hamburg/Dusseldorf/Stuttgart etc could take "high-end" luxury as evidenced with Hotel de Rome, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Capella Breidenbacher Hof or the Althoff am Schlossgarten, these are all "high-end" properties in each respective city mentioned.

Plus, in regards of the tech scene, these are equally younger people who don't invest in high-end luxury, at least not for now while they're young and they might be even "against traditional luxury" only to experience something different, they might see this as something of a difference against their competitors aka "Look different, Feel different, It's different" etc. This is possible and why not.

Rosewood looks out in Germany for opportunities. [See Above]

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

uggboy

That's interesting, where is breakfast served at the Regent?

They've Fischer's Fritz, a 2 Michelin star restaurant or do they've a different breakfast venue?

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

surftb15

Berlin does need a luxury hotel. RC is fine but a MO would do well.

offerendum

Berlin has luxury hotels, RC is not first choice at the moment.

offerendum

They serve it as a la carte at Fischers Fritz.

Only ate once at Fischers Fritz. Food was OK, but not outstanding. Service very formal and a little bit over the top. 6 people to bring 2 dishes are too much

0bsidian

What's the consensus on FS Jimbaran Bay?
I have been a couple of times to FS Sayan and loved it.

I heard however FS Jimbaran Bay swarms with non-guests who get admitted only to use the pool club (an idea which I find dreadful).

vuittonsofstyle

The problem with FS Jimbaran is it has too many rooms for Bali, but if you stay in one of the Residences, then it is like staying on a club floor, only better - your own full size pool, butler service, 2-level villa - it works very well - the Residences also have their own private beach across the road. http://www.fourseasons.com/jimbaranb...sidence_villa/ - but I would avoid the main resort.

xracer

The only problem with this advice is that you really can't...avoid the main resort. Unless you plan to never leave the residence, you have to go into the resort complex: if you want to eat in house (but not in residence), if you want to use the spa or gym, if you want to use any of the main pools. Pretty much anything. Or have they introduced facilities (other than the 'private' beach) for residence guests only?

And frankly, if you plan to just stay in the residence the entire time you are there, there are plenty of private villas you could rent which are a lot more impressive (and less expensive).

I found the resort to be a perfectly lovely place, and never found the main areas overcrowded during my two separate stays. Although the last time I was there was before they added the pool complex on the beach - so I'm not sure how that has changed the dynamic of the resort (and frankly, it seems like a bit of a cash grab and an insult to guests to have this complex where non-guests can 'pay to play').

scented

I first stayed back in the day when they had that awful Italian restaurant as their main eatery (just like every other FS before making some crucial changes) and before they opened up the villas to make the most of the views. Back then, especially after many Indo Amans it was a culture shock, due to the sheer number of villas, some hostile behavior by staff and non-existent service recovery and management presence.

Interesting route this resort is headed. I was wondering what was going on when their new spa manager rebranded the spa as 'The Healing Village Spa', yet replaced Sodashi with a medi spa brand. Very healing. The spa used to be quite good with some excellent therapists (who have mostly left now, some for Dubai, some for other FS around the world), especially after the lack of a proper spa at Kila (which is still the case even after Doronin's capital injection). I do not share the same praise for the rest of the resort. The renovations changed the rooms for the better, but as Vuittons suggested a Residence Villa is a wholly different experience here. But day passes for the pool? That shouldn't happen.

I had hoped the resort founds it place in the last years with the sensible renovations and addition of the much needed pool by the beach.

If Bali wants to stay relevant, I doubt (FS) Jimbaran is the answer. Way too many good other options there, including the sister property FS Sayan. Bali Amans are still very strong, plus Chedi, Como, etc. Certainly not Jimbaran, especially when I look up the coast at FS Jimbaran. Resort hell.