lightwalker

I finally finished another long due review of an SLH property: Langdale by Amaya in Sri Lanka.

Please find it here: Langdale by Amaya - Sri Lanka (SLH)

Or read my trip report of our Sri Lanka trip on my blog: http://www.continentaltraveller.blog...lanka-in-style

It's only part one, the second part will follow with another SLH review near Galle.

Welltended3

If you want to accrue benefits via stays I suggest you check on what reservation channels get creditable stays. We just were told our stay at Kokomo did not count because we booked with the hotel not on the website. No regrets because the conversation with the hotel was very helpful but if you care, check.

lightwalker

As promised, better late than never, the second part of my Sri Lanka trip report - to Galle and the beach - containing a review of another SLH property: The Owl and the Pussycat Hotel.

Hotel review here on FT: Edward Lear in Sri Lanka

Complete trip report on my blog: Sri Lanka in Style - Part 2: Kandy, Galle and the Beach - Continental Traveller

davidchyd

Does anyone received the birthday gift for inspired and indulged members?

lightwalker

Yeah, I received it. And an SLH agent is currently working on combining the gift with the free night certificate I have from the Indulged membership for a two night stay. She said both vouchers are managed by two different departments and she will liaise with them. (how big is SLH??)

Oh, and the birthday gift is $300 towards an accommodation booking, but not a free night per se. If it's more than that I have to pay the rest.

What did you get?

Epicura

Well, here's mine. Indulged member but as far as I am concerned, they could stick any kind of present right .....


https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29631624-post15.html

Pausanias

Regarding Epicura's approach over her dissatisfaction with the hotel in Fes is interesting - she wrote that perfectly pitched letter to the hotel and copied it to SLH. I wonder if the other way round might produce results . . . I also wonder about publicising this sort of thing before it has been resolved.

I am at I Portici, the SLH hotel in Bologna shortly, and hope to receive the appropriate treatment. So far contact with the management over restaurant reservations etc has been encouraging.

Epicura

Most happy to hear that your experience with SLH is good.

Regarding my case: I don’t think there’s a right approach. I already e-mailed the hotel weeks ago and asked for my bill but they didn’t even bother to reply.

offerendum

SLH are individual properties so experience can be very different. Glad SLH tries hard.

Kagehitokiri

in 2006, i did an SLH.com Club offer booking. according to hotel, and based on all context i believe them, SLH only sent bed type and rate to hotel the day before i arrived. based on rate, hotel gave me one of their higher suites even though suite rate was higher. (i think not just about SLH but more about indirect bookings, after that i would talk to hotel after making indirect booking.)

only management companies have any real consistency, and even then there is variation. SLH, LHW, R&C are all marketing. forum could probably use a Relais & Chateaux thread.

lightwalker

Just to add a positive note: My booking of a two night stay using the two different vouchers (see above) is now done and I had a nice and personal phone call with a SLH employee to finalize it. I realized how much a (good) human interaction improves the whole experience. My previous interaction was mostly via their website or email. so SLH felt like a faceless company somewhere in London. Maybe next time I'll just call them for bookings. But that might be a different "department" (call center). The person I talked to was a "Senior VIP Reservation Executive", who might have more time for being more like a human on the phone.

Now only the hotel has to deliver

Kagehitokiri

SLH and LHW have/had VIP departments

igor82j

Sorry if it's the wrong thread.. Does one have to pay taxes on a free award night?
The terms state: All food, beverages, taxes, and other incidental costs incurred by the guest are to be settled prior to departure from, and direct with, the individual hotel.
However, as i read it, it's about food and beverage taxes, not the actual stay taxes. The hotel wants to charge me a whopping 125$ taxes now.

Pausanias

An underwhelming experience at I Portici in Bologna. On arrival they said we had been upgraded to a deluxe room with a view when that was the room I booked. If I were a 20-year-old student I might have accepted it. I'm not and I didn't. The room was beyond basic - not even a proper wardrobe, a soap dispenser in the shower and a tray of other amenities like hair conditioner with a price list. Water was 4 Euros.

We were upgraded again to one of their top suites. Stripped back design is the hotel's thing. It was pure white minimalism but really cheap-looking and with some mad 'design' touches. No window. No view. Just a skylight in the roof. The bar and outside terrace was closed off for a conference. We did though greatly enjoy our dinner in their Michelin-starred restaurant.

We also stayed down the road at the (LHW) Grand Hotel Majestic - seriously old school luxury with overstuffed, tiny rooms - even ours which was Grand Deluxe. Fabulous service.

If you have to be in Bologna, and we did, there aren't many options . . .

SLH failed for us yet again.

lightwalker

If I remember correctly, I did not have to pay the taxes in Lausanne when I stayed there with the free night voucher. You should talk to SLH about it.