tmeyer

I have to say that this was one of the best Starwood Hotels I have been in.
- Upgrade to very nice Jr Suite with amzing bathroom (reminded me to LH FCT)
- nice Club Lounge, open on WE, free Wine & Beer, good selection of food, good breakfast selection
- very motivated service
- Ice Tea and Candy delivered to my room even so I selected points
- perfect location

I highly recommend it!

Thomas

schley

Is this property newly built or a takeover from a previous hotel and rebranded?

kokonutz

Thanks for the recommendation. Just booked for August. Any recommendations for Bratislava, near hotel or otherwise?

merrickdb

It's newly-built and in a complex with a new, very large shopping mall. It is about a 10 minute walk into the city from the property. In terms of things to do, the city is nice to walk around and see some of the old architecture, but there's not a whole lot to do. Check out the castle on the hill if you get a chance, though it's currently under renovation (as are many other things in the city). The UFO restaurant and bar is supposed to be a pretty good (but pricey) restaurant and bar with a great view.

I'll echo that the property is very nice and (at least while I was there) quite empty. It's all quite modern with a ridiculous amount of staff, all of whom are incredibly friendly and accommodating (e.g, the evening food hadn't yet arrived at the lounge at 4 p.m., not that I'd even expected to, but the lounge attendant brought a friend and me a large bowl of fresh strawberries and warm, fresh-baked bread). The only downside is few suites to be upgraded to.

SanDiego1K

Is it possible to take the boat from Budapest to Vienna, stopping in Bratislava enroute? That seemed to me that it would be a really pleasant trip.

Here is an old article (2003) from the Independent on what to see and do in Bratislava.

48 hours in Bratislava

While the hotel and restaurant suggestions would be hopelessly outdated, suggestions for the historic places should be relevant.

merrickdb

It's possible but considerably longer than taking a train and quite a bit pricier. And the hydrofoils used on that route don't look like great places to spend 6.5 hours (there's no outside deck or anything). I'd stick with the train. Going from Bratislava to Vienna, you can get a round-trip ticket for ~ 12 euro that includes travel on all subways and trains in Vienna for a month. Insanely cheap.

http://www.mahartpassnave.hu/webset3...@38@@808338501

skrosvik

Can moderator please make this thread a master thread for the hotel? I also have an upcoming 3-night stay there next month. Really looking forward to it

I will use the boat service between Bratislava and Vienna as well - just for the scenery.

kokonutz

We'll be there August 15-16. Taking train from VIE, then on to Budapest!

Will take careful notes and photos in hopes of making this a property master thread.

the810

You can only use subway, trains and buses in Vienna for one day, not month. Railway ticket between Bratislava and Vienna is valid for 30 days (that means that return trip can be made during this period, but only once).

I never stayed in Sheraton Bratislava, since I live here, but location is great (very close to city center, it's part of probably the best shopping mall in town, nice surroundings....), so from this point of view, I'd recommend it. Enjoy your stay in Bratislava

merrickdb

Thanks. It was admittedly unclear to us how long it was valid for. Someone at one station said just the day, but then we asked three other agents at various stations and someone at Le Meridien (a friend was paranoid about getting caught without a valid ticket), and they all said it was valid for a month. My thinking was that you could use the subway to connect to the rail portion, and since they never really know when you're going to take the rail back to Bratislava during the 30-day period, you could be connected to the rail at any day during that period (until the return to Bratislava is used).

skrosvik

Booked two rooms - one for 2 nights and one for 3 nights (I was staying in the latter) at BAR.

It was very easy to find the hotel, it is in the a brand-new developed area of Bratislava. Right by the Danube and a 10 minute walk from both the main bus station (where the buses from Vienna stops) and the old town.

Bellboys took our luggage upon arrival. Went to check-in at the reception and a manager came out from the back office to greet me. He told me that my room was upgraded to an executive suite and my friend's room was upgraded to a deluxe room. Checked in at 11AM without any problems.

The receptionist informed me about the lounge and that the breakfast was served in the main restaurant (this is standard for all plats and club floor guests, as the lounge itself don't serve breakfast).

The suite was on the 7th floor (top floor). It had a large terrace with striking views over Bratislava. The suite was large and modern, very well designed, with good quality amenities and furniture. It had a bedroom, a separate living room and one full bathroom.

The living room had dark wooden floors, a full-automatic Nespresso machine, a 50" LCD television, a dining table, a couch with table, a study area, and a comfortable chair with footrest and a huge designer lamp. There was also a door out to the balcony.

The bedroom had carpeted floor, a king size bed, a 32" LCD television, a divan with a glass table by the bed's end, a comfortable chair with coffee table and a huge designer lamp. There was also a huge walk-in closet in the bedroom. It was seperated to the bedroom by a lockable door. The bedroom also had a door out to the balcony.

The bathroom was large and very modern too. A huge walk-in shower with rainfall shower head and normal shower head, a large soaking bathtub and two washbasins. The combination of fresh flowers, stone, glass and mirrors were very nice and delicate.

The hotel have complimentary WIFI throughout the hotel. I suppose it is complimentary for ALL guests, since it does not require a code or room number. Just log right on to it.

The hotel itself is brand new, and everything is fresh and well designed. It really reminded me of an Asian Park Hyatt or something like that. There was several food and beverage outlets: a cosy lobby lounge, a cool bar, a nice restaurant and a small Sheraton deli. The prices were reasonable too. I had veal with foie gras, tuna steak and lamb leg in the main restaurant and it was absolutely delicious, some of the very best hotel food I have ever tasted! When the weather allows it, you can sit outside on a patio on the square. It is very nice for people watching. You can order food, coffee or drinks from the restaurant.

The hotel is connected to a huge mall, with all kinds of stores: high street clothing, cinema, electronics, groceries, etc.

The health club was nice too. The gym was small, but had good equipment and everything worked well. The pool was very nice, with water coming down from the walls, and the pool do not have edges like conventional pools have, so it was quite cool too. There was massage showers and ice machine. A steam bath and a sauna. Very nice!

The club lounge was amazing too!! It is located on the 1st floor. It is like a terrace, where you look over the lobby. There you can help yourself to soft drinks, water, juices, BEER, fruits and snacks all day long. In the evenings they have wines and food. The food is served through a menu, which the attendant will give to you. There you can order anything you want, as much as you want, for FREE! It is a limited menu, but the amounts are large and the quality is great. It is like a full meal. There are REAL sandwiches, calamari, spring rolls, chicken wings, grilled vegetables, cheese and one more option (which I can not remember) to select from. Remember that you can order as much as you want. Exceptional quality and totally freshly prepared, not like other lounges where they have a "buffet" with tired food and snacks. The lounge was very well designed and very comfortable.

The breakfast was great too, a large selection of both cold and warm food, egg station where chefs cook your eggs the way you prefer them and serve it to your table. Everything was very fresh and of execellent quality. Not one single slice of sweaty cheese or dry sausage. I could see the F&B manager checking the food several times during our breakfast. It is great to see the hotel take good care in securing the quality of their services. The salmon was amazing, so was the fresh bread, the freshly squeezed juices and the omelets. Simply one of the best breakfasts I have ever had in a hotel.

Turndown service was done on all evenings. Very consistent.

The staff are very professional and attentive and consistent, there are smiles and greetings every time you venture through the lobby on your way out or on your way in. I had a few questions and requests during my stay, and everything was answered and solved very smoothly. The staff in the food and beverage outlets were very attentive too - both in the bar and the restaurant.

I think this hotel beats the hell out of Radisson Carlton. This will be my preferred hotel in Bratislava. The amazing suites, the great lounge, the nice staff, the convenient location, etc. Everything was top-notch. The hotel opened barely 5 months ago, and I did not experience any hick-ups. Not one single downside on my trip! The hotel is relatively quiet, I guess most people are not aware of it yet.

Really, my absolute favourite SPG property in Europe.

TIP: if you would like to have a nice drink or a small snack, just go out on the square, behind the hotel, pass the Tag Heuer store, and there you will be on the Danube promenade/corniche, and there are lot's of bars and restaurants serving food and drinks just centimetres from the water. It is very nice, and relaxing, and great for people and boat watching too!

FD1971

I guess you stayed on a weekday and not on the weekend....?

On a weekend, three weeks ago they served breakfast in the lounge and had a regular buffet set up in the evening in the club lounge..., otherwise I agree more or less a 100%, however IMO, it is not really Park Hyatt quality, it is mostly faked wood and not real solid high quality Park Hyatt wood, but everything else is brand new and the staff is eager to please. Beautiful suites on the top floor, very very nice health club. I really like the new Sheraton look at those recently opened properties in Europe, Sheraton Poznan is comparable to the Sheraton Bratislava.

The Sheraton Bratislava does not only beat the hell out of the Radisson in town, it easily beats the competition in Germany and also Vienna, even The Imperial is a run down old world hotel against the Sheraton Bratislava. The new star in town, the Kempinski Bratislava is scheduled to open this summer, though and will give the Sheraton a run for the money..., otherwise for early morning departures from Vienna, the drive from the Sheraton is only about 15 minutes longer in comparison to the SPG properties on the Ring...

skrosvik

Nope, I stayed Friday till Monday. No breakfast in the lounge whatsoever. The breakfast in the restaurant was fresh and very nice, and of course, way more to choose from than a limited lounge breakfast.

There was no buffet in the lounge in the evenings either. I was given a meny, and could choose anything I wanted, and as much as I wanted.

The attendant told me the hotel was pretty quiet these days, and setting up a buffet would not be very justifiable - not economical for the hotel and food would not be fresh for the guests. I think this was a good idea, and I loved the food served in the lounge. Very fresh and nice.

In fact, my friends and I were the ONLY guests in the lounge on both Friday, Saturday and Sunday... Was told we were the only club guests at that moment.

I guess that, on busier days, they put up both breakfast- and evening buffet in the lounge.

FD1971

skrosvik,

Thanks for the update and clarification.

Perfect example of pro-active management for the benefit of the guests. Instead of closing the lounge during slow periods ( let's call it, the US approach ) they actually improved the situation. Not setting up a buffet in the club and letting guests enjoy the full breakfast in the main restaurant is standard fare, but offering to order from a menu in the club lounge in the evening is outstanding service...

I012609

Concur with the raves for this property.

After checking in kokonutz and I were greeted by the hotel manager who assured us that anything he could do to make our stay more comfortable he would do. We were upgraded to 519, a Jr. Suite. Not sure what made it junior, other than not having a door between the living room and sleeping room! As noted, this is a brand new hotel. I particularly appreciated the cool features like low-wall lighting leading to bathroom so one could get there at night without turning on a light.

The other magnificent feature of the hotel is the location. Not on the main square like the Carlton, but who cares? You can walk there in 10 minutes, and in exchange you are mere steps from enjoying many cafes and open bars right on the Danube.

Frankly we were so busy enjoying Bratislava that we never even made it to the lounge, health club or any other amenities.

Will post photos of 519 when able.