Lappe

If they recognise you they will provide the Happy Hour menu ( or just ask if you'd like whatever you had last time), but you could also ask for the HH menu on arrival.

Usually I've been pre-upgraded.

gengar

Anyone stayed in the Extreme WOW suite here / know what the rate is? Thinking about splurging for a stay later this year, but might be above what I'm willing to pay (given that the regular WOW suite is already at 100k+ TWD/night).

lcpteck

You might as well use that money to pay for a business class ticket to somewhere.

gengar

Don't worry, in the last couple years I've only sat in coach during irrops.

gengar

Just for the record, quoted at 386,000 TWD/night (currently US$12.7k).

akalra1187

Stayed here, I don't get all the positive comments.
No respect whatsoever for the SPG programme.
No upgrade, room was very small for the money I paid as it was.
In room dining was pathetic.
Have things changed?

bennos

I was there a month ago, and as a Plat I received

1. Breakfast for two, every day (breakfast at the W = double plus good)
2. An upgrade to a Marvelous Suite (though apparently the last one they had available at check in for my length of stay)
3. Complimentary drinks at happy hour (in both bars)
4. Late checkout (though if we wanted later than the 1pm we asked for they would have moved us to a regular room)
5. A welcome F&B gift (cheese plate and bottle of wine I think?)

They also spent some time at check-in untangling the reservation mess I had inadvertently made with multiple reservations on points and cash.

So I'd say they were very good with SPG recognition. I did not try In Room Dining, because, you know Taipei, and there's a Din Tai Fung like 3 minutes away.

Your profile says you are SPG Gold. As Gold you are not eligible for breakfast or an upgrade past a preferred room (eg: better view). I think the happy hour is available to both Gold and Plat. When I was SPG Gold, my expectation for treatment at SPG properties was much lower.

akalra1187

St. Regis Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, St. Regis Corniche Abu Dhabi, St. Regis Dubai, W Barcelona, St. Regis Singapore, Maria Christina San Sebastian (Luxury Collection), Excelcior Galia Milan (Luxury Collection), Park Tower Knightsbridge (Luxury Collection), Blakes London (Design Hotels), and Great Northern London (Design Hotels) all upgraded me.

Le Meridian Piccadilly London, The Park Lane Hotel London (Luxury Collection), St. Regis Bangkok, and W Taipei did not upgrade me and as such these were all inferior hotels to the above as well. Park Lane Hotel smelt, Le Meridian Piccadilly was way too small a room for a 5*, St. Regis Bangkok is showing age and F&B is terrible, as is housekeeping, W Taipei was an awfully small room, and yes Tim Ho Wan/Din Tai Fung/ a million options were a short walk away, but with jet lag at 4am and not wanting to go out the in room dining was frankly a disgrace. I had dinner at the MO Taipei one evening and was regretting not staying there so badly. Its a much much nicer hotel.

3rdworldresident

^^^

3rdworldresident

FYI, the park lane hotel (currently a Sheraton Grand) was never a luxury collection hotel. you misunderstood it. It was a Sheraton.

Central90210

I recently stayed there for the Coldplay concert (even saw Chris Martin in the hotel!) and thought the hotel treats Plats very well. First night was 100% full so they upgraded me a Fabulous Room (from a Wonderful), and on the second night, they offered me a Marvelous Suite.

Breakfast was in lieu of 500 points for Plats and to be honest, it wasn't very good and service left much to be desired. To be fair, they were running at full capacity and there was a long queue for a table even at 10am.

The happy hour, however, was very good. This benefit is very generous and they even offered the Happy Hour benefit on the day of my check out. Took full advantage of it at the Yen Bar before my flight at 9pm on my last day! Cocktails and service were also outstanding at the Yen Bar.

Were you aware of the Happy Hour benefit? I think they are very generous in offering a Happy Hour for Golds, which they definitely didn't need to do. Btw, I believe their Wonderful, Fabulous and Spectacular rooms are all the same sizes (which isn't that small), with the sole differentiator being the view. So you might have already been upgraded without knowing it.

bennos

Congratulations, but that as a Gold you did not receive a benefit at the W Taipei to which there is no published entitlement does not mean "No respect whatsoever for the SPG programme."

OK, sure, I had a terrible room service experience at the Ren ORD (90 minute wait, with just lip service apologies), and I could see how that could be annoying. That said, overnight room service menus are typically very limited.

I could not disagree more with the above. Why do you say?

Ah yes, it does get quite busy, but they usually seem to have things under control (except for the delay in getting a table).

See, I'd actually have said the opposite. It's great that they offer it, but I found the drinks just ok. The mixed drinks were sort of interesting I guess, but I didn't order a second of any of them. The beer was not good. (It's not like there isn't good beer in Taiwan...)

Central90210

I guess I simply find the breakfast spread to be lacking in substance. I mean, the spread was definitely laid out very attractively, and it certainly had a "wow" in some ways - ice cream and pizza for breakfast? #YOLO

But then again, I think they didn't get the basics of breakfast well. Made to order eggs were bland, there were no options to heat up the croissants (IIRC), there could've been more and better western breakfast meats, Chinese options could've been more diverse and tastier.

I also found the plastic chip with table number for the egg station to be a bit cheesy and have no place in a 5 star hotel. The first morning I was told by the server I need to bring the plastic chip to order my eggs (and that was after being in line for 5 minutes). I flat out told her I am not going to walk back to my table, fetch the chip and queue up again - I ended up simply telling her roughly where my table is and she took my order accordingly.

I guess I will just opt for 500 points next time, there are simply no shortage of amazing breakfast places in Taiwan (for a steal, too).

Were you at the Woo Bar or Yen Bar? We sat at the bar at the Yen Bar and ended up having a nice chat with the bartenders, who gave us really good local tips and insights for a nearby hotpot restaurant. I specifically asked them for a restaurant where they would actually go after their shift, and not something touristy or overpriced. On the last night, they even insisted in giving us free cocktails (off the HH menu) - almost made me miss my flight! All in all, great cocktails and great service, they remembered us and remembered our drinks ^

I must try that beer next time, not a big fan of beer per se - I'm more of a cocktail person, but I do like the occasional craft beer

akalra1187

There are two facts here:

My stays are at high end hotels only, yet I end up a Gold, I'm pretty sure most Platinums are racking up a lot of nights at Sheratons. My stays are mostly St. Regis, occasionally Luxury Collection or W when no St. Regis exists in the said destination.
Maybe SPG are aware of this and that's why I'm normally upgraded.
If I'm paying £700 a night rooms at Maria Christina and St. Regis Singapore but have less 'nights' than a platinum member racking up at a Four Points, does this mean I should be treated less.
As far as it goes the W Taipei is an awful hotel, I booked a Spectacular room, so I didn't skimp and book the cheapest room (Wonderful) but I still thought the room was ridiculously small for the money.
Seriously if you have any sense you will book a club room at the MO in Taipei, they have free Ruinart Champagne and is a much much nicer hotel, and its the same price at the supposedly 'premium room' I booked at the W.

myko85

The front desk does have access to your stay history. They see what property brands you stay at, how many nights, average spend, etc.

As to whether or not you should "be treated less", that is up to the front desk's discretion.

I avoid the W and stay at the Le Meridien when in Taipei.