bhrubin

First, BRG isn’t something the concierge should be dealing with. BRG is an issue for the front desk or the reservations department. So the concierge forwarding a BRG question to the reservations department is entirely appropriate. Asking the concierge about BRG is like asking your restaurant waiter about a Platinum suite upgrade! The hotel concierge handles details and makes recommendations for when you use hotel services like the spa or restaurant or for when you venture outside the hotel.

Second, BRG shouldn’t have any impact at all on upgrade treatment or other SPG benefits—-with Luxury Collection or any other SPG brand (except for Design). Luxury Collection offers the same SPG benefits as all the others.

Central90210

Thanks for your top tip. I will be staying here for the first time later next month (actually cut short my Andaz C&P stay to add in 2 nights here as I have also my BRG claim approved), can you enlighten me as to which view is considered the best? I just checked out the photos of the "Grand Deluxe Corner Room" on TA and it looks amazing, almost like a suite. I think the room should be overlooking the Palace grounds - is that considered the preferable views? Or is this hotel similar to the Andaz where all rooms pretty much have equal views, unless you have a special liking for the Tokyo Tower.

nikkoap92

As I told you, the Corner room is exactly the same room with the suite, just different view and without the living room. Once you enter the door, there will be another door in the left leading you to the bedroom, and there is another door on the right leading you to the living room. So the living room in the suite is located in another room with heavy door like an apartment. So eventhough you get the suite, it feels very cramped so it is best if you can choose the corner room. Each floor will have 4 corners and 2 of that will be suite and 2 of that will be grand deluxe corner. Remember that you still aready have a sofa next to the bed, so the grand deluxe corner room feels like a Junior suite.

For the view, the grand deluxe corner comes with better view overlook to Roppongi and Tokyo Tower. The suite will have Shinjuku Skyline, the other 2 corner/ suite will have the imperial palace and sky tree, chiyoda skyline which I haven't stayed.

btonkid12345

Thanks for your reply. I understand what Concierges do. The post I was referring to had a poster asking a RESTAURANT question to the Concierge, but seemingly brushed off to wait for a reservations reply. They were on a BRG rate and hence why I thought reservations was referenced.

Those of us who regularly stay on leisure BRGs know there are some hotels that treat BRGs slightly differently - definitely a minority but they exist. Yes, the benefits should be the same, and most times the BRG doesn't even come up - but this is a newish hotel, Prince brand, and I haven't stayed here before, on a BRG or not. bhrubin, have you? If so, and have first-hand experience to provide (or anyone else does), please share.

And bump as to whether 2 or 3 rooms booked under 1 Platinum member receive lounge access and breakfast at this property. Thank you for any first-hand reports.

btonkid12345

Thank you for this first-hand report! To clarify on your comments above regarding breakfast and lounge access: was comp breakfast offered for up to 2 people in the second room you had booked (either in the lounge or the restaurant)?

Also, did the second room come with lounge access "shared" to that room because of you being Platinum? Or are you saying they would only allow lounge access for your second room if you applied to a SNA to it and it cleared.

Important for me because the Westin and the Sheraton Grande have always extended free breakfast and free lounge access to my second room without even having to ask. I would prefer my guests not end up in a base room and nickled and dimed for breakfast/lounge access at the Prince. If they offer it discretionarily or regularly at check in, great!

If not I will look to consider the other properties that have been more generous in the past. Thank you!

nikkoap92

Thank you for this first-hand report! To clarify on your comments above regarding breakfast and lounge access: was comp breakfast offered for up to 2 people in the second room you had booked (either in the lounge or the restaurant)?

Yes, I usually have breakfast at restaurant, and go to lounge and have it again (up to 2 guests including you, so max is 2 guests)

Also, did the second room come with lounge access "shared" to that room because of you being Platinum? Or are you saying they would only allow lounge access for your second room if you applied to a SNA to it and it cleared.

Yes the hotel is very strict, you would need to contact them to see if they can upgrade the second room to club room at cheaper rate






Important for me because the Westin and the Sheraton Grande have always extended free breakfast and free lounge access to my second room without even having to ask. I would prefer my guests not end up in a base room and nickled and dimed for breakfast/lounge access at the Prince. If they offer it discretionarily or regularly at check in, great!

If not I will look to consider the other properties that have been more generous in the past. Thank you!

Yes Sheraton Grande is generous. Last time they let me and other 11 people to lounge free of charge haha! You can always ask the staff again during check-in but most likely they won't let you.

onebagtraveller

It's probably best for you to return to the Westin or Sheraton where you know they treat you well and accommodate your needs.

It would also be nice for you to return to the hotels where they have accommodated you in order to build a relationship and loyalty with you.

SNA are hard to clear at the Prince in my experience so I wouldn't rely on that happening.

If it's really important then you should just book the room that comes with Club access.

But overall I think it's best if you look at the other properties that you know treat you well.

coolfish1103

I don't feel differences whether I was a BRG or not a BRG... though having experienced with the concierge I must say the concierge is pretty useless with no flexibility what-so-ever. All amenities are granted.

It depends on the hotel but if I remember correctly this hotel grants you both breakfast and points, so perhaps you can grab another set of breakfast but not receiving the points as a benefit? I would say the breakfast trumps 500 points regardless which breakfasts you receive.

onebagtraveller

I'll add that the inflexibility noted above is very common in Japan as they tend to follow the rules. It makes it nice and consistent but then can get frustrating when requesting anything out of the norm.

That's why it's best for the poster to go back to the Westin or Sheraton where they know the hotel can accommodate their requests without too much hassle.

btonkid12345

Thanks to the few folks who replied with experiences at the Prince. I've only had multiple rooms at the Westin once, and while they generally followed the rules with regards to guests in the lounge, for example, they also automatically handed out lounge access to both rooms. Surprised I didn't even have to ask, and it was appreciated.

I have patronized these hotels again, but I would like to check out a LC for at least a night - especially when its so new and the location would spruce things up.

It's good to have me & my guests' expectations set - as I figured, given it's a Japanese LC - that things would generally be by the book, and thus the room I occupy would be upgrade eligible/breakfast/lounge, and the second room may receive an upgrade only if the hotel is particularly full in lower room categories, and may end up with comp breakfast.

helvetic

I've stayed on BRG 3 times and never had an issue with treatment.

helvetic

The Sheraton is not even close to being in the same class as the Prince Gallery. It's absolutely dreadful! We're talking, comparing say the nasty Grand Hyatt in NYC to the Park Hyatt NYC… the latter is consistently 5-10x the price, because it's 100x better.

helvetic

For what it's worth, I had no problem sneaking in a couple friends into the lounge. By sneaking, I mean, nobody ever checked us to make sure we weren't going above the 2 people max (we had a group of 3).

bhrubin

I’m getting the feeling that the expectations for too many SPG members at a proper luxury hotel like this are unusually frugal and unrealistic.

Too many Plats complaining about not getting in extra people into a free lounge. Too many Plats complaining about non-luxury service issues that actually are about Platinum elite benefits—and usually taking them for granted. Too many Plats complaining about free stuff at a luxury hotel.

Plats like those are why so many developers choose other management companies.

I’m going to stay here because I want a luxury hotel experience. I want my loyalty rewarded. I don’t want or expect a luxury hotel like this to lose money or lose the luxury experience for others in order to accommodate me and my 10 friends. And I don’t want a luxury hotel like this to enable frugal Plats that would try to accommodate them and their 10 friends. I’d be much happier if those frugal Plats went to the Sheraton.

btonkid12345

Thanks helvetic for your replies and happy new year.

bhrubin, I am not sure why you are getting this feeling. No one was complaining about benefits or trying to sneak people into a lounge - I have never and would never try to "sneak" anyone into a lounge. I know others contributed to questions too, but for me, I simply asked what to expect when booking MULTIPLE rooms - for folks whose first time it is staying at a hotel, it is discretionary at times what Platinum benefits hotels apply to the couples each booked into a separate room. The same way you recently posted a review about the St. Regis SF and mentioned how they bent rules for you multiple times as a Platinum. No one would accuse you of trying to be frugal or trying to milk the hotel out of something - its just part of the service you receive for a being a loyal and repeat customer.

Its ridiculous to assume any hotel would accommodate 10 guests in 1 room, or as part of 1 room's lounge access. Platinum or not. Having said that, I think its quite condescending to "send" people to a different hotel just because they want to know what to expect with their reservation (or whether it's worth having another couple book directly into a club room, for example). Or to call people "Plats like those."

I don't want to misrepresent my benefits based on experiences with other properties to folks who are traveling with me. If anything, hotels should be appreciative of this multiple room business we are giving them. I've stayed in Patron Suites at the Gritti (a higher category that your Sestiere) and the Designer Suite at the St. Regis in Rome - neither thanks to my Ambassador. I also don't come online to brag and say its obvious why I received these rooms and others did not.

I just love the pursuit of travel and new experiences and I've learned so much from others' experiences on this forum - and its really quite nice to know exactly what to expect when you arrive so there are no surprises, and a lot of those lessons are learnt here. I am simply thankful and appreciative of that. Will report back on my stay at the Prince in case it helps anyone else out there - no judgment!