FlyerTalk Forums - The St. Regis Kuwait [Master Thread]

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The St. Regis Kuwait [Master Thread]

Creating a dedicated thread for The St. Regis Kuwait now that the property's website has come online on the Marriott directory. The website is a shell with no images and interestingly, it's listed as a new hotel and taking reservations from tonight at the whopping rate of 123 KWD [~407 USD].

This is a rebranding of the current Sheraton Kuwait's original building and extension directly connected to it, the first building of which has been gutted, renovated and re-clad. The separate tower with the ground floor connection between the St. Regis and Four Points is planned to close and undergo an identical gut renovation and re-cladding to the St. Regis buildings later this year, and reopen late in 2023 as a regular Sheraton-branded property, effectively ending the Luxury Collection affiliation for one of the last few Sheratons to carry this mixed branding.

khabah

As mentioned above, the St. Regis is accepting paid reservations as of today... but there is no category listed and no ability to book with points. I called into the Ambassador service [spoiler alert: huge mistake] to explain this and ask why it is so, and their reason was that in March, Marriott is eliminating categories and points will be tied to the rates, so the hotel must have skipped over having a category or accepting points in anticipation of the new system. I told them that didn't make any sense and unless the hotel wasn't participating in the loyalty program, it should in theory participate with a category and points redemption until the changeover. I was told they'd check with the hotel and get back to me in 48 hours. My request to know how Marriott could allow a hotel to accept reservations yet not have photos of the product they're selling also went unheeded and without proper explanation.

Point of differentiation: with Hilton Diamond Services, the agent placed me on hold and immediately called a hotel I was having an issue with to clarify that issue, yet Marriott's magnificent, 20000-dollar-a-year service offers to send an email and make you wait for literal days. Mind-boggling.

khabah

Marriott’s just so over dealing with consumers 😂

I am not sure the ambassador agent was entirely correct. I remember last year, St.Regis Bermuda started selling rooms for cash before a points category was determined and therefore, before points redemptions were possible. It did not have anything to do with an upcoming change in the way award stays were set up because it was 2021 not 2022 - it was perhaps simply due to the fact that it was a new hotel rolling out reservation facilities stepwise? It seems StR Kuwait is doing the same thing, but it just happens to be at the same time as the upcoming points change.

Since I'm visiting Kuwait, I popped by the hotel yesterday for a tour of the new rooms and to pull some information about the property's redevelopment plans. Here you go:

As detailed above, there are five buildings in the complex: the original Sheraton, the Sheraton annex, the Sheraton extension, the original Four Points tower and the taller Four Points extension tower. Both Four Points buildings operate singularly as the Four Points, and the Sheraton complex will be split into two properties: The St. Regis [comprising the original and annex buildings, since they're directly connected], and the separate Sheraton extension tower which will lose the Luxury Collection branding and be repositioned as a regular Sheraton.
All three Sheraton buildings are to undergo comprehensive renovations where they will be gutted and stripped to their pillars and studs, have their exteriors altered and their interiors totally reconfigured.
As of right now, only the original Sheraton building has undergone its gut-and-rebuild renovation, and rebranded and reopened as a St. Regis. The attached annex has recently been covered up in scaffolding and tarp in preparation for the works to come, but they haven't formally begun since I walked by a guest hallway that was renovated St. Regis on one side, and Louis era on the other. The pool area is also still open, and the lobby and restaurants haven't been touched. The reception desks have been relocated from their original spots to the right of the entrance to right in front of it, and large panels with renderings of the new lobby have been put up; the hotel management tells me that these were installed one day before my visit, so they're very much in the middle of their transformation.
For all intents and purposes, they're operating as a St. Regis - but think of it as a St. Regis-lite. The property is a Quasimodo of sorts between its new rooms and one building with a shiny new skin, one building under tarps, a lobby that will soon begin renovations, restaurants that are outdated and will be renovated later, and an entirely separate building that has yet to undergo its own messy, noisy renovation. You'll also see St. Regis branding in one spot, Luxury Collection markings on some signs, the new Sheraton logo on what will be the new Sheraton building [which is still Luxury Collection-branded, by the way], and old-school Sheraton wreath logos in other places. It's astonishing that the branding is such a hot mess, and how there's no input from corporate to make it all compliant.
The plan now is to renovate the Sheraton annex to complete the St. Regis' room inventory and concurrently renovate part of the lobby, then renovate the pool [the whole area will be reconfigured; I wasn't shown the plans, but was told they plan to have a "raised" pool and totally reimagined pool deck] and add an Iridium Spa, then renovate the remaining lobby and restaurants. The plan to formally tie-up the St. Regis will take another two to three years.
Once all the St. Regis work is done, the team will shift to the Sheraton redesign. From what I've been told, they still haven't decided all these years later where exactly they're going to install the new Sheraton lobby and entrance - it might be on the backside of the tower sharing a driveway with the Four Points, or it might be in the front of the building - but they're also discussing sticking a garden in that space for the St. Regis to visually extend that lobby. Between all this, COVID and the stifling "why do it now" nature of Kuwait, I've been informed that the entire renovation project is currently earmarked for completion sometime in 2027.

There you have it; it's messy and frankly on par with the Kuwait experience, but from a rooms perspective, this is a lovely property. I toured each room category, and the new rooms are very mellow and elegant - nothing ostentatious whatsoever, just a clean and contemporary design that's well-finished throughout. I was told that very little to none of the fittings are sourced from Kuwait, and a major reason behind the overall delay in redeveloping the hotel was that the contractors, designers and equipment were all from Spain and Italy and were locked out of Kuwait for years due to COVID. Each room was also pre-assembled in Spain or Italy, and arrived to the hotel site in pieces and boxes before reassembly - which is probably why the rooms look and feel so solid and a break from the slipshod characteristic of construction and finishing in Kuwait. I'm happy to share images of each room category in a subsequent post.

Interesting note: I generally find service at Kuwaiti hotels to slide between aloof and overly attentive, with a lack of finesse in either instance - and experienced that here. I arrived at the hotel and asked to speak to a manager contact I know, and the reception agent at one desk just pointed to the concierge across the lobby and told me to go there to try to connect with him rather than offer to call the manager himself. The concierge then told me that the manager's office is in the Four Points, and told me to go there and try with their lobby rather than, again, try to call him and connect us. I had to walk through the hotel, out the back entrance, into the Four Points and explain my situation a third time to a third team in order to reach the manager, so... I digress somewhat, but here's the point: I made a remark that the St. Regis needed to offer a strong soft product to differentiate it from the market, and how their competitor, the Four Seasons, was a mess from a service perspective. Kuwait's FS is a physically beautiful property, but ever since they opened in 2017, they've offered far and away the worst service of any FS I've experienced anywhere, and far worse than a hotel on a three-star level in the GCC; between staff who don't care, are attitudinally up themselves, offer incorrect information, don't pick up phone calls or are generally unhelpful. I was told by the St. Regis management that the FS' foibles are known in the Kuwaiti market, and they've got a very high staff turnover rate coupled with iffy training and the fact that Kuwait's visitor market is very idiosyncratic [i.e. no tourists other than high-spenders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar looking for a posh, expensive place to sleep and blow money at and then leave a day or two later]. As such, there is talk that Four Seasons corporate is unhappy with this and is considering pulling their brand from the market... a move I think is firmly in their best interest. Given that the owner of the St. Regis and Four Points is also the same as the Four Seasons, I can see him rebranding it to a Ritz-Carlton - or potentially another Waldorf Astoria or LXR given his other tie-up with Hilton.

khabah

Any update on progress at this property? Considering St Regis Kuwait in Feb '23.

I personally would avoid this hotel. The rooms are new, but that's it. Fitness is in Sheraton building and old. Indoor pool is in Four Points. Really??? No Spa and only the old outdoor pool. All restaurants except one closed. Don't think the renderings are realized. They really just renovated the rooms. Everything else is old, just with St. Regis branding. Go for Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria or Grand Hyatt. All three other hotel options are normally cheaper.

Expect upgrade games. Expect strange non-working service. Expect strange ideas and explanation: "We are doing it that way", Don't expect that the homepage is correct with the current informations.

Let’s talk about the St Regis - paging khabah! My general opinion is that I liked it - though, that may be due to over-performance in areas that I really value (bed plushness). It’s somewhat odd writing this review as I sit in the Sheraton, which is basically the same hotel but also SO isn’t. More to come with my Sheraton review after my stay…

Logistics: As described in this thread and in the Sheraton thread, the St Regis occupies two of the sections of the former Sheraton complex. As of today, the lobby reception area and seating area connecting to the current Sheraton have been renovated. However, the “back corridors” of the lobby floor are still original in the “European” style. There are two elevator banks for the St Regis - one for the annex wing and one for the front wing - the front wing displays the property logo for the Sheraton Kuwait (the ship logo - as LCs have unique logos) and the annex wing displays the St Regis logo (the elevators for the current Sheraton have the typical Sheraton logo). However, at least for the 6th floor, the hallways are completely modern on both the front side and annex side, except for a few chests of antique figurines.

Check-in and check-out for both the St Regis and Sheraton are handled at the same desk, and the staff is effectively the same for both properties. There is no Sheraton lobby. Welcome gift breakfast for both properties is at the same renovated restaurant in the St Regis lobby (which I’m happy about as I get yummy breakfast again tomorrow morning).

Guests of all properties get access to the amenities at the Four Points - I was highly recommended to visit the 42nd floor pool during sunset - will try to do that today or tomorrow.

The Sheraton does have a lounge - sitting there now - will write more in my Sheraton review in that thread.

Back to the stay…

Pros:

Upgraded before arrival to a Gate Suite and placed on an upper floor
Bed is absolutely fantastic - soft and plush mattress, plush pillows, plush covers - perfect St Regis bed
Shower pressure from rainfall head is good
Bulgari single-use toiletries, but extras provided proactively
Turndown service brought more tissues and waters than I could have ever used, per request for 1 extra box of tissues
No check-in desk available upon arrival, so I was checked in by someone on a clipboard before a desk became available - good sense of multitasking
Suite was smoking - lots of ashtrays - but had ZERO smoke smell (impressive)
Welcome gift breakfast was fantastic - great omelet and salmon, brought around mini Frappuccinos, staff recommended I get the fresh saj with cheese and zaatar (which was delicious and prepared fresh), great barista coffees

Neutral:

Couch is medium comfort - and had a small stain
There are some service misses and inconsistencies - they messaged me the day before asking for an arrival beverage preference, but I had to message them after arrival to remind them - had to remind them of my initial coffee order at breakfast - BUT everyone has a good attitude and is kind, so while it may not be perfect, it’s much better than some other STR properties (cough…Bangkok…cough)

Cons:

The property couldn’t seem to process an Amex - their machine declined it multiple times - I called Amex and both their automated system and the person I spoke to said my account had no issues (so, something is wrong on the merchant side) - luckily, my RC Visa served as a good back-up

I would come back.

Photos (please expand the Spoiler tag):

Spoiler