Mrs Hazmike & I are headed to Monaco in a couple of weeks for our anniversary. I can book a room with a view for 214 euro, stay for three nights & get one night free. My hope is that we are bestowed with a suite, my UG % is running at almost 70%. I know suites aren't included in the T&C...but I've had a pretty good run so far this year. Being a Plat Premier, I've been pretty much treated like a king in most properties.

My quandry is do I just break down & book a suite or roll the dice? A regular suite runs 258 euros with no free night. The biggie suite with a panoramic view is 289 euros, again, no free night.

I'm using Marriott gift certificates (approx. $2400 USD) and will put the rest on my Marriott Visa.

I'm really torn here. I expect I'll get the UG and if not could pay for one at the desk upon check-in, assuming availability.

Thanks,

Mike

The view from the room isn't bad at all - this is from a few years back:





Before committing, I'd recommend maybe contacting the concierge & asking them about upgrades as you are a Platinum Premier & it's your anniversary there (and I had to look this up in my emails from several years ago, but I imagine the address is still the same - [email protected])

I was blocked into a terrace sea view room when I was there.

I stayed there for 5 nights on points in August and as a point redemption it offers cracking value. The stay should have cost 1300euros, but instead was only 120,000 points. Theres no exec lounge so instead all plats are offered free breakfast and free minibar, including the food offerings. With breakfast piling in at 25euros per person and the minibar including beer this is a very sizeable benefit.

As for rooms, we faced a similar dilemma to you, we wanted a sea view, could have gone hoping for an upgrade, but they do have plenty of the lower rear facing "mountain" (ie Football pitch) view rooms.

As it turned out I took the cowards way and paid for the seaview upgrade, most rooms are seaview anyway, but had no cause to regret the decision, as the hotel was very busy and I think a free upgrade would have been unlikely. I am afraid the same goes for your hopes on a suite, plus the big factor that there's not many and a high-rolling area means that the hotel may not gamble on nil demand for the suite even if its free at the commencement of your stay.

Then again you are a plat premier, but even so, I would be surprised at an upgrade to suite in such a high demand, big spenders area.

As is so often the case with upgrades, book 'em if you really want 'em!

You should have a great time, its a competent hotel (not the greatest.. this is Monaco after all!) with great views, right on the french border with Monaco. We loved it and will return, on points as that's its best value at current exchange rates...

Tough call and depends on budget.

For me -- the 4 nights in a suite at an extra $800+ would be a no-go, as I could spend the $800 on a dinner and helicopter roundtrip from NCE to a block from the hotel - or an extra 3 nights in that same lower category room.

If you are wondering whether you should spend the additional $$ then you may be in the same boat -- ie, having the money, but not sure whether it could be better used.

Would you be unhappy in a regular room with seaview? If so and it was $800 unhappy then spend the money. To be honest, the hotel itself does not offer such wonderful views or services that you would want to spend a great deal of time there. Daytrips to NCE, Cannes, Italy, etc mean you will be out of the room more than you are in it.

On a side note I was hungry last night and ate the nuts that came from the free minibar during my stay last month .

Take the helicopter if you're flying into NCE!

FYI - in case you hadn't read through this thread yet - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...il-monaco.html

We were there one year ago. No real recognition of PP status so don't count on that meaning anything. We did get an ocean view room but beyond that not much.

While we were there the hotel quickly filled up with tour buses.