Hi folks,

I just booked a Romance Package at the Mayflower in DC since I needed a qualifying rate for an EEO.

I see that the package includes a bottle of Champagne on arrival.

Since they are using the word "Champagne", is it safe to assume that it will be French and not a $3.50 bottle of California sparkling wine?

I just checked Hilton's Romance Package and they do advertise theirs as a "Sparkling Wine".

Any experiences?

Thank you!

Not this exact property, but I would be VERY surprised if it is actual french champagne. E.g. in PHL the Renaissance served a California sparkling wine (which was drinkable, not more) using the exact same verbiage...

Greetings - Dirk

Ha...I'll tell you, I had the same thought when I booked my romance package in Charleston, SC. I pretty much knew they would be giving me California Sparkling wine, but I was ready to argue my point to the management about it specifically stating "champagne" on the advertisement. Unfortunately, the bottle they delivered was actually labeled "champagne"...although by French standards, it obviously wasn't. It was some California brand, but I can't remember the name to save my life.

It's a smart marketing move on their point. Is it really their fault that the particular bottle of wine they are selling chooses to disregard international naming conventions when it comes to serving wine? Given the fact that the word "champagne" was on the bottle, I decided my point was sufficiently weak enough to avoid ruining my girlfriend's good time by starting a fight with the hotel

I can't answer your question but would comment that any such description in the EU would be in trouble if they didn't supply genuine French sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region as it is a protected identity under EU law.

In EU law a bottle of bubbly desribed as Champagne must be sparkling wine produced in the Champagne area. Make no mistake however, the result of this protection to the Champagne name has produced some real "plonk", revolting stuff which just happens to be grown there and hence can carry the label!

At the Marriott in Calgary and at the Renaissance in Vancouver I got "champagne" from California. After pointing out that it wasn't actually champagne what they served me, the charge was dropped from the bill on both occasions.

Was this part of a package or did you just order it on the spot? If it was part of the package, how did they know how much to credit you??

It was part of the package, they refunded the room service price of the champagne.

Interesting! Well, I will raise the issue if they do deliver something non-French.

I hate to be picky, but this is most definitely false advertising on Marriott's part.

This issue has spent some time in the courts. Parmasan doesn't have to come from Parma, either, when served at a hotel in Washington, DC.

It's not picky at all. If the room package said it came with a bottle of Bordeaux would it be okay if they delivered a Bordeaux blend from CA (or even worse say TX)? It is false advertising plain and simple.

I booked this as it was a great rate at the Key Bridge Marriott year ago or so. I was alone but traded the bottle for 5K points at check-in.

Yes, as I say, within the EU some of these products are protected, for instance Melton Mowbray pork pies have to be made in the town of Melton Mowbray. Champagne has to be made in the Champagne region in france, and Parmesan cheese made in the Parma area. On the other hand Cornish pasties don't have to be made in Cornwall...

In reality the protection really only helps those names synonymous with a type of product, Champange is used as another word for sparkling wine, another example is Stilton which is totally synonymous with blue cheese!

You would certainly have a valid complaint if staying in the EU and a package offering Champagne brought you a bottle which did not fill all these criteria:-

1. White wine; and
2. Sparkling; and
3. Produced in the Champagne area

However the EU writ does not run to the US or Canada, and I know you have your own rules on this, which I think are very much non-rules, namely anything in the style of something can be called in that name, reagrdless of the source, so Arkansas "Champagne", Texan "Parmesan" and Ontario "Stilton" are all (laughably) possible!!

I do know these romance packages are offered in the EU, and if I book one and find out they're not offering genuine French Champagne, there will be hell to pay, as the punishments for such misdescriptions in these parts are swingeing and vigorously enforced!

Why don't you give the hotel a buzz and check with them? Probably the best way to knw for sure. Please let us know what they have to say.

Thanks,
Mike

Fat forward to 0:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiGAAHG0O1A

Here is what Calgary says now: