If you stayed in both hotels, what is your recommendation considering the chance of upgrade as MR Platinum and HH Diamond, lounge access, setup of the room?

Thanks.

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Guiming Miao
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As an HH Gold, I was recently upgraded to a top floor room (61st floor) and given full Executive floor priveleges. Checkin was done in the lounge, and my wife and I were served champagne while checking in by a personable staff. The Executive lounge is wonderful, and the lounge staff is wonderful, esp. the manager, Ms. Connie Cheung. We had breakfast in the B1F cafe but next time we will probably definitely take breakfast in the lounge at least once. The evening snacks and cocktail service is wonderful. For what I got and the way I was treated as a Gold, I can only dream about what Diamond might get. Our room was peak view, so you could very well get a nice harbor view. Both hotels, as well as the Shangri-La enjoy direct access to the Pacific Place mall, including the subway. I am only MR Silver chopped liver, but the JW looks nice enough, although I have never stayed there.

You might be interested in this thread, where the Conrad and Shangri-La are reviewed, and the JW Marriott is briefly mentioned.

As far as I can tell, the two hotels are nearly identical. However, they form a triangle with the Shangri-La which should be anyone's real choice.

What leads you to say this? The two (Marriott & Conrad) are in the same complex, but they do not appear to me to be in any way identical, in terms of either appearance or service.

Why do you feel that Shangri-La is the clear choice?

In my stays there, the Conrad and JW seemed pretty much the same in overall quality. Other than minor differences, what do you see different about them? BTW, them being the same isn't bad as they are both very good hotels.

However, the Shangri-La is a step ahead in service (at least for Golden Cirle members), room quality, restaurants and of course the mural.

I've recently stayed at both the S-L and Conrad, but not the Marriott, so I can't compare the rooms/service between Conrad and Marriott. The Marriott's public areas, however, appeared to me to be below the Conrad's standard.

I would agree with you about the Shangri-La's restaurants being clearly better than the Conrad's, but I found the service and room quality at the Conrad and Shangri-La to be very comparable (and exceptionally good) -- if it matters, I'm in both Golden Circle and HHonors. I was especially impressed with the service in Conrad's Exec lounge, which Ms. Connie Cheung oversees with consummate skill and care.

I guess that being in Golden Cirlce matters if it gets you up to the Club level. That's where some very good rooms exist. Perhaps you can get some good suites at the Conrad too, but AFAIK the rooms are more unique at the Shangri-La.

But all-in-all, you're doing well to stay at either hotel.

To the best of my knowledge, the Island Shangri-La has neither a club level nor a club lounge. (The Kowloon Shangri-La has both.) It is certainly true that You'll get upgraded to a suite for free or for US$25/night, depending on Golden Circle level (and availability of course).

And I think we are agreeing, mostly. Both hotels are superb. The Shangri-La certainly has the reputation, but after staying at each, I simply don't see the choice between the two as being at all clear.

Hmmm. I thought the Club lounge was at the base of the mural? Or has that changed?

According to the desk clerk when I asked at check-in (beginning of this month), there's neither a lounge nor club floor(s).

(If you check out the room types for, say, the Kowloon S-L, lots of Horizon-xxx rooms are available. Do the same for Island S-L, no Horizon rooms show up.)

Preamble: both of these hotels are in contention for being the best mid-range chain hotels in the world. Both are excellent and it's splitting hairs to compare them.

My call: the JW.
I have stayed at both the Conrad and the JW multiple times. I just spent 5 nights at the JW this month. I've made the choice of MC over HH because I found that HH is very inconsistent overall. I found at HH that I always had to ask or beg to get recognition, whereas at MCs recognition comes automatically and without requesting.

I am MC Gold and the JW in HK always upgrades me to the executive floor, even when I stay at a super low rate. When I was HH Diamond at the Conrad I had to ask. I tore up my HH Diamond card and it was the best choice I ever made. I am happier with my lower status at MC.

The JW has high speed internet. The JW exec. lounge is open for free breakfast, afternoon tea, happy hour including free booze, and deserts in the late evening. They have free non-alchoholic drinks all day.

The Conrad lounge charged for any drinks outside of its special hours.

All JW rooms are corner rooms with huge windows. Almost all rooms therefore have a view to some direction. The Conrad rooms are higher than the JW rooms and have a better view when you get a view, but there is a 50% chance of a no-view room.

Interestingly, Conde Naste recently rated the JW a low 80s score for location, the Conrad a high 90s, and the Shangri-La a high 80s. They're all in the same mall!

[This message has been edited by PaulSEA1 (edited 12-29-2002).]