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Please post your Radisson Rewards Elite experiences

Please post your Radisson Rewards Elite experiences

Old May 18, 2015, 8:40 am
  #496  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,950
Originally Posted by ORD-TGU
Why? I'm going there.
First of all I have no idea why they think they are a 5* hotel. To me it made the impression of a solid 3* hotel, not more.

Second, no AC so you have to sleep with open window in summer or like in my case even in winter since they had heated up the room to about 35 degrees Celsius with huge solid steel radiators... First there was no control unit to turn them down and second even if, they would have kept the heat for hours... so open window it was.

Not a bad thing in general but for a hotel in the heart of the city? For a 5* property? Come on? I could have lived with it, but to top it off, there is a night club in the building next door... so be it honking cars, loud drunk and puking patrons roaming the street under your window and the music rocking your bed all night long... The worst part, when I complained to the front desk, first the guy looked like *What the hell are you talking about?* even though it was as loud in the lobby as you would stand directly in the club, then he grumpy dished out a new room key for a room with no windows facing the river side. By the way, he did't even offer to help moving my stuff. Why bother?

That room was also very old, the walls cracked and shabby, the door to the bathroom didn't fully close and the water in the toilet was running all night - next to a disturbing low frequency buzzing. I guess from the elevator motor or some generator somewhere in that wing.

When I complained to the manager next day he told me: *Yes, we know of the problem with the club but can't do anything about it. We called the police so many times we can't count...*

While I agree that they perhaps can't do anything about the club itself, I think they could invest in proper sound isolation of the doors and windows as well as decent air conditioning units.

Also, besides that lame excuse nothing was offered after a night with barely any sleep. At least they could have offered some sweets, a free breakfast or some Gold points... nothing... Remember, a 5* hotel.

Then, they did not recognize any Club Carlson status claiming they are not part of Club Carlson but only have a franchise agreement. This means they do not have a Club Carlson booking system and therefore do not know of your status. Not sure if it would have made any difference...

They also failed to post the points and needed three reminders. I was actually stupid enough to pay for the two nights there...

They can't even blame it on language as I'm fluent in German - being a German.

In general:
- Yes, a boutique building
- Yes, a great central location
- Yes, might be nice for a quick city breakaway if you get a good room
- No, not a 5* hotel, not by either the hard product nor the soft product. No parking, no sauna, no pool, limited restaurant, no fitness equipment, no mini bar, no air conditioning, worn down furnitur and rooms... Much is missing to make it a 5* property
- No, I would not return (unless they remodel the rooms and get some friendly staff). At least that spares me walking down the stairs again trying to avoid both puke and broken bottles from last night to get to the cab.

So my advise:
- show your membership card during check-in
- do not get a room to the river side
- check the room is in working condition and has a quite location before you unpack
- always leave to the pedestrian zone side, not the river side.


Checkout Tripadvisor and look only for the bad reviews (1 or 2 out of 5), they are pretty consistent with what I observed. From the great reviews I have the feeling most people leaving those reviews never ever saw a good 4* or 5* hotel...

EDIT:// my stay was about a year and a half ago. Perhaps things have changed, but I seriously doubt it. They seemed to be pretty happy with the situation as it was and saw no need to reach out to a complaining guest... so, why bother now?

Last edited by fassy; May 18, 2015 at 8:47 am
fassy is offline  
Old May 25, 2015, 3:48 am
  #497  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 745
Radisson Blu, Athens, Greece

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Radisson Blu, Athens, Greece

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Okay, but It lacked the wow factor of a Radisson Blu that they were keen to talk in the video-cam with me a few weeks ago.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard, received Junior Suite

Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade - Yes
Early Check In/Late Check Out - Yes got 2pm check out
In-Room Welcome Gift - No

How are the rooms?
Decent size, but a bit tired. Brown and green is not a good look and the corridors have a spider's web lighting effect that makes you think like Frodo you've got slightly lost in Mirkwood...

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Very comfy bed, great pillows. Massive leather sofa and seat in room. Bathroom has a nice rain shower style in small wet room area where you can sit down. Excellent air conditioning.

Bad:
Fixtures and fittings a bit cheap looking - skirting board not finished well, there is a sliding 'Japanese door' effect in room as a partition but it was flimsy and cheap looking. Breakfast was chaotic - just not enough seating whenever I went. At night the bar shifts upstairs which is also a dining room but music is played excessively loudly. I went to eat downstairs but was told the (very nice) bar was closed. The restaurant also doesn't serve any Greek food! I ate in my room once and had a very underdone burger and then ate out after that. Traffic can be heard outside room easily but I slept well anyway. Worst feature was wifi - impossibly slow.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return? I spent 114,000 points for three nights stay. Unless I got 2 for 1, or 4 for 2 (which it doesn't seem to offer much) I would stay elsewhere.
CoweyB is offline  
Old May 25, 2015, 6:43 am
  #498  
Marriott Contributor BadgeWyndham Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: Hertz PC, Hilton DMD, IHG Spire Amb, Bonvoy Titanium Elite & WoH Globalist
Posts: 8,071
Originally Posted by fassy
You haven't seen the non-renovated rooms in the Blu Lillehammer, haven't you? Every youth hostel is better than that. Even the refurbished rooms are crappy and not up to any modern standard. Combine this with crazy Norwegian prices and you're good to go for a really frustrating stay.

Anyway, the worst stay of my Club Carlson time was at the Radisson Blu in Salzburg.
Are you talking about this one?



The structure was originally built in 1377 and renovated in 1992!
Kalboz is offline  
Old May 25, 2015, 6:56 am
  #499  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,950
Originally Posted by Kalboz
Are you talking about this one?
Yes

Originally Posted by Kalboz
The structure was originally built in 1377 and renovated in 1992!
Renovated in 1992? Could be true, that is 25 years ago. That is like a hundred years for a hotel... and being housed in a 600 year old building doesn't excuse a lack of customer service or facilities expected from a 5* hotel if it claims to be a 5* one - or helps with the noise problem from the club.
fassy is offline  
Old May 27, 2015, 8:55 am
  #500  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: SAS EBG, Club Carlson Concierge, BW Rewards Platinum, Hhonors Diamond
Posts: 7
Park Plaza Riverbank, London

Thanks FFlash! Having been following this thread for so long I decided to contribute myself too.

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Park Plaza Riverbank, London

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Neutral

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked superior room, received executive room (~26m2).

Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade - yes
Early Check In/Late Check Out - not needed
In-Room Welcome Gift - nothing

How are the rooms?
Some rooms have nice views to the riverside but mine had a view towards the opposite building but if really stretched yourself one could see the glimpse of Thames. Asked next day for river view and got it for the last night of my stay. This room was smaller but had better view which was why I mainly tried this hotel.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
-Room size ok and very comfortable beds
- View from the room (after requesting a new room)
- Price was rather competitive even if booked directly from PP website

Bad:
- Service not very friendly but not rude either. No one asked how was the stay during check-out or after.
- "In the middle of nowhere" but bus stop was close by.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Paid with money but despite the good price I will try some other hotel in the area. I also think this hotel did not do its best to reach for customers and left me with a neutral experience. Also was confused about the fact that the same address contained 2 hotels (Plaza on the River which have all-suites).
reissulasse is offline  
Old May 27, 2015, 9:27 pm
  #501  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: FAT
Programs: AA LT GLD, AS 75K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 181
What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Park Inn Nice Airport

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room on points, no upgrade received

Did you receive elite benefits?
Two dark chocolate bars shaped as race cars to celebrate the Monaco Grand Prix. Early check in - friends traveling with me on a separate reservation did not receive early check in.

How are the rooms?
Clean and adequate. Large sofa couch included in the room.

What was good and what was bad?
Good: Within walking distance of both airport terminals and train station. Free breakfast. Great view of the airport and runways.

Bad:
Strange odor in hallways. Windows facing the airport don't open making the room stuffy. No dining options in the surrounding area. Infrequent shuttle service.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Not an aspirational property, but semi-decent value for 38K points if using the two nights redemption with the Club Carlson Visa. Would probably not return because of the elimination of the bonus night redemption with the Club Carlson visa which makes this property more expensive than it really should be.
FightOnFlyer is offline  
Old May 31, 2015, 6:32 pm
  #502  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Kettle Class
Posts: 796
Radisson Blu Le Vendome, Cape Town ZA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Radisson Blu Le Vendome, Cape Town ZA

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room on points, upgraded to a suite with a large terrace with a view of the ocean.

Did you receive elite benefits?
Room upgrade (multi-category), free breakfast and mineral water with daily replenishment

How are the rooms?
A bit dated, but clean, comfortable and fairly charming.

What was good and what was bad?
Good: Great neighborhood (Sea Point) with oceanfront promenade and MyCiti bus stop a half block away. Friendly and helpful front desk. Quiet, residential neighborhood less than 10 minutes from the V&A waterfront. Breakfast buffet featured table service and included a selection of complimentary cooked-to-order entrees.

Bad: Rooms were a bit dark after the early sunset, furniture and bathroom fixtures a bit dated and old-fashioned. Slow elevators. The good more than tempered the bad, as you can see.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Seemingly excellent value for money for elites, particularly in the off-season. Even paid rates for "deluxe" rooms were in the 1,000 to 1,200 ZAR range.
progapanda is offline  
Old May 31, 2015, 6:42 pm
  #503  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Kettle Class
Posts: 796
Park Inn Foreshore, Cape Town ZA

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Park Inn Foreshore, Cape Town ZA

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room on points, I may have received a semi-upgrade to a standard room with a balcony overlooking the city center and indirect views of Table Mountain.

Did you receive elite benefits?
Cheese plate, welcome letter and mineral water with daily replenishment.

How are the rooms?
Relatively basic, but modern and tastefully decorated. The shower stall in the bathroom was a bit leaky.

What was good and what was bad?
Good: Convenient location for those using public transit. The A01 bus from the Airport terminates just a 7-8 minute walk away, the train station is right across the street and there a number of other major city bus stations (Adderley, Thibault) within a 5-10 minute walk.

Bad: The rooms on the lower floors were a bit noisy given that the hotel faces a fairly busy thoroughfare. You could hear traffic from about 5am to about 7pm.

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
For 28,000 points a night, very reasonable and comfortable. Paid rates seemed to hover around 900 ZAR a night.
progapanda is offline  
Old Jun 4, 2015, 6:04 pm
  #504  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: Amex platinum, LeClubAccor Plat, Club Carlson gold, Hilton HHonours Diamond
Posts: 318
- What is your Club Carlson status?

Gold

- Where did you stay?

Radisson Blu Hampshire - Leicester Square - London

- Were you happy with the hotel/stay?

Very

- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Standard Room - upgrade to Junior Suite

- Did you receive elite benefits?

Yes - water, jelly beans and very nice room


- How are the rooms? Excellent - hotel of choice in London now

- What was good and what was bad?

Service, rooms, bar. But above all the staff were all very professional but extremely friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. A real pleasure to stay there

- Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

50k points, central London, short notice - excellent.

Yes - already booked.
PeterT1953 is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2015, 7:37 am
  #505  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 742
What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Radisson Blu, Rome

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
The pool deck is really the only reason I would ever come back to this hotel, it is dated, the cleaning staff does a poor job, and if your room faces the train station, its very loud.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard (44k points for 2 nights with credit card), received "business floor upgrade"

Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade - Yes (but it faced the train station, so not sure it was better than a different room not facing the trains)
Early Check In/Late Check Out - Yes got 2pm check out
In-Room Welcome Gift - Must have been one bottle of still water and one of sparkling. No note or anything.

How are the rooms?
Smallish which is fine, but as noted many times, the shower and sink are separated by a crappy curtain and glass wall to the rest of the room.
What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Bed was fine.
Pool deck, great.

Bad:
The floor boards did not always meet up, like there were 1 inch gaps in floorboards. At least 2 in room 603. Looks like a kid built a tree house and didn't care that it was not level. Very Very Unprofessional.

Cleaning: They did not replace any shampoo. 2nd day had 4 bottles of lotion and 0 shampoo. Also there was noticeable dust, did not look properly cleaned for months.
They did NOT replace or clean wine glasses... whats with that? All of the faucets had some green residue on them, needs to be cleaned more frequently.

The TV also had issues, after awhile the screen would go white and still play audio. was about a 45'' samsung, did not inquire about the issue.

The elevator was dated 2001, so I assume this hotel has had very little updating since 2001, 14 years ago. The faucets and such would really do alot with an update as well as fixing the floorboards.

The location is pretty good, but I would recommend a room not facing the train station, the announcements in the AM are very loud. Stay here only if you have time to enjoy the pool (maybe split up your rome nights a bit as you shouldn't come to rome just for a nice rooftop pool).

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

44k points for 2 nights was a great deal, now it would be 100k for the exact same thing. Bummer. Can get weekend 2-4-1 rates under 100 euro per night, so if that is an option i would come back. Other than 2-4-1 club carlson is pretty dead to me.
moops380 is offline  
Old Jun 17, 2015, 3:22 am
  #506  
Hilton Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 692
What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Park Inn Papenburg, Germany

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Absolutely.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard (P&C, one weekend night), upgrade to Junior Suite, which means enjoying the use of a balcony and free mini bar (water, some soft drinks, 2 beers, chocolates and crisps/peanuts). Breakfast is included for all room types/rates.

Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade - as above
Early Check In/Late Check Out - not required
In-Room Welcome Gift - I guess the free mini bar more than counts for that one.

How are the rooms?
Comfortable, it is a modern Park Inn, so nothing wrong. All of sound quality.

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Bed was fine.
Sauna & Steam room.
Generous upgrade.
Free parking right outside.
Great location at "central canal" of Papenburg, "city" centre. Close to station, if needed.
Breakfast very good, good quality and variety, especially considering it's a Park Inn.

Bad:
n/a

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?

Yes. Even at standard rates, which can exceed 100 Euros, this hotel provides an excellent choice.

Compliments to the management and team of the Park Inn Papenburg!
treppenlaeufer is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2015, 1:20 am
  #507  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 745
Radisson Blu Grand Hotel, Sofia

What is your Club Carlson status?
Concierge

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Radisson Blu, Sofia, Bulgaria

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked standard, received an upgrade to a 'junior suite' but whilst it was a beautiful room with a balcony it was just a larger room. Their best rooms - all marked business class on the outside - are on the sixth floor and the only ones to have balconies with a very impressive view of the Parliament Building, St Alexander Nevskii Cathedral with gold cupolas and a statue of the 'Tsar Liberator' just outside the hotel.

Did you receive elite benefits?
Complimentary Room Upgrade?

Yes. Upgrade to their best class of room which accessed the business lounge which self-served canaps, wine, gin, whiskey and vodka for three hours early evening. I was also given a complimentary collection from the airport by hotel minibus. (The hotel is two minutes walk from Sv Kliment Ochridskii metro station on a direct line from Sofia airport. Tickets cost 1 lev (0.36, 0.50, $0.58) so don't get a taxi...

Early Check In/Late Check Out - Yes about 30 minutes, check out not required
In-Room Welcome Gift - Yes, fruit plate and six bottles of water

How are the rooms?

The rooms are old style grand hotel but a bit more modern furniture - but without the quirky Radisson Blu touch. The sort of place your mother would love .

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
the balcony, tremendous view, the shower has six wall mounted taps in addition to main shower for a very invigorating shower.

Big bath (but took 20 minutes to fill).

Comfortable bed. They also offer an old-style shoe polishing service which is chargeable.

Nice walk-in dressing room/storage area in bathroom.
Heated bathroom floor- but see below.

Bad:
The pillows were too soft. I had to use three on the first night then when my partner arrived, a pillow and cushion from the settee.

The heated floor in bathroom doesn't extend to area in front of sink or to the WC area!

The double glazing isn't great you can hear traffic outside although it didn't keep me awake.

The hotel common areas are very dated - Radiason Blu has tried to update with some quirky features like a hall of mirrors and rope lighting on way to restaurant but it jars with the old fashioned setting. The Sense Hotel the other side of the square was much more funky and fun.

Value for money or Gold Points?

I got a 4 for 2 (increasingly rare to get this year and one of the remaining reasons I'm staying with Club Carlson) so I am only paying 130 a night. That makes it good value. If I had to pay that for four nights I wouldn't think it good value

Would you return?
If I got a 2 for 1 or 4 for 2 deal probably. The hotel needs to be modernised to stay in the race.
CoweyB is offline  
Old Jun 21, 2015, 4:45 pm
  #508  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 2
Arrow Radisson Blu, Nice

What is your Club Carlson status?
Gold.

Where did you stay? (Brand, Location, Country)
Radisson Blu, Nice, France.

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
No.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked business (150k points for 2 nights), received no upgrade. Checked availability and suites were not full.

Did you receive elite benefits?

Complimentary Room Upgrade - No.
Early Check In/Late Check Out - Early checkin not applicable. Had to argue to get the late check out.
In-Room Welcome Gift - One bottle of still and one bottle of sparkling water but these may have been for all business class rooms anyway.
There was a welcome note from GM.

How are the rooms?

6th floor room had great view of the sea and a very nice balcony and a Nespresso machine. Bed was comfy. Bathroom was basic. Showergel etc from "Thisworks".

Good:
Breakfast was tasty with a good selection.
The rooftop pool, loungers and bar.
Sauna and mini hammam which are free to use.

Bad:
Very poor/nil status recognition:
No upgrade.
There was water in the room but I'm not sure if that was a room or Gold benefit.
We wanted a late check out as our flight departed in the evening. When checking in on the Friday I asked whether this would be okay. The receptionist said we would have to wait until the morning of checkout (Sunday) and then request this. On the Sunday I duly requested the late checkout and the receptionist firstly said no they were full. When I said that was pretty unlikely unless they'd had a surge of new bookings that morning he said the latest he could do was 1.30pm (12 o'clock is standard), I then asked him what recognition the property offers to Golds and told him I hadn't experienced any in the stay so far. He said that they weren't obliged to offer anything except to Concierges and he asked what it was that I wanted. I said a 6pm checkout was what I wanted - he said he could not do it but would do it anyway "because it was Sunday" and would have to tell his manager.

Other minor annoyances:

On the first morning the cleaner walked straight into our room without knocking.
On the second morning it was raining so the outside dining area was out of use. When we arrived at 9am the regular indoor dining area was therefore fairly full. We were asked to take breakfast in a dingy dark room quite a way from the buffet. We put our stuff down there and walked into the restaurant to pick up our food from the buffet and were stopped by another lady who again told us we couldn't sit down in the regular area!
I'd read on review forums that the hotel offered a free shuttle bus into town. When I asked the concierge if there was a shuttle he gave me a one word answer: "No" then turned away.
A free newspaper is a benefit of the business class room. I asked for 2 at checkin (one for me and one for my wife). The receptionist said that would be fine but in the event only one paper arrived.

The location
The hotel is situated on the end of the Promenade des Anglais which is near the airport. The bus number 23 bus takes around 15mins and costs 1.50 euros. It stops directly outside the hotel. The other end of the Promenade (~5km) is the town centre which is where you'll want to be if you're there to visit the city (45 mins walk along the Promenade - a very pleasant stroll during the day but at night there are no public buses and a lot of prostitutes).

Value for money or Gold Points? Would you return?
Gold Points were value relative to the rack rate and I booked pre-devaluation. Would I return? No.
shobba is offline  
Old Jun 22, 2015, 6:03 am
  #509  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,950
Originally Posted by shobba
When I said that was pretty unlikely unless they'd had a surge of new bookings that morning he said the latest he could do was 1.30pm (12 o'clock is standard), I then asked him what recognition the property offers to Golds and told him I hadn't experienced any in the stay so far. He said that they weren't obliged to offer anything except to Concierges and he asked what it was that I wanted. I said a 6pm checkout was what I wanted - he said he could not do it but would do it anyway "because it was Sunday" and would have to tell his manager.
6pm is really, really late. Most properties will accept like 3pm. The T&C say:

Early Check-In and Late Checkout: is available only when the Elite member is the registered guest. Early check-in and late checkout means two hours prior to or later than the hotels published check-in and checkout time.
Anyway, I found a lot of hotels have not a problem with early check-in as long as it is not crazy busy and they are running behind on housekeeping but in general do not like late check-out as it ruins their time-planning for the house keeping.
fassy is offline  
Old Jun 22, 2015, 12:19 pm
  #510  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by fassy
6pm is really, really late. Most properties will accept like 3pm. The T&C say:



Anyway, I found a lot of hotels have not a problem with early check-in as long as it is not crazy busy and they are running behind on housekeeping but in general do not like late check-out as it ruins their time-planning for the house keeping.

Yes i thought 6pm was late too but the book in the room with all the hotel info (for everyone, not club carlson) said " CHECKOUT. The Departure time is set at noon. Subject to availability the room can be kept free of charge until 6pm. Please contact the "One Touch Service" if you wish to proceed." (took a photo). So I thought I'd ask for that.
shobba is offline  

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