highest quality "bundled" luxury hotel food ?
Jul 15, 2011 | 5:31 am
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
highest quality "bundled" luxury hotel food ?
- buffet
- all-inclusive
- club lounge (any table service?) (any really high quality?)
buffets at IC and island SL in HK, burj in dubai >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...k-hkk-yyz.html
buffets at RC, MO, fairmont in SIN >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ch-desert.html
- all-inclusive
- club lounge (any table service?) (any really high quality?)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...k-hkk-yyz.html
buffets at RC, MO, fairmont in SIN >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ch-desert.html
Jul 15, 2011 | 5:41 am
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,593
Presumably you are limiting this to city hotels (where there are easy dining alternatives) as there are many isolated resorts with all-inclusive rates, out of necessity due to the isolation. Some have excellent food. Lots of hotels provide food credits in lieu of dropping rates, and sometimes these can be used in michelin-starred restaurants. Otherwise even some relatively banal hotels, such as the Sheraton Towers in HKG, offer a stunningly lavish and high quality breakfast buffet included in the room rate. So it is neither hard to find, nor a luxury.
Jul 15, 2011 | 5:46 am
#3
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
nope.. not many all-inclusive city hotels, and qasr al sarab is 200km from abu dhabi city.
buffet doesnt need to be included in room rate.
i didnt say "hard to find" or "luxury" i said highest quality.
= highest quality buffet food
= highest quality all-inclusive food
= highest quality club lounge food
buffet doesnt need to be included in room rate.
i didnt say "hard to find" or "luxury" i said highest quality.
= highest quality buffet food
= highest quality all-inclusive food
= highest quality club lounge food
Jul 15, 2011 | 6:32 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Buffet food at Qasr Al Sarab was definitely top notch. Normally I don't like buffets, but this was really special.
I also like the buffets at FS Bosphorus and the new Sunday brunch buffet at Trisara (adults only - and they arrange activities for the kids whilst you dine).
Sunday brunch buffet at FS Singapore is very good.
Club lounges - FS HK - great cook to order breakfast + buffet.
MO Geneva - buffet + cook to order breakfast.
All-inclusive food is of a very high standard at Ballyfin, Ireland.
There are probably loads more examples, but these are the ones that come to mind.
I also like the buffets at FS Bosphorus and the new Sunday brunch buffet at Trisara (adults only - and they arrange activities for the kids whilst you dine).
Sunday brunch buffet at FS Singapore is very good.
Club lounges - FS HK - great cook to order breakfast + buffet.
MO Geneva - buffet + cook to order breakfast.
All-inclusive food is of a very high standard at Ballyfin, Ireland.
There are probably loads more examples, but these are the ones that come to mind.
Jul 15, 2011 | 7:06 am
#5
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
"buffet" doesnt necessarily cover it does it. forgot about my breakfast at brandenburger hof (german breakfast, a la carte, 9 tasting dishes, continental station) kind of club style without the club. or actually, even like table service tea (had the same type of tiered plates, but bigger) but with actual food.
vuittonsofstyle
- breakfast, lunch, dinner buffets - qasr al sarab
- sunday brunch buffet - FS buenos aires
- sunday brunch buffet - trisara
- sunday brunch buffet - FS singapore
- buffets - FS bosphorus
- club breakfast buffet - FS hong kong
- breakfast buffet - MO geneva
x
- breakfast, dinner buffets - FS bosphorus
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 16, 2011 at 10:10 am
Jul 15, 2011 | 8:12 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
brilliant stuff as always. ballyfin! how was it?
"buffet" doesnt necessarily cover it does it. forgot about my breakfast at brandenburger hof (german breakfast, a la carte, 9 tasting dishes, continental station) kind of club style without the club. or actually, even like table service tea (had the same type of tiered plates, but bigger) but with actual food.
"buffet" doesnt necessarily cover it does it. forgot about my breakfast at brandenburger hof (german breakfast, a la carte, 9 tasting dishes, continental station) kind of club style without the club. or actually, even like table service tea (had the same type of tiered plates, but bigger) but with actual food.
Ballyfin is interesting. It is very new, so needs some work, but is without doubt a unique hotel, full of museum quality antiques that are literally lying around the place rather than locked up in cabinets. Dinner is a multi-course gourmet experience of a very high quality, but they are very flexible, so you can create your own meals in discussion with the Exec Chef - a very Aman concept.
Jul 15, 2011 | 8:23 am
#7
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
ballyfin vs feltrinelli? (recognizing feltrinelli is not all-inclusive)
you havent stayed at lodge in verbier have you? i do recall you have not been impressed with virgin limited.
you havent stayed at lodge in verbier have you? i do recall you have not been impressed with virgin limited.
Jul 15, 2011 | 8:43 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Ballyfin is a living museum, very houseparty in style, but the dour Irish landscape cannot really compete with Feltrinelli. North Americans will love it because of the history and white-glove dinner service. Europeans probably less so as they are not so impressed with history as it tends to surround them.
Jul 15, 2011 | 9:06 am
#9
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
the one thing about ballyfin's location is the size of the estate, and activities.
sounds like feltrinelli (which also has history) "works" a little better.
in terms of size and price, arent they reasonably unique?
sounds like feltrinelli (which also has history) "works" a little better.
in terms of size and price, arent they reasonably unique?
Jul 15, 2011 | 9:18 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
But then Ballyfin has only been open since May, so they are still tweaking things. There is no doubt that Ballyfin is unique. It is also remarkably cheap given its all-inclusive status and even if rates go up (which they will) it will remain superb value.
Jul 21, 2011 | 9:09 pm
#11
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
re-think >
1. club/etc dinner
2. buffet/etc dinner (no longer at FS bosphorus?)
i enjoyed virgin's lodge in verbier, no idea how food would stack up here, but seemed along these lines >
1. club/etc dinner
2. buffet/etc dinner (no longer at FS bosphorus?)
i enjoyed virgin's lodge in verbier, no idea how food would stack up here, but seemed along these lines >
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 30, 2011 at 11:45 am
Jul 30, 2011 | 11:36 am
#12
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
re club dinners - no comment from RC fans? especially asia, which also incl FS, SL, IC, MO, etc.
or FS maui and buenos aires fans?
and for those who have done both in HK - FS club vs new RC club ?
note - as a non foodie, not just looking for foodie input. focus is comparative quality, not just absolute quality.
(my report incl F&B for lodge - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...d-edition.html)
from deer's thread >
or FS maui and buenos aires fans?
and for those who have done both in HK - FS club vs new RC club ?
note - as a non foodie, not just looking for foodie input. focus is comparative quality, not just absolute quality.
(my report incl F&B for lodge - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...d-edition.html)
from deer's thread >
with three meals a day, that is where all-inclusive / full board come in...
- amanyara still has free full board offer i think. otherwise there is an exclusive.
- also think CSE is full board only now.
(these two properties have 6s above.)
my first thread > http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...foodblogs.html
- amanyara still has free full board offer i think. otherwise there is an exclusive.
- also think CSE is full board only now.
(these two properties have 6s above.)
my first thread > http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...foodblogs.html
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 31, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Aug 1, 2011 | 9:36 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
re club dinners - no comment from RC fans? especially asia, which also incl FS, SL, IC, MO, etc.
or FS maui and buenos aires fans?
and for those who have done both in HK - FS club vs new RC club ?
note - as a non foodie, not just looking for foodie input. focus is comparative quality, not just absolute quality.
(my report incl F&B for lodge - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...d-edition.html)
from deer's thread >
or FS maui and buenos aires fans?
and for those who have done both in HK - FS club vs new RC club ?
note - as a non foodie, not just looking for foodie input. focus is comparative quality, not just absolute quality.
(my report incl F&B for lodge - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...d-edition.html)
from deer's thread >
I remember when R-C Sharm El Sheikh first opened. They converted a couple of ground floor rooms into a 'Club', but found that nobody was eating in the restaurants. Everyone was using this as a meal substitute.
The better club floors, such as the one at FS HK tends to be used by guests for breakfast, canaps and tea, but not as a meal substitute.
Aug 1, 2011 | 12:10 pm
#14
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,871
just looking for thoughts from club fans, and whether any non club fans were actually impressed by a club or two.
(in terms of my bump - because surprised no comments from the many club/RC fans.)
(in terms of my bump - because surprised no comments from the many club/RC fans.)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Aug 1, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Aug 1, 2011 | 1:36 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 27,210
Whilst in a minority of 1 here, I have never had a better consistently good buffet than the one that is included for free all guests in the A-Rosa seaside hotel in Travemunde, Germany!