FlyingDoctorwu

This is looking like my last year of plat status. Shifting family priorities and work priorities will leave me with mainly just traveling for leisure. I've got a trip coming up to London, Paris, and Venice in March.. and then another trip in October. I am just looking for ideas of what some consider some of the best plat experiences; so that maybe I can incorporate them into my traveling patterns. I'm thinking maybe SE Asia, but am open to anywhere really. Even US experiences could be built into a long weekend; if it's worth it (plus the destination needs to be worthwhile..)

Thanks!
FDW

geilux

1/ St Regis Singapore
2/ Meridien Shanghai
3/ W Hong-Kong

You will enjoy

forumpersona999

1) Le Meridien Khao Lak
2) W Hong Kong (Kowloon)
3) Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
4) Westin Kuala Lumpur
5) Sheraton Hua Hin

notsosmart

Are SPGs in Asia really *that* impressive?

I've stayed in KL, Singapore, Korea, China, Bali and with the possible exception of the St. Regis in Beijing, I was not all that "blown" away by any of the properties. Granted, I tend to stay at mid-range SPGs, and I haven't been a plat in a while, but I would think that there are properties elsewhere that should appear on these lists...

mahasamatman

We really enjoyed our stay at the St. Regis Singapore last week (fantastic free breakfast for elites, and don't miss the daily wine tasting). Other than that, our best experience was actually as SPG Gold - a Presidential Suite upgrade at Le Méridien Cambridge.

mario33

Yes, I believe they are.

Just compare the Sheratons in Thailand with those in North America

VanMan

Westin Bali; Platinums get access to the Royal Beach Club, with complimentary breakfast, lunch and evening snacks. Liquor and beer is complimentary all day to 7pm

Flying Lawyer

Just to give it a change and refrain from stopover and beach locations into serious European hotels. All of these five gave me a presidential (or similar) suite:

- Le Meridien Nürnberg
- Westin Dresden
- Danieli Venice
- Bristol Vienna
- Le Meridien Warsaw.

Flying Lawyer

Well, compare every hotel in SE Asia with their price wise counterparts in North America or (even worse) Europe. It is easy to provide great service in countries where wages in hotel industry are a fraction (even) of North American standards, not to talk about Europe.

alanslegal

I will sit on the other side of the fence and disagree purely because I believe in the notion that the more I pay, the more I expect.

If I am paying 3 times the price to stay at a similar hotel in North America over than that of in SE Asia, why aren't I receiving 3 times the benefit? If I am paying more in wages for a NA or EUR worker, why aren't those workers working HARDER and BETTER than those in SE Asia? (For this point I am just focusing on the cost of wages aspect).

Flying Lawyer

If you were correct you would believe that there is one global harmonized economy.

But it isn't.

American automakers built their factories in Detroit to have parts manufactured in cheaper Canada. This does not work too well nowadays, now they moved plenty of it to Mtexico. My (global) law firm has shifted typing and accounting services to economies with cheaper labour than the US, US tourists go to Mexico not because they fancy Spanish so much but because you get more for the buck.

The workers in the US do not work three times harder than the workers in Thailand, because the workers in Thailand might get 10 percent of the US wages, but their (local) cost of living is a fraction of the cost of living in the US. A snack on the road in Bangkok costs me two THB, close to nothing in my world. For a Thai worker this is money.

Going on vacation to different countries is more or less nothing but hedging foreign currencies. I can remember the days Europe was full of US tourists, because the Dollar was in the range of 1,50 Euro to the Dollar. Today is is 1.50 Dollar to the Euro and you see hords of Europeans shopping in NYC. However, the relevant local markets have not changed and the costs of living in these relevant local markets are still the same, notwithstanding the exchange rate or the external value of a currency.

dmgt

St Regis, Rome - Room & Service
Westin Rome - Room
Grand Hotel, Florence- Room & Service
Westin Grand, Vancouver -Room & Service (regular at hotel as revenue guest, so I thnk this made a difference to the room I got when with my wife)

gleff

Totally mundane but don't forget Westin Diplomat, best chance of any hotel for plat upgrade to suite and the club lounge is a wonderful space (both indoor and outdoor, views of both ocean and intracoastal) and they do a wonderful job with breakfast.

JohnSIN

St Regis Bali
St Regis Singapore
Gritti Palace
Danieli
Mystique

FlyingDoctorwu

thanks guys!
Stayed at the Westin Rome a number years ago as a Gold, still got a nice upgraded room (not a suite). Our room at the Grand Hotel was excellent I must say!


Is the Gritti or Danieli worth it? i have a points stay at the E&R coming up; wasn't so keen on dropping 30K/night at Gritti; but could be talked into dropping 20K /night at DAnieli.. if it's worth it...