SPG Best of Europe - What are your top European Starwood Properties?
 

What are your top Starwood properties in Europe? Where you would choose to take a weekend trip in order to stay at this hotel? Perhaps the quality of the hotel makes you happy to take a business trip. Another hotel might be one you'd drive an hour out of the way to visit. The hotels could be intriguing because of their architecture, perhaps an old palace or monastery, or perhaps refreshingly contemporary. They might have a great city location, or a beautiful view of scenery. They should have excellent service and comfortable rooms.

This is a fresh start of a thread that I began in 2006. Starwood has lost and Starwood has gained hotels in Europe during the past four years. (I'm still mourning the loss of the Cipriani in Asolo, Italy.) I'm listing the summary from the initial thread below. Let me know if there are errors - but more importantly, are there some great hotels that should be noted? Or are some listed that have fallen substantially in favor?

I've built wonderful trips based on the first iteration of this list, and hope that others might do the same.

Austria
Salzburg - Goldener Hirsch, wonderful 15th century inn in the heart of the Old Town
Near Salzburg - Schloss Fuschl
Vienna - Westin Bristol, old world luxury, across from Opera House
Vienna - Imperial Hotel, old world luxury, grander than Bristol
Vienna - Le Meridien, contemporary design in a great sightseeing location

Bulgaria
Sofia - Sheraton

Croatia
Split - Le Meridien - A pleasant surprise. Wonderful location on the azure waters of the Adriatic. Nice pool and spa. Just a short drive from Split which is charming. Great upgrades for platinums

Finland
Helsinki - Kamp, LC hotel in the true sense of luxury, very stingy plat upgrades

France
Paris - Prince de Galles - near Arc de Triomphe off Champs Elysee and next to George V, superb concierge staff, 2009/10 reports of indifferent service other than concierges
Paris CDG - Sheraton CDG, superbly located in the airport by the RER/TGV station. The interior is an oasis of calm - lots of wood, natural light, and even has a Club lounge (not a destination hotel, but a superb airport property)

Germany
Dresden - Westin Bellevue - fantastic view, great location on river facing delightful old city
Hamburg - Le Meridien, lovely views overlooking the lake
Leipzig - Fürstenhof
Weimar - Elephant, 1 star Michelin rated restaurant. Lots of history within an easy walk in this charming small town

Greece
Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne, wonderful 5 star city hotel on Syntagma Square with view of Parthenon from restaurant
Pelopensean peninsula - Westin and Romanos, gorgeous (very large) resort on the ocean
Crete - Blue Palace, an hour drive from Heraklion airport. Beautiful resort set into the hills with an amazing view overlooking the sea and other islands. Unique rock beach. Great treatment of Platinums.
Santorini - Mystique, very pricey for points redemption but with a fantastic view
Santorini - Vedema, quiet boutique away from the usual crowd of hotels. Very unique and non touristy. Not a beach property.

Ireland
Dublin - Westin, superb location, next to Trinity College and a short walk to Temple Bar

Italy
Florence - Westin Excelsior, great platinum upgrades facing square and river
Florence - Grand Hotel, immediately across square from Excelsior
Rome - Eden, a few blocks from top of Spanish Steps, historic hotel with great range in rooms. Nice if you get a great upgrade; not so nice if you end up in a tiny room. Terrific concierge team.
Rome - St. Regis Grand, a true 5 star hotel
Rome - Westin, very good service for a Westin. Old world decor.
Venice - Westin Europe and Regina, for the view if you get a room with a terrace/balcony fronting the Grand Canal (better view than Danieli)
Venice - Danieli, grand old palace hotel
Venice - Gritti Palace, grand old palace hotel
Cala Di Volpe, Costa Smerelda, Sardinia, very expensive food plan

Netherlands
Amsterdam - Pullitzer, unique hotel layout, amazing location on the canal and the upscale Jordaan neighborhood, improved 2010 plat benefits
Hague - des Indes

Poland
Warsaw - Le Meridien Bristol, well located for old town and Opera House

Portugal
Evora - Convento do Espinheiro
Lisbon - Sheraton, Incredible Design - ultra modern - almost like a W. Great buffet breakfast. Cool rooftop bar (indoor). Nice outdoor pool and gift for plats.
Porto - Sheraton

Spain
Barcelona - Le Meridien, great contemporary design in the lobby and remodeled rooms. Service seems to be getting better and the locaton is perfect.
Barcelona - 1 hour south - Le Meridien Ra, a surprising find on the beach, an old tuberculosis sanitarium with the guts made into an ultra contemporary hotel
Elciego (2 hours from Bilbao) - Marquis de Riscal, only Frank Gehry designed hotel in the world, meant to look like an exploding champagne cork. In the middle of a winery. The free tour of the winery is a must!
Madrid - Westin Palace, old school Westin, but great location near museums
San Sebastian - Maria Christina, Grande Dame
Seville - Alfonso XIII, commissioned by King of Spain in 1928 to be Europe's most luxurious hotel; great location close to all the major sites.
Valencia - Westin, Bliss. Go there

Sweden
Stockholm - Sheraton, easy walk to waterfront and Old City, near Opera House. Wonderful ikea-esque room. Spacious, bright and lots of wood! A fully stocked lounge for platinums too.

Switzerland
Davos - ArabellaSheraton Hotel Seehof, next to the funicular up to the largest ski area surrounding the valley.
Davos - Sheraton Davos Hotel Waldhuus
Geneva - Hotel President Wilson, some expect better of a level 7 hotel

Turkey
Istanbul - W, a decent location away from the major tourist sites but in a pleasant, modern, up-and-coming area. THe rooms are unlike any other W in the world. This is truly East meet WWWWest!
UK - England
London - Le Meridien, Piccadilly - superb location for tourists in the heart of the city. Be aware that room quality varies wildly; lots of suites for platinums as well as a small executive lounge
London - Sheraton Park Towers, Knightsbridge, no bad rooms. Some complaints of cold service

UK - Scotland
Turnberry - Westin Resort, views from the dolls house on the hill to the Isle of Arran and the Ailsa Craig are breathtaking.

New and Promising
Greece - Arion Resort & Spa, Astir Palace, outside Athens
Spain - W Barcelona

Link to the European spa hotels which include a lot of the ones listed above:

http://www.luxurycollectionspas.com/...ntinent=Europe

In the UK, I have to give nods to both the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh and the Le Méridien Piccadilly in London. We'll be at the Westin Excelsior in Rome in December, and I'll report back then.

SanDiego1K,
I think that you have Cat7 Mystique mixed up with Cat6 Vedema. I personally thought that Arion was wonderful, and I expect to hear great things of the new resorts in Costa Navarino.

Also in Venice is Gritti Palace which I hope and expect will be comparable to the other two Venice properties.

Also in Davos is the Seehof. It was a toss-up about which one to stay in, but the Seehof is right next to the funicular up to the largest ski area surrounding the valley. (I seriously don't understand why these two hotels still don't get much discussion on FT with interest in their C&P availability nearly every day for the summer and winter!)

I think that you might also hear some votes for the Starwoods in Barcelona.

Greece
Santorini - Mystique, very pricey for points redemption but with a fantastic view
Santorini - Vedema, quiet boutique away from the usual crowd of hotels

Italy
Venice - Gritti Palace

Switzerland
Davos - Sheraton Davos Hotel Waldhuus
Davos - ArabellaSheraton Hotel Seehof

I loved the Westin Excelsior in Rome. Going back for another five nights in September.

I did not like the Sheraton Park Towers in London. I found it to be cold, impersonal and over-rated.

Instead, I much prefer the Sheraton Park Lane, recognizing many others have a different opinion. All I can say is I have never had a bad experience, most of them quite delightful in fact.

I am eager to try the properties in Spain and Austria some day. I generally prefer older, traditional, formal properties.

Cheers,

Blue Palace - Crete, Greece: One of the most amazing views I have had the pleasure of witnessing from a Starwood property; a bit out of the way, but wonderful resort pools and a unique rock beach. Great treatment of Platinums including my upgrade to a two story suite with private plunge pool.

Hotel Alfonso XII - Seville, Spain: great location close to all the major sites that any visitor would want to see. A historic locale and building. As a platinum upgraded to an extremely generous junior suite with beautiful detailing and butler service.

Lisbon, Portugal
 

Le Meridien Atlantic Park is no longer a Le Meridien. The only SPG option in Lisbon now is a Sheraton.

Greece
Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne, a true 5 star hotel
Santorini - Vendema, very unique and non touristy. Not a beach property.

Italy
Florence - Westin Excelsior, agree on the great platinum upgrades facing square and river
Rome - St. Regis Grand, a true 5 star hotel
Rome - Westin, very good service for a Westin. Old world decor.
Venice - Westin Europe and Regina, agree for the view if you get a room with a terrace/balcony fronting the Grand Canal. Expensive food & bar.

Netherlands
Amsterdam - Pullitzer, unique hotel layout, amazing location on the canal and the upscale Jordaan neighborhood, the improved plat benefits have put this on my list.

Spain
Elciego - Marquis de Riscal. The free tour of the winery is a must!
Madrid - Westin Palace, old school Westin, but great location near museums
Barcelona - Le Meridien, great contemporary design in the lobby and remodeled rooms. Service seems to be getting better and the locaton is perfect.

Le Meridien Vienna, Austria.

Excellent Location and nice Suite Upgrades for Plats.

sdcarver

W has been touting The W Barcelona as their european flagship and it's really in the top 5 of *wood's european properties (I'm going to Barcelona to stay there again next week).

Being so young (opened late last year) however means that it'll have to stand the test of time before it can truly be recognized.

If you haven't been how do you know it is in the top 5 in Europe?

Notice the word "again".

Is the hotel president Wilson truly worthy of a cat 7?

great thread sandiego1k....lots of good information....will post my list soon....

It is to the people who forecast their rates. Category is based on a forecast of RevPAR -- regardless of whether most travelers think that it's worth that expense.

So do you mean, is it expensive? Yes, RACK rates:You mean, is it worth the expense? Not to me even if it were on SPG50. (Weekends are typically around 50% off RACK, I think.) Obviously, there are some others who disagree with me.

FWIW, it appears that many renovations were completed from 2008 - 2010.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

anyone bagged the free weekend night in any of these hotels? too bad i dont have an upcoming trip to Europe and all the sensible choices I have for my 2 nights is Westin Tokyo or W HK.....

Elciego - Marqués de Riscal- hell of a drive - but once you're there - WOW!
Madrid - Westin Palace...location
San Sebastian - Hotel Maria Cristina

from service, employees remembering your name, to letting you slide on things here and there, to the go ahead, its on the house, I love the OS properties!

Thanks for starting this thread, SD1K. I've picked up on a few great properties I wasn't previously aware of.

Can't really add much about many properties, but nevertheless my two cents worth:

Austria, Vienna, Bristol: Nice, classic hotel. Got upgraded to an incredible suite, even as a lowly Gold, albeit perhaps because my wife and I were celebrating a special occasion and I let the hotel know in advance.

France, Paris, Prince de Galles: This one has gotten mixed reviews here at FT and at Tripadvisor, but we liked it. We had what was probably the most basic room, but it was fine, nicely appointed and large enough. Great location as well.

Hungary, Budapest, Le Meridien: Sleek, stylish hotel in a great location. Very good staff and service. Ask for an upper floor room overlooking the small park nearby, as it offers the best views.

Netherlands, Amsterdam, Pulitzer: While I think the hotel is a bit over-rated--it could use a refurbish and I found the service uneven--I still would not hesitate to stay there again. Its lay-out makes it a unique property in a fantastic location. And the two-level suites are fun if you don't mind the steep, narrow in-room staircase.

Poland, Krakow, Sheraton: While the hotel is fine, and threw in a free breakfast as part of an award stay a couple of years ago, I mainly recommend it because I like the city so much. A smallish university city with lots of history, architecture, sights and character, as well as a fantastic central square.

Park Lane
 

Whenever in London, I stay at the Park Lane.

However, I have heard wonderful things about the Meridien, and will probably give that a try on my next visit.

wwbgd

I would jet away to Europe just to spend another weekend at the Grande Bretagne in Athens.

Next would be the E&R Venice

Both had fabulous customer service and locations. Perfect for a getaway weekend.

Some really good ones have left Starwood, so its hard to say. From your list above SD1K, I agree with:

Blue Palace
Grand Bretagne
Danieli
Roma St. Regis
Westin Palace Madrid
Hotel Maria Christina
Hotel Des Indes

And I would add the Hotel Eden in Roma

Also check out this site... http://www.luxurycollectionspas.com/...ntinent=Europe

Lastly, I am waiting to be invited to some great parties at the new W's in London and Paris!

My favourites:

Milan: Le Meridien Gallia (closed now). Handy location, and good upgrade for me. Sheraton Diana Majestic wasn't bad either.

Paris: Prince de Galles. Nice location (near Arc de Triumph). I like its traditional decor.
Westin (better rooms) close behind, also good location, better if going to Palais Garnier. Had a very impressive upgrade despite being on free night.

London: Park Tower. Great location, and no 'horrible' rooms, although nothing particularly outstanding about the rooms. Services at the reception can be a bit distant but never rude.

Warsaw: Le Meridien Bristol. Excellent service and terrific location near the Opera House.

Athens: Grande Bretagne. Beautiful hotel, great view of Acropolis from the restaurant, lovely service (impressed that the manager recognised me and greeted me by name), great upgrade.

We liked Bristol and Goldener Hirsch in Austria. LM Monaco was nice despite the occasional mixed review. My favorite was des Indes in The Hague.

Here's my review of des Indes. Hotel des Indes

Here are my fave five:

Le Meridien Split - A pleasant surprise. Wonderful location on the azure waters of the Adriatic. Nice pool and spa. Just a short drive from Split which is charming. Great upgrades for platinum's too

Sheraton Lisbon - Incredible Design - ultra modern - almost like a W. Great buffet breakfast. Cool rooftop bar (indoor). Nice outdoor pool and gift for plats.

Sheraton Stockholm - Excellent position in the centre of Stockholm. A fully stocked lounge for platinums too. Wonderful ikea-esque room. Spacious, bright and lots of wood!

Le Meridien London - The best and most central location in London... you're right in the heart of it! A superb lounge for platinum's with free alcoholic beverages and spirits all day long. Decent breakfast and the most refreshing, large, indoor poo.

W - Istanbul - Again, a decent location away from the major tourist sites but in a pleasant, modern, up-and-coming area. THe rooms are unlike any other W in the world. This is truly East meet WWWWest!

That's just what some people want after a decent breakfast!

I was trying to think of something clever to say, but that is just perfect.

Sitting here giggling my head off and wondering at what age I'll finally grow up. A classic FT blooper :D

If you are refering to the lounge breakfast, its perhaps the weakest breakfast I have ever seen anywhere.

you do know that you can order food in the lounge as well????its not just what is kept on the counter....if there is no menu at your table then you can ask for one....

i found their breakfast to be quite nice....

i'm really looking forward to staying at this property towards the end of the year....

[QUOTE=SanDiego1K;14295175]

Great idea San Diego !

Austria
Salzburg - Goldener Hirsch, wonderful 15th century inn in the heart of the Old Town (was a little disappointed by our tired room)
Near Salzburg - Schloss Fuschl (one of our best Starwood experiences)

Vienna - Westin Bristol, old world luxury, across from Opera House (didn't stay there but the manager gave us a lengthy personal tour and was extremely gracious )

Vienna - Imperial Hotel, old world luxury, grander than Bristol (only time Starwood Europe ever really let us down on a room)Vienna -

Le Meridien, contemporary design in a great sightseeing location
(didn't stay there but my Viennese friends recommend-especially the showers)


France
Paris - Prince de Galles - 2009/10 reports of indifferent service, but location is great - across from Tuilerie Gardens and near Louvre (have always treated us like kings- also has a good concierge staff)

Greece
Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne, wonderful 5 star city hotel on Syntagma Square (On my list of great reservations we had to cancel bc of work :(

Crete - Blue Palace, an hour drive from Heraklion airport. Beautiful resort set into the hills with an amazing view overlooking the sea and other islands. Unique rock beach. Great treatment of Platinums. (see above- still dreaming of the vacation we didn't take)

Italy
Florence - Westin Excelsior, great platinum upgrades facing square and river
(THE best concierge team I've ever encountered- love the location)

Rome - Westin, very good service for a Westin. Old world decor.
(Great upgrade and nicest gift a hotel has ever given us- a beautiful book on Rome with vellum overlays)

Venice - Westin Europe and Regina, for the view if you get a room with a terrace/balcony fronting the Grand Canal (better view than Danieli) (my son loves this hotel and has gotten great upgrades)

Venice - Danieli, grand old palace hotel (have stayed here at least 5 times-LOVE this hotel- they put us in the Royal Suite for our 30th anniversary)Venice -

Gritti Palace, grand old palace hotel (Very nice- but we actually prefer the Danieli)

Netherlands

Amsterdam - Pullitzer, unique hotel layout, amazing location on the canal and the upscale Jordaan neighborhood, improved 2010 plat benefits
(Wonderful, charming hotel. We loved our room)
Airport Hotel Upgraded us to a lovely suite

Spain
Barcelona - (There were no Starwoods when we stayed there)Madrid - Westin Palace, old school Westin, but great location near museums
(another "lost vacation")

Seville - Alfonso XIII, commissioned by King of Spain in 1928 to be Europe's most luxurious hotel; great location close to all the major sites.
(See above)



UK - England
London - Sheraton Park Towers, one of the most beautifully designed hotel rooms in the Starwood chain. (Always treated well here- on 4 or 5 visits)


I love the treatment that Plats get in Europe- especially on Points.

These are jewels in Starwood's crown.

Great input from lots of people. I've brought the list current. Of course, there are varying opinions, and I have done my best to fairly represent them in the summary. I appreciate those who have given word pictures of the hotels as part of their list. It brings the summary more alive, than simply listing names of hotels.

Additional input is welcomed.

Nope. It is the Westin that is accross from the Tuilerie Gardens. The PdG is next to the George V hotel off of the Champs Elyssees. Which one of the two did you mean to include?

I corrected the error earlier today.

Yes, the Westin Paris has a great location but I honestly do not think it deserves to be on this listed here. This was a former InterContinental hotel which the ICHG sold off after the refurbishment of the Le Grande. Rooms are tiny and worn (may have been refurbished by now) and it struggles to provide basic service.

I agree. There are far too many negative reviews to put this property on a "best" list. The location is the only good thing about it. I am not denying that some have had nice stays here, but a lot of people have had pretty bad stays and the property just isn't up to snuff. I think the management is trying to cater to too many different groups. This is always a problem in large Parisien hotels, but others pull it off better.

Valid points. I've now deleted the property from the list.

I'd like to add the Sheraton CDG to the list. It's superbly located in the airport by the RER/TGV station and the interior is an oasis of calm - lots of wood, natural light, and even has a Club lounge.

The Sheraton CDG is an excellent airport hotel, as is the Sheraton AMS and BRU and FRA. But they should not be compared to the finer city hotels.

I would like to add a little bit to the list ;)

Austria:

Sheraton Salzburg: ^

located directly at the Mirabellgarten, great service, warm welcome, very good kitchen and an outstanding lounge. BTW great platinum treatments. I like it on every weekday ;)

Schloß Fuschl ^

Imperial Wien ^

Bristol Wien ^

I would prefer not to write anything about GH...

Italy:

Grand Hotel Firenze: ^

OUTSTANDING!!! Service, Kitchen, Concierge, Reception at its best!!!
Hope after reflagging into St. Regis and renovation will be the same level!!!

Westin Excelsior Roma: ^

Good Kitchen, good Service, good Concierge, good Reception and good Location.
A bargain with points after downgrading from cat.6 to 5!!!

Germany:

Westin Grand Berlin: ^

Unbeatable Location ( Unter den Linden / Friedrichstraße )
Huge and outstanding Breakfast Buffet, good Concierge, good Reception.

Westin Grand München Arabellapark: ^

Even though a little bit out of town it is a very good starting point for munich and surrounding area on every weekday. Huge and outstanding Breakfast Buffet, good Kitchen ( ZEN ), nice Bar, nice Lounge with great view, good Concierge.

Le Royal Meridien Hamburg ^

Fürstenhof Leipzig ^

Elephant Weimar ^

Our favorite was the Sheraton Krakow. Nice room, great location, b'fast included and friendly, genuinely cheerful staff.