Mumbai - Which Starwood hotel?
Dec 12, 2014, 6:03 am
#1
Original Poster
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Mumbai - Which Starwood hotel?
Hi all,
Travelling for the first time to Mumbai (though not to India) in Feb 2015. Will be staying for 2 weeks total, as have some on/off business in Andheri West, which will only actually take about 15% of my total time in India, with the rest being free. I have read the individual hotel threads, and was thinking of splitting my stay over the ITC Maratha (when I arrive), ITC Grand Central (weekend) and Westin. Since I’ll be travelling with the wife – who’s travelling to India for the first time – we’ll be doing some side trips to Jaipur, maybe Agra.
Question is: should I avoid/minimize my time at any of the Starwood hotels in Mumbai? Are any/all of them in completely dead neighbourhoods from a leisure standpoint? We’d like to get to know the city, not into tours, private limos, happy to take cabs, uber (if reinstated by then), go look for the best curries known to man, and rub shoulders with the locals!
Price-wise (since I am funding this trip on my own buck) the Westin seems to be the more expensive one, and ITC Grand Central cheapest on weekends. Is that because Parel is some sort of corporate area which is dead during weekends? Also, any tips on BRGs, as so far haven’t seen any potential from mixing and matching. Also, not too bothered about switching hotels to up my stay count earlier in the year. Worth staying at the 4P in Navi?
Thanks for your help!
Travelling for the first time to Mumbai (though not to India) in Feb 2015. Will be staying for 2 weeks total, as have some on/off business in Andheri West, which will only actually take about 15% of my total time in India, with the rest being free. I have read the individual hotel threads, and was thinking of splitting my stay over the ITC Maratha (when I arrive), ITC Grand Central (weekend) and Westin. Since I’ll be travelling with the wife – who’s travelling to India for the first time – we’ll be doing some side trips to Jaipur, maybe Agra.
Question is: should I avoid/minimize my time at any of the Starwood hotels in Mumbai? Are any/all of them in completely dead neighbourhoods from a leisure standpoint? We’d like to get to know the city, not into tours, private limos, happy to take cabs, uber (if reinstated by then), go look for the best curries known to man, and rub shoulders with the locals!
Price-wise (since I am funding this trip on my own buck) the Westin seems to be the more expensive one, and ITC Grand Central cheapest on weekends. Is that because Parel is some sort of corporate area which is dead during weekends? Also, any tips on BRGs, as so far haven’t seen any potential from mixing and matching. Also, not too bothered about switching hotels to up my stay count earlier in the year. Worth staying at the 4P in Navi?
Thanks for your help!
Jan 7, 2015, 10:43 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 54
ITC Maratha is a very nice hotel. Food and service are excellent, as are the rooms. However, the location is not great. It's very convenient to the airport but not convenient if you want to travel elsewhere.
Jan 7, 2015, 1:27 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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Travelling for the first time to Mumbai (though not to India) in Feb 2015. Will be staying for 2 weeks total, as have some on/off business in Andheri West, which will only actually take about 15% of my total time in India, with the rest being free. I have read the individual hotel threads, and was thinking of splitting my stay over the ITC Maratha (when I arrive), ITC Grand Central (weekend) and Westin. Since I’ll be travelling with the wife – who’s travelling to India for the first time – we’ll be doing some side trips to Jaipur, maybe Agra.
Question is: should I avoid/minimize my time at any of the Starwood hotels in Mumbai? Are any/all of them in completely dead neighbourhoods from a leisure standpoint? We’d like to get to know the city, not into tours, private limos, happy to take cabs, uber (if reinstated by then), go look for the best curries known to man, and rub shoulders with the locals!
no matter where you stay in mumbai, you will have to rely on cabs to get anywhere so no hotel is perfect from a leisure standpoint....
Price-wise (since I am funding this trip on my own buck) the Westin seems to be the more expensive one, and ITC Grand Central cheapest on weekends. Is that because Parel is some sort of corporate area which is dead during weekends? Also, any tips on BRGs, as so far haven’t seen any potential from mixing and matching. Also, not too bothered about switching hotels to up my stay count earlier in the year. Worth staying at the 4P in Navi?
try http://www.hotelscombined.com/ for brgs....i've had luck with them in the past....
the westin is probably the best spg property for plats in mumbai....i end up staying here about 4-5 times a year....always get a suite upgrade & they have a very good lounge....
Mar 2, 2015, 1:54 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
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A belated thanks to Keyser on the points above, which were extremely helpful.
I have recently completed stays at the 3 main properties in Mumbai. As I moved around a lot, I have had a one-night, and a two-night (or longer) stay at each of the properties. Therefore, I thought it makes sense to compare the stays as a reference to other first-time visitors who might be considering which of the properties:
LOCATION: SPG’s main issue here is not having a property located in or around Colaba, which is where most visitors want to stay.
- ITC Grand Central is located in Parel, a 15-20 minute drive to the area, but you are highly dependent on taxis since the area around the hotel, while walkable, presents nothing of interest to visitors (unless you are into discounted luggage shops). This is the only option where bellhops will hail a regular cab for you. High Street Phoenix Mall is the closest thing to the hotel, and is a good option for food and, shopping.
- ITC Maratha is best avoided based on location. Despite being basically across the street from the airport, taxis will want to charge you a minimum fare which will negate any cost savings. Nothing remotely walkable around here, and the area is traffic-choked meaning a quick trip to a restaurant can take a long time. It also doesn’t make sense to stay here if you have a late departure/early arrival, as incidentally, that’s when traffic will flow best in Mumbai, so you’ll be saving only 15 minutes off a journey to more interesting parts of town. It actually makes sense to stay here on a stopover if it means avoiding rush hour traffic.
- Westin is not advisable for a first-time visitor to Mumbai, unless you have specific business in the area surrounding the hotel. There are no regular cabs to be found around the hotel (only a tuk-tuk rank), and the hotel doesn’t come up on Uber meaning drivers get lost. Nevertheless, it is reasonably well located for Versova, and a straight shot to the airport on the highway, which can be done very quickly outside of rush hour. A trip to South Mumbai on the other hand will easily take over an hour. Oddly, of the 3 SPGs, this one has the most walkable options as it’s directly across the road from the Oberoi Mall, with good dining, shopping and cinema options.
PHYSICAL PROPERTY:
- The Westin wins hand-down, in my opinion. It has a modern, bright and airy design which is soothing and extremely functional. The rooms are huge, and the suite is just phenomenal. Great views as well. Bathroom is ample, but the partial frosting on the toilet door needs to be reviewed as not ideal, even for couples staying together! Excellent pool area, and the gym, although not huge, is one of the best I’ve ever seen in a hotel. Only downside are the slow elevators.
- ITC Maratha looks very impressive, but the rooms have old fashioned décor and awful looking massage chairs in the room. Rooms are on the large side, with awesome, large marble bathrooms very good sound proofing and no outside noise from the airport or traffic. No real views, other than the highway, airport, and slum next door. Pool area is small but nice, as is the gym.
- ITC Grand Central has a classic style, but to me felt a bit cramped. Rooms were on the small side, and least up to date of all the properties. Even ITC One room was disappointing, and not worth paying for, in my opinion, as the improvement from Tower Room is quite marginal. Good views from rooms, and from Club Lounge, but pool and gym are very underwhelming.
SERVICE:
No differences between properties here, as service has been excellent throughout and staff is really warm and willing to go the extra mile. ITC Grand Central have hostesses hovering around the lobby, club lounge, and restaurants to chat with guests, which is a nice way to show hospitality, but also a welcome respite for solo travellers as they are genuinely nice. Small negative note was being lied to at check-in at ITC Grand Central, being told that I was upgraded into a Tower Room, which was the category I had booked in the first place. Most impressive treatment was at the Westin, where staff recognized me, and remembered my name, even between stays.
PLAT TREATMENT:
- Westin contacted me 1 day prior to check in apologizing that they couldn’t upgrade me to a suite due to availability (the hotel was indeed fully booked several days out). On the second stay, I was upgraded to a massive suite, over 100sqm, with 180+ degree views. Club lounge is the best I have ever seen anywhere, the evening snacks were awesome. Too bad it’s not on a high floor. You also get free breakfast at Seasonal Tastes which is a huge buffet on the 17th floor, and I wish the hostess at check-in had explained that correctly to me as she indicated Plats have to stick to Club Lounge breakfast, which is still very nice, but not nearly as much variety.
- ITC Maratha were decent for upgrades, scoring a larger Tower Room in one occasion, and an ITC One on another occasion. The breakfast buffet can be taken at the Club Lounge or main restaurant, which while not as varied as the Westin, was amazing and had great staff. The breakfast room did not have many tables, meaning a short wait at times.
- ITC Grand Central was the stingiest when it came to upgrades, and I had to really beg ahead of my final stay to get an ITC One Room, which turned out to be underwhelming. Also, you are presented with a sheet at check-in explaining the Plat amenities, and breakfast is one of them. However, Club Lounge is not open during breakfast, so we just ignored this strange rule and had breakfast at the main restaurant, and got the plat amenity anyway. Club Lounge happy hour is a bit hit and miss with the food quantities and variety, but staff is great, and you can also sit outside, enjoying amazing sunset views. The lounge is definitely on the small size, with too many sofas occupied by 1-person parties, so we often had to sit at the bar.
DINING:
- ITC Maratha wins hand down, being home to two of Mumbai’s best restaurants: Peshawri and Dum Pukht. Prices are extremely high for Mumbai, but no trip to Mumbai is complete without a Tandoori dinner at Peshawri. Their Sunday brunch is also famous with locals.
- ITC Grand Central has K&K (Kebabs & Kurries) which features some of the classics from Peshawri and Dum Pukht. There is also an Asian restaurant on the premises, and the buffet restaurant is also popular with locals for weekend brunch.
- Westin has an overpriced Italian restaurant at the lobby, Prego, or Kangam which is a nice-looking north indian restaurant, on the 17th floor and is a local hotspot.
VALUE:
ITC Grand Central tends to be very cheap on weekends, and can be found for as low as Rs7,000 per night while ITC Maratha varies wildly. Rates at the Westin seems to always hover around the Rs11,000 mark, although I have scored some BRGs there. They have all stayed at Cat 3, meaning C&P at the Westin seems to be the best use for points.
FINAL VERDICT:
In my opinion, first-time visitors should head to ITC Grand Central due to its location. If you don’t have to be in or around South Mumbai, then I would recommend the Westin, based on superior physical property, awesome Plat treatment and unbelievable Club Lounge. I would only recommend ITC Maratha for a very short stay combined with a nice dinner at Peshawri or Dum Pukht.
I have recently completed stays at the 3 main properties in Mumbai. As I moved around a lot, I have had a one-night, and a two-night (or longer) stay at each of the properties. Therefore, I thought it makes sense to compare the stays as a reference to other first-time visitors who might be considering which of the properties:
LOCATION: SPG’s main issue here is not having a property located in or around Colaba, which is where most visitors want to stay.
- ITC Grand Central is located in Parel, a 15-20 minute drive to the area, but you are highly dependent on taxis since the area around the hotel, while walkable, presents nothing of interest to visitors (unless you are into discounted luggage shops). This is the only option where bellhops will hail a regular cab for you. High Street Phoenix Mall is the closest thing to the hotel, and is a good option for food and, shopping.
- ITC Maratha is best avoided based on location. Despite being basically across the street from the airport, taxis will want to charge you a minimum fare which will negate any cost savings. Nothing remotely walkable around here, and the area is traffic-choked meaning a quick trip to a restaurant can take a long time. It also doesn’t make sense to stay here if you have a late departure/early arrival, as incidentally, that’s when traffic will flow best in Mumbai, so you’ll be saving only 15 minutes off a journey to more interesting parts of town. It actually makes sense to stay here on a stopover if it means avoiding rush hour traffic.
- Westin is not advisable for a first-time visitor to Mumbai, unless you have specific business in the area surrounding the hotel. There are no regular cabs to be found around the hotel (only a tuk-tuk rank), and the hotel doesn’t come up on Uber meaning drivers get lost. Nevertheless, it is reasonably well located for Versova, and a straight shot to the airport on the highway, which can be done very quickly outside of rush hour. A trip to South Mumbai on the other hand will easily take over an hour. Oddly, of the 3 SPGs, this one has the most walkable options as it’s directly across the road from the Oberoi Mall, with good dining, shopping and cinema options.
PHYSICAL PROPERTY:
- The Westin wins hand-down, in my opinion. It has a modern, bright and airy design which is soothing and extremely functional. The rooms are huge, and the suite is just phenomenal. Great views as well. Bathroom is ample, but the partial frosting on the toilet door needs to be reviewed as not ideal, even for couples staying together! Excellent pool area, and the gym, although not huge, is one of the best I’ve ever seen in a hotel. Only downside are the slow elevators.
- ITC Maratha looks very impressive, but the rooms have old fashioned décor and awful looking massage chairs in the room. Rooms are on the large side, with awesome, large marble bathrooms very good sound proofing and no outside noise from the airport or traffic. No real views, other than the highway, airport, and slum next door. Pool area is small but nice, as is the gym.
- ITC Grand Central has a classic style, but to me felt a bit cramped. Rooms were on the small side, and least up to date of all the properties. Even ITC One room was disappointing, and not worth paying for, in my opinion, as the improvement from Tower Room is quite marginal. Good views from rooms, and from Club Lounge, but pool and gym are very underwhelming.
SERVICE:
No differences between properties here, as service has been excellent throughout and staff is really warm and willing to go the extra mile. ITC Grand Central have hostesses hovering around the lobby, club lounge, and restaurants to chat with guests, which is a nice way to show hospitality, but also a welcome respite for solo travellers as they are genuinely nice. Small negative note was being lied to at check-in at ITC Grand Central, being told that I was upgraded into a Tower Room, which was the category I had booked in the first place. Most impressive treatment was at the Westin, where staff recognized me, and remembered my name, even between stays.
PLAT TREATMENT:
- Westin contacted me 1 day prior to check in apologizing that they couldn’t upgrade me to a suite due to availability (the hotel was indeed fully booked several days out). On the second stay, I was upgraded to a massive suite, over 100sqm, with 180+ degree views. Club lounge is the best I have ever seen anywhere, the evening snacks were awesome. Too bad it’s not on a high floor. You also get free breakfast at Seasonal Tastes which is a huge buffet on the 17th floor, and I wish the hostess at check-in had explained that correctly to me as she indicated Plats have to stick to Club Lounge breakfast, which is still very nice, but not nearly as much variety.
- ITC Maratha were decent for upgrades, scoring a larger Tower Room in one occasion, and an ITC One on another occasion. The breakfast buffet can be taken at the Club Lounge or main restaurant, which while not as varied as the Westin, was amazing and had great staff. The breakfast room did not have many tables, meaning a short wait at times.
- ITC Grand Central was the stingiest when it came to upgrades, and I had to really beg ahead of my final stay to get an ITC One Room, which turned out to be underwhelming. Also, you are presented with a sheet at check-in explaining the Plat amenities, and breakfast is one of them. However, Club Lounge is not open during breakfast, so we just ignored this strange rule and had breakfast at the main restaurant, and got the plat amenity anyway. Club Lounge happy hour is a bit hit and miss with the food quantities and variety, but staff is great, and you can also sit outside, enjoying amazing sunset views. The lounge is definitely on the small size, with too many sofas occupied by 1-person parties, so we often had to sit at the bar.
DINING:
- ITC Maratha wins hand down, being home to two of Mumbai’s best restaurants: Peshawri and Dum Pukht. Prices are extremely high for Mumbai, but no trip to Mumbai is complete without a Tandoori dinner at Peshawri. Their Sunday brunch is also famous with locals.
- ITC Grand Central has K&K (Kebabs & Kurries) which features some of the classics from Peshawri and Dum Pukht. There is also an Asian restaurant on the premises, and the buffet restaurant is also popular with locals for weekend brunch.
- Westin has an overpriced Italian restaurant at the lobby, Prego, or Kangam which is a nice-looking north indian restaurant, on the 17th floor and is a local hotspot.
VALUE:
ITC Grand Central tends to be very cheap on weekends, and can be found for as low as Rs7,000 per night while ITC Maratha varies wildly. Rates at the Westin seems to always hover around the Rs11,000 mark, although I have scored some BRGs there. They have all stayed at Cat 3, meaning C&P at the Westin seems to be the best use for points.
FINAL VERDICT:
In my opinion, first-time visitors should head to ITC Grand Central due to its location. If you don’t have to be in or around South Mumbai, then I would recommend the Westin, based on superior physical property, awesome Plat treatment and unbelievable Club Lounge. I would only recommend ITC Maratha for a very short stay combined with a nice dinner at Peshawri or Dum Pukht.
Mar 2, 2015, 7:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,576
Hi all,
Travelling for the first time to Mumbai (though not to India) in Feb 2015. Will be staying for 2 weeks total, as have some on/off business in Andheri West, which will only actually take about 15% of my total time in India, with the rest being free. I have read the individual hotel threads, and was thinking of splitting my stay over the ITC Maratha (when I arrive), ITC Grand Central (weekend) and Westin. Since I’ll be travelling with the wife – who’s travelling to India for the first time – we’ll be doing some side trips to Jaipur, maybe Agra.
Question is: should I avoid/minimize my time at any of the Starwood hotels in Mumbai? Are any/all of them in completely dead neighbourhoods from a leisure standpoint? We’d like to get to know the city, not into tours, private limos, happy to take cabs, uber (if reinstated by then), go look for the best curries known to man, and rub shoulders with the locals!
Price-wise (since I am funding this trip on my own buck) the Westin seems to be the more expensive one, and ITC Grand Central cheapest on weekends. Is that because Parel is some sort of corporate area which is dead during weekends? Also, any tips on BRGs, as so far haven’t seen any potential from mixing and matching. Also, not too bothered about switching hotels to up my stay count earlier in the year. Worth staying at the 4P in Navi?
Thanks for your help!
Travelling for the first time to Mumbai (though not to India) in Feb 2015. Will be staying for 2 weeks total, as have some on/off business in Andheri West, which will only actually take about 15% of my total time in India, with the rest being free. I have read the individual hotel threads, and was thinking of splitting my stay over the ITC Maratha (when I arrive), ITC Grand Central (weekend) and Westin. Since I’ll be travelling with the wife – who’s travelling to India for the first time – we’ll be doing some side trips to Jaipur, maybe Agra.
Question is: should I avoid/minimize my time at any of the Starwood hotels in Mumbai? Are any/all of them in completely dead neighbourhoods from a leisure standpoint? We’d like to get to know the city, not into tours, private limos, happy to take cabs, uber (if reinstated by then), go look for the best curries known to man, and rub shoulders with the locals!
Price-wise (since I am funding this trip on my own buck) the Westin seems to be the more expensive one, and ITC Grand Central cheapest on weekends. Is that because Parel is some sort of corporate area which is dead during weekends? Also, any tips on BRGs, as so far haven’t seen any potential from mixing and matching. Also, not too bothered about switching hotels to up my stay count earlier in the year. Worth staying at the 4P in Navi?
Thanks for your help!
I've also stayed at the ITC Grand Central and would recommend that property in a heartbeat! Not only was my room and location ideal for a traveller, but the staff was incredibly wonderful. I will always be grateful for their compassion and attending to my needs when I became incredibly sick the afternoon of my departure and was unable to travel. They accommodated me in more ways than I could have imagined and made my misery bearable.
Apr 28, 2017, 10:44 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
ok 2 years old... someone sound off please
Apr 29, 2017, 8:46 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Silver (OW Sapphire), A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, HHonors Diamond, LeClubAccor Silver, UA Silver
Posts: 1,780
Care to elaborate on any of your requirements? St Regis is the best in my opinion, sitting atop a large shopping mall, and the best located SPG property in Mumbai (although no SPG property is ideally located near Colaba). Westin has the best Plat treatment but location is inconvenient for most.
Apr 30, 2017, 11:45 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
traveling alone and just wanted the best mix of luxury to price. Location isn't a big deal and restaurants aren't needed. Lounge would be nice and does the StRegis offer airport transport if bookign suite?
thanks guys.
thanks guys.
Apr 30, 2017, 1:50 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: SPG/MR Plat, HH Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 159
STR Mumbai pales in comparison to the JW Marriott Sahar. Location is better at STR, but service is heads and shoulders above at the JW. Don't stay in Juhu at the other JW unless you want to be stuck in insane traffic.
Few random experiences at the STR Mumbai - not approached a single time at breakfast, staff using elevator to go up or down one floor while on their cell phones, no drink service at the pool, etc. Also no lounge.
JW Sahar upgraded me both stays to amazing suites, had an excellent pool, phenomenal breakfast spread, fantastic lounge, etc.
Few random experiences at the STR Mumbai - not approached a single time at breakfast, staff using elevator to go up or down one floor while on their cell phones, no drink service at the pool, etc. Also no lounge.
JW Sahar upgraded me both stays to amazing suites, had an excellent pool, phenomenal breakfast spread, fantastic lounge, etc.
May 1, 2017, 11:26 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Silver (OW Sapphire), A3 Gold (*G), Bonvoy LTTE, HHonors Diamond, LeClubAccor Silver, UA Silver
Posts: 1,780
Can't comment on the Marriott properties as my last trip to Mumbai was pre-merger. But while the StR does not have a lounge, thru do have a pretty amazing happy hour with complimentarily a la carte cocktails and appetizers at the bar with great views. Didn't get an upgrade but I've seen reports of them being more generous with those nowadays...
Sep 15, 2017, 3:07 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Bringing this up again - I will be in Mumbai for two nights over a weekend on my way to Bangalore for work. Will arrive around midnight on a Friday and leave early on Sunday morning for BLR.
Currently wonder where I should stay...will use the Saturday I have available for sightseeing (using Uber to get where I need to go) and in general would want a hotel that has a lounge (with decent offerings), good breakfast (I am a breakfast person) and a nice pool. Other than that objective is to adjust to the time-change (3.5 hours) to be ready for work on Monday.
Currently I have booked almost everything between SPG and Marriott that looked appealing to me (refundable obviously) but cannot make up my mind where to actually stay. Here are my rates if that influences the decision:
- ITC Maratha @6250 INR (incl. bfst)
- ITC Grand Central @6250 INR (incl. bfst)
- JW Marriott Sahar @7000 INR (incl. bfst and two-way airport transfers)
- JW Marriott Juhu @ 7900 INR (incl. bfst)
I am LT Plat with Marriott and have SPG75 as well if this makes a difference. Will travel alone, so while Suites are nice they are not a requirement. Rooms should not be too tiny though as I prefer to have space to move around even when alone.
Based on all that - what hotel would you suggest me to choose?
Greetings - Dirk
Currently wonder where I should stay...will use the Saturday I have available for sightseeing (using Uber to get where I need to go) and in general would want a hotel that has a lounge (with decent offerings), good breakfast (I am a breakfast person) and a nice pool. Other than that objective is to adjust to the time-change (3.5 hours) to be ready for work on Monday.
Currently I have booked almost everything between SPG and Marriott that looked appealing to me (refundable obviously) but cannot make up my mind where to actually stay. Here are my rates if that influences the decision:
- ITC Maratha @6250 INR (incl. bfst)
- ITC Grand Central @6250 INR (incl. bfst)
- JW Marriott Sahar @7000 INR (incl. bfst and two-way airport transfers)
- JW Marriott Juhu @ 7900 INR (incl. bfst)
I am LT Plat with Marriott and have SPG75 as well if this makes a difference. Will travel alone, so while Suites are nice they are not a requirement. Rooms should not be too tiny though as I prefer to have space to move around even when alone.
Based on all that - what hotel would you suggest me to choose?
Greetings - Dirk
Sep 15, 2017, 3:31 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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between your 4 choices i would either go for the itc grand central or the juhu marriott....but my hotel of choice is now the st. regis & i would pick that any day over the 4 you have mentioned above....i used to stay regularly at the itc grand central but the st. regis has won over all my business over the last couple of years....
Sep 15, 2017, 3:32 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: British Airways Gold
Posts: 2,636
Why do you exclude the St Regis?
Sep 16, 2017, 3:21 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Wesseling, NRW, Germany
Programs: UA *S , MR LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,940
Well, having a lounge is very important for me on such trips, and as the St. Regis has no lounge, this is the major reason why I have not considered this. In addition it is substantially more expensive and further away from the airport than the four other choices I listed...
@Keyser: Thanks for the suggestion - can you elaborate why you would chose these? I'm somewhat afraid that the JW Juhu will make my arrival (around 1am on the Friday night) quite problematic with the traffic to the hotel and the backup this creates to get to the entrance (I read reviews stating it can be an hour's wait around that time to get through security)...
Greetings - Dirk
@Keyser: Thanks for the suggestion - can you elaborate why you would chose these? I'm somewhat afraid that the JW Juhu will make my arrival (around 1am on the Friday night) quite problematic with the traffic to the hotel and the backup this creates to get to the entrance (I read reviews stating it can be an hour's wait around that time to get through security)...
Greetings - Dirk
Sep 16, 2017, 3:29 am
#15
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Well, having a lounge is very important for me on such trips, and as the St. Regis has no lounge, this is the major reason why I have not considered this. In addition it is substantially more expensive and further away from the airport than the four other choices I listed...
@Keyser: Thanks for the suggestion - can you elaborate why you would chose these?
Greetings - Dirk
@Keyser: Thanks for the suggestion - can you elaborate why you would chose these?
Greetings - Dirk
the st. regis is far superior in terms of pretty much everything you are looking for in a property....great service, nice rooms, amazing breakfast, butler service, etc....also, the location of the hotel is good in terms of the area, surrounded by lots of shopping & eating options....
out of your list, the itc grand central & juhu marriott would jointly follow a distant second to the st. regis....i like the itc lounge & the location is decent....the juhu property is next to the beach with decent views & i can't really find any fault with the hotel....both are solid properties & i would gladly stay in either one of them if the st. regis was not available....