Le Meridien Visconti Rome, Italy, [Master Thread]
Feb 6, 2017, 9:26 am
#31
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,745
Please come back and report. I'm eager to learn more about the property.
Feb 7, 2017, 10:22 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
^ I have a stay this month from the 22nd to the 26th. Glad they made the handover without too long a delay and looking very forward to seeing the Le Méridien brand aesthetic in Rome! Wonder how the Plat upgrade perks will be executed here...
Will report back on my trip when I get there/after but hopefully someone'll drop a helpful pointer or two on here in the meantime.
khabah
Will report back on my trip when I get there/after but hopefully someone'll drop a helpful pointer or two on here in the meantime.
khabah
I was able to snag a C+P stay for May (6k + $110 USD) but still debating this vs. just staying at HGI by the airport for our 18 hour overnight.
Feb 8, 2017, 11:33 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
Here now. As discussed, the location is excellent. Pretty easy access from/to the metro at either Flaminio ( Piazza del Popolo), a pleasant stroll and hotel is just across the river , or Lepanto.
Maybe 10-12 minute walk to Castel Sant Angelo, 15 minutes further to Vatican.
I've eaten in the area of the hotel many times before but never actually noticed the building when it was the Visconti Palace, probably because the exterior is nondescript, leaning towards 1980s ugly.
Significant work is still in progress: but it doesn't intrude upon the interior areas that are open.
Upgraded to "Executive" ( booked the cheapest cash rate as PLT). Public areas are nicely done in marble, but subtle.
Room is on 5th floor, kind bed, double glazed, no exterior noise but a bit of minor internal noise from floor above. Size: maybe about 30SQM. From the look of the fire escape chart, most rooms are about the same size. So it's NYC/Paris/Tokyo size or a bit larger.
Very little closet or luggage space.
Bathroom is functional, walk-in shower, bidet, no bath
Decor is neutral, light wood veneer furniture, no desk chair ( just one small armchair and an ottoman which slides under the desk).
Kettle, no coffee machine, mini bar with just beers, colas, water. Small TV.
The room is fine for 1 , would be perfectly ok for a couple but can't imagine how kid(s) would fit.
No view: the building is 7 floors and is surrounded by others the same height. There is a terrace on the top floor, looking a bit barren now but will be a great place for drinks/food ( it has distant spire views).
The hotel does participate in MAGC.
The checkin guy was very pleasant . He had a 'cheat sheet' about SPG and he was determined to get everything right. All staff have been extremely pleasant.
Internet: good speed. The checkin guy gave me a code for hi speed. It bypasses the name/room number login.
Clearly it's very early days for this hotel . The location is great, room is pleasant but far from *WOW*. The selling point for me will be price: I baulk at the crazy rates of some hotels here but I guess they charge what people are prepared to pay. I suspect one sweet spot for members looking at this property would be 5th night free (48,000 or 9,600 per night)....that does look like value.
So:I LOVE the location and like the hotel but not blown away by it.
BTW, choice is Buffet breakfast OR 500 points ( I have an early train so might not get the breakfast, served 6-11 IIRC
Edit to add: it reminds me of , but is nicer than,Le Meridien Etoile
Maybe 10-12 minute walk to Castel Sant Angelo, 15 minutes further to Vatican.
I've eaten in the area of the hotel many times before but never actually noticed the building when it was the Visconti Palace, probably because the exterior is nondescript, leaning towards 1980s ugly.
Significant work is still in progress: but it doesn't intrude upon the interior areas that are open.
Upgraded to "Executive" ( booked the cheapest cash rate as PLT). Public areas are nicely done in marble, but subtle.
Room is on 5th floor, kind bed, double glazed, no exterior noise but a bit of minor internal noise from floor above. Size: maybe about 30SQM. From the look of the fire escape chart, most rooms are about the same size. So it's NYC/Paris/Tokyo size or a bit larger.
Very little closet or luggage space.
Bathroom is functional, walk-in shower, bidet, no bath
Decor is neutral, light wood veneer furniture, no desk chair ( just one small armchair and an ottoman which slides under the desk).
Kettle, no coffee machine, mini bar with just beers, colas, water. Small TV.
The room is fine for 1 , would be perfectly ok for a couple but can't imagine how kid(s) would fit.
No view: the building is 7 floors and is surrounded by others the same height. There is a terrace on the top floor, looking a bit barren now but will be a great place for drinks/food ( it has distant spire views).
The hotel does participate in MAGC.
The checkin guy was very pleasant . He had a 'cheat sheet' about SPG and he was determined to get everything right. All staff have been extremely pleasant.
Internet: good speed. The checkin guy gave me a code for hi speed. It bypasses the name/room number login.
Clearly it's very early days for this hotel . The location is great, room is pleasant but far from *WOW*. The selling point for me will be price: I baulk at the crazy rates of some hotels here but I guess they charge what people are prepared to pay. I suspect one sweet spot for members looking at this property would be 5th night free (48,000 or 9,600 per night)....that does look like value.
So:I LOVE the location and like the hotel but not blown away by it.
BTW, choice is Buffet breakfast OR 500 points ( I have an early train so might not get the breakfast, served 6-11 IIRC
Edit to add: it reminds me of , but is nicer than,Le Meridien Etoile
Last edited by paolo64; Feb 8, 2017 at 11:57 am
Feb 8, 2017, 1:08 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Here now. As discussed, the location is excellent. Pretty easy access from/to the metro at either Flaminio ( Piazza del Popolo), a pleasant stroll and hotel is just across the river , or Lepanto.
Maybe 10-12 minute walk to Castel Sant Angelo, 15 minutes further to Vatican.
I've eaten in the area of the hotel many times before but never actually noticed the building when it was the Visconti Palace, probably because the exterior is nondescript, leaning towards 1980s ugly.
Significant work is still in progress: but it doesn't intrude upon the interior areas that are open.
Upgraded to "Executive" ( booked the cheapest cash rate as PLT). Public areas are nicely done in marble, but subtle.
Room is on 5th floor, kind bed, double glazed, no exterior noise but a bit of minor internal noise from floor above. Size: maybe about 30SQM. From the look of the fire escape chart, most rooms are about the same size. So it's NYC/Paris/Tokyo size or a bit larger.
Very little closet or luggage space.
Bathroom is functional, walk-in shower, bidet, no bath
Decor is neutral, light wood veneer furniture, no desk chair ( just one small armchair and an ottoman which slides under the desk).
Kettle, no coffee machine, mini bar with just beers, colas, water. Small TV.
The room is fine for 1 , would be perfectly ok for a couple but can't imagine how kid(s) would fit.
No view: the building is 7 floors and is surrounded by others the same height. There is a terrace on the top floor, looking a bit barren now but will be a great place for drinks/food ( it has distant spire views).
The hotel does participate in MAGC.
The checkin guy was very pleasant . He had a 'cheat sheet' about SPG and he was determined to get everything right. All staff have been extremely pleasant.
Internet: good speed. The checkin guy gave me a code for hi speed. It bypasses the name/room number login.
Clearly it's very early days for this hotel . The location is great, room is pleasant but far from *WOW*. The selling point for me will be price: I baulk at the crazy rates of some hotels here but I guess they charge what people are prepared to pay. I suspect one sweet spot for members looking at this property would be 5th night free (48,000 or 9,600 per night)....that does look like value.
So:I LOVE the location and like the hotel but not blown away by it.
BTW, choice is Buffet breakfast OR 500 points ( I have an early train so might not get the breakfast, served 6-11 IIRC
Edit to add: it reminds me of , but is nicer than,Le Meridien Etoile
Maybe 10-12 minute walk to Castel Sant Angelo, 15 minutes further to Vatican.
I've eaten in the area of the hotel many times before but never actually noticed the building when it was the Visconti Palace, probably because the exterior is nondescript, leaning towards 1980s ugly.
Significant work is still in progress: but it doesn't intrude upon the interior areas that are open.
Upgraded to "Executive" ( booked the cheapest cash rate as PLT). Public areas are nicely done in marble, but subtle.
Room is on 5th floor, kind bed, double glazed, no exterior noise but a bit of minor internal noise from floor above. Size: maybe about 30SQM. From the look of the fire escape chart, most rooms are about the same size. So it's NYC/Paris/Tokyo size or a bit larger.
Very little closet or luggage space.
Bathroom is functional, walk-in shower, bidet, no bath
Decor is neutral, light wood veneer furniture, no desk chair ( just one small armchair and an ottoman which slides under the desk).
Kettle, no coffee machine, mini bar with just beers, colas, water. Small TV.
The room is fine for 1 , would be perfectly ok for a couple but can't imagine how kid(s) would fit.
No view: the building is 7 floors and is surrounded by others the same height. There is a terrace on the top floor, looking a bit barren now but will be a great place for drinks/food ( it has distant spire views).
The hotel does participate in MAGC.
The checkin guy was very pleasant . He had a 'cheat sheet' about SPG and he was determined to get everything right. All staff have been extremely pleasant.
Internet: good speed. The checkin guy gave me a code for hi speed. It bypasses the name/room number login.
Clearly it's very early days for this hotel . The location is great, room is pleasant but far from *WOW*. The selling point for me will be price: I baulk at the crazy rates of some hotels here but I guess they charge what people are prepared to pay. I suspect one sweet spot for members looking at this property would be 5th night free (48,000 or 9,600 per night)....that does look like value.
So:I LOVE the location and like the hotel but not blown away by it.
BTW, choice is Buffet breakfast OR 500 points ( I have an early train so might not get the breakfast, served 6-11 IIRC
Edit to add: it reminds me of , but is nicer than,Le Meridien Etoile
Sounds like a good points value for multiple days in Rome (especially compared to the points price for other Rome SPG properties) but probably not worth it for me this May with a quick 18 hour (from landing at FCO to leaving FCO again) overnight layover.
Feb 18, 2017, 6:22 am
#35
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
Programs: AA, Delta, United, SPG plat, Hyatt dia
Posts: 7,140
Thanks for the review Paolo64. I ahave a five night stay at this property coming up in the Fall and I think this neighborhood looks great! I am looking forward to my first trip to Rome.
Feb 18, 2017, 9:13 am
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
I have a stay coming up on the 22nd until the 26th. BRG rate booked for a Deluxe Room; will report back on Plat perks and other feedback, but looking forward to the Le Méridien brand being back in Italy. This will be my first visit to Rome/Italy as well, so it'll be good to take advantage of the location.
Stay tuned...
khabah
Stay tuned...
khabah
Feb 27, 2017, 11:48 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Detailed report below... here goes!
khabah
***
As a die-hard fan of Le Méridien and a first-timer in Rome and Italy, this newly-renovated hotel instantly made a case for itself as my home base for my four-night stay in la cittŕ eterna.
LOCATION: Le Méridien Visconti Rome is located at Via Federico Cesi 37 in the Prati neighborhood of Rome on the left bank of the Tiber River. Its location was absolutely fantastic if you wanted to explore the big sights on foot - the Tiber is around the corner, Castel Sant’Angelo is a five-minute walk, the Vatican fifteen minutes, the Spanish Steps/Pantheon twenty and the Colosseum thirty. Prati itself is a wonderful neighborhood, with many restaurants and stately buildings home to residences and offices. Being next door to the Vatican makes it quiet and very safe to roam around at night.
ENTRANCE/LOBBY: A comprehensive renovation of the dated Visconti Palace Hotel did this hotel some serious good as the brutalist exterior belies the contemporary and beautiful interiors. The lobby, or Hub in Le Méridien lingo, is a poster child for the brand, with lots of grey marble, grey walls and grey furniture with pops of color here and there - blue pillows, orange seats and yellow chairs. It’s a very tasteful space framed by floor-to-ceiling windows next to the seating area and Latitude Café, while a little bistro is tucked away in the back with access to an outdoor patio with seating.
Check-in was a quick five-minute procedure, handled by a cheerful associate who recognized my Platinum status and informed me that I had been upgraded to an Executive Room from the Deluxe Room I originally booked. The hotel seemed to be fairly busy so no suites were available.
ROOMS: I was given an Executive Room on the sixth floor; there are seven in the hotel. The room itself is a pleasant, compact size consistent with European sizes, which means to say it’s snug and convenient for two but will definitely be tight for three. The room itself was in great condition even though it was obviously not redesigned to the new Le Méridien design that the Deluxe Rooms were given. This room had light wooden floors, a bed with a tall white leather headboard, small circular table for a desk with a chair as well as a small armchair. There was a good closet at the entryway, a ledge for luggage below the television and two nightstands.
The bathroom seems to be recently redone and includes a sink with good counter space, toilet, bidet and a spacious standing shower. Toiletries are by the fabulous Malin+Goetz.
Being cheeky, I asked to see the Deluxe Rooms to get an idea of the difference and loved them so much I actually switched rooms for the second half of my stay. The Deluxe Rooms are on the third and fourth floors of the hotel [Executives are on Fifth and Sixth, more Executives and Suites, along with an outdoor terrace, are on seven. Apparently, they’re only “Executive Rooms” because they’re on higher floors; no club lounge or typical executive benefits here.].
After walking down a hallway done in grey as opposed to beige carpeting [grey = new], this brand-new room was actually a touch bigger than the upgraded Executive Room I was initially given. Black wood floors, grey walls and a white wood wall with blonde wood above the bed, along with a tall desk with tall chair and blue armchair made this room look far, far more upscale and luxurious than the Executive Room. The bathroom was similar in layout to the first room with a sink, good counter space, toilet, bidet and standing shower but the design here is equally lovely; subway tile on the walls, a photograph above the toilet, marble counter, pedestal sink and glass doors make this a big step up.
Wi-fi is free for SPG members, but a bit annoying as you have to re-login every day of your stay.
NOTE: As of my stay at the end of February, the first and second floors are closed for renovations where the rooms are being stripped and totally redone; if memory serves, they’ll be redone in the new design scheme. Executive Rooms will stay as they are "for now."
FOOD/BEVERAGE: My rate included breakfast at the Café, located in the basement. The design is a little old as it’s a leftover from the Visconti Palace days, but it’s functional and spacious. The breakfast spread is a lovely thing with staples like scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and a beautiful selection of tempting pasties. There were also some nice little Italian touches like hams, cheeses and a mountain of ricotta with tomatoes on the vine.
There is a separate menu with more comprehensive dishes like eggs Benedict and what have you, but supplementary charges apply. Room service is also available between 6 AM and 11 PM.
I took advantage of the complimentary coffee voucher found in the Discovery Envelope in the room and had a lovely Illy espresso in the lobby lounge along with the local, tiramisu éclair. Delicious and extremely fluffy - highly recommended.
LEISURE: The hotel has a small gym in the basement with the requisite treadmills, ellipticals and weight towers/free weights. There are also gender-segregated changing areas, but I didn’t peek in to see if they offered saunas/steam rooms; there are most just likely showers and toilets. No pool, spa or other similar facilities on-property.
FACILITIES: The hotel has a few meeting rooms on the ground floor and in the basement; some of them were in use for private movie screenings during my stay. From what I gather, the hotel is a popular place for business meetings and small events so the hotel is very well-prepared to host them without intrusion to guests.
SERVICE: Service at this hotel was excellent, bar one interaction with a somewhat curt and snippy female reception agent. All other reception agents were all delightful - from entertaining requests about seeing what the renovated rooms looked like to collecting different keys for their designs - but Simona in particular was a standout. She took me around to show me the different room types, answered all my questions about the hotel and renovation and even put in a request to change my room halfway through my stay because of my desire to experience the newer rooms. She did everything with such pleasure and deserves a special mention for her delightfulness.
OVERALL: When the renovations are done in a few months and the hotel is completely up and running, it will be a fine base for anyone to this fabulous city. The location can’t be beat, the hard product is excellent and the staff are wonderful - all ingredients for a great stay. Can’t wait to be back.
khabah
***
As a die-hard fan of Le Méridien and a first-timer in Rome and Italy, this newly-renovated hotel instantly made a case for itself as my home base for my four-night stay in la cittŕ eterna.
LOCATION: Le Méridien Visconti Rome is located at Via Federico Cesi 37 in the Prati neighborhood of Rome on the left bank of the Tiber River. Its location was absolutely fantastic if you wanted to explore the big sights on foot - the Tiber is around the corner, Castel Sant’Angelo is a five-minute walk, the Vatican fifteen minutes, the Spanish Steps/Pantheon twenty and the Colosseum thirty. Prati itself is a wonderful neighborhood, with many restaurants and stately buildings home to residences and offices. Being next door to the Vatican makes it quiet and very safe to roam around at night.
ENTRANCE/LOBBY: A comprehensive renovation of the dated Visconti Palace Hotel did this hotel some serious good as the brutalist exterior belies the contemporary and beautiful interiors. The lobby, or Hub in Le Méridien lingo, is a poster child for the brand, with lots of grey marble, grey walls and grey furniture with pops of color here and there - blue pillows, orange seats and yellow chairs. It’s a very tasteful space framed by floor-to-ceiling windows next to the seating area and Latitude Café, while a little bistro is tucked away in the back with access to an outdoor patio with seating.
Check-in was a quick five-minute procedure, handled by a cheerful associate who recognized my Platinum status and informed me that I had been upgraded to an Executive Room from the Deluxe Room I originally booked. The hotel seemed to be fairly busy so no suites were available.
ROOMS: I was given an Executive Room on the sixth floor; there are seven in the hotel. The room itself is a pleasant, compact size consistent with European sizes, which means to say it’s snug and convenient for two but will definitely be tight for three. The room itself was in great condition even though it was obviously not redesigned to the new Le Méridien design that the Deluxe Rooms were given. This room had light wooden floors, a bed with a tall white leather headboard, small circular table for a desk with a chair as well as a small armchair. There was a good closet at the entryway, a ledge for luggage below the television and two nightstands.
The bathroom seems to be recently redone and includes a sink with good counter space, toilet, bidet and a spacious standing shower. Toiletries are by the fabulous Malin+Goetz.
Being cheeky, I asked to see the Deluxe Rooms to get an idea of the difference and loved them so much I actually switched rooms for the second half of my stay. The Deluxe Rooms are on the third and fourth floors of the hotel [Executives are on Fifth and Sixth, more Executives and Suites, along with an outdoor terrace, are on seven. Apparently, they’re only “Executive Rooms” because they’re on higher floors; no club lounge or typical executive benefits here.].
After walking down a hallway done in grey as opposed to beige carpeting [grey = new], this brand-new room was actually a touch bigger than the upgraded Executive Room I was initially given. Black wood floors, grey walls and a white wood wall with blonde wood above the bed, along with a tall desk with tall chair and blue armchair made this room look far, far more upscale and luxurious than the Executive Room. The bathroom was similar in layout to the first room with a sink, good counter space, toilet, bidet and standing shower but the design here is equally lovely; subway tile on the walls, a photograph above the toilet, marble counter, pedestal sink and glass doors make this a big step up.
Wi-fi is free for SPG members, but a bit annoying as you have to re-login every day of your stay.
NOTE: As of my stay at the end of February, the first and second floors are closed for renovations where the rooms are being stripped and totally redone; if memory serves, they’ll be redone in the new design scheme. Executive Rooms will stay as they are "for now."
FOOD/BEVERAGE: My rate included breakfast at the Café, located in the basement. The design is a little old as it’s a leftover from the Visconti Palace days, but it’s functional and spacious. The breakfast spread is a lovely thing with staples like scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and a beautiful selection of tempting pasties. There were also some nice little Italian touches like hams, cheeses and a mountain of ricotta with tomatoes on the vine.
There is a separate menu with more comprehensive dishes like eggs Benedict and what have you, but supplementary charges apply. Room service is also available between 6 AM and 11 PM.
I took advantage of the complimentary coffee voucher found in the Discovery Envelope in the room and had a lovely Illy espresso in the lobby lounge along with the local, tiramisu éclair. Delicious and extremely fluffy - highly recommended.
LEISURE: The hotel has a small gym in the basement with the requisite treadmills, ellipticals and weight towers/free weights. There are also gender-segregated changing areas, but I didn’t peek in to see if they offered saunas/steam rooms; there are most just likely showers and toilets. No pool, spa or other similar facilities on-property.
FACILITIES: The hotel has a few meeting rooms on the ground floor and in the basement; some of them were in use for private movie screenings during my stay. From what I gather, the hotel is a popular place for business meetings and small events so the hotel is very well-prepared to host them without intrusion to guests.
SERVICE: Service at this hotel was excellent, bar one interaction with a somewhat curt and snippy female reception agent. All other reception agents were all delightful - from entertaining requests about seeing what the renovated rooms looked like to collecting different keys for their designs - but Simona in particular was a standout. She took me around to show me the different room types, answered all my questions about the hotel and renovation and even put in a request to change my room halfway through my stay because of my desire to experience the newer rooms. She did everything with such pleasure and deserves a special mention for her delightfulness.
OVERALL: When the renovations are done in a few months and the hotel is completely up and running, it will be a fine base for anyone to this fabulous city. The location can’t be beat, the hard product is excellent and the staff are wonderful - all ingredients for a great stay. Can’t wait to be back.
Feb 28, 2017, 11:04 am
#39
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Feb 28, 2017, 12:02 pm
#40
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: stl
Programs: AA LT Plat/8.1mm now with 1350 miles left in my account and proud of it.. SPG LT Titanium.
Posts: 3,079
It can depend upon the nature of the "taxes" involved. If you would like for us to check on this, you can send the details to the email address below.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Feb 28, 2017, 12:40 pm
#41
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Feb 28, 2017, 3:14 pm
#42
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: coastal Croatia
Programs: BAEC Gold, M&M Senator
Posts: 2,181
I just paid two Euros city tax per person per night on a reward booking at the FCO Hilton. All other taxes were included; this was specifically excluded, so I assume this is standard for Rome at all hotels.
Feb 28, 2017, 4:34 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: stl
Programs: AA LT Plat/8.1mm now with 1350 miles left in my account and proud of it.. SPG LT Titanium.
Posts: 3,079
Mar 18, 2017, 4:31 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: AMS
Programs: FB Gold, SPG/Marriot Gold, Melia Gold
Posts: 2
I am at Le Meridien Visconti, with my wife, as I write this. It's my first night at the hotel.
As said before, the hotel has a good location, the check in service was perfect (the reception agent managed to give us a room at 10AM), and being a gold member I got the expected upgrade. But, that's where the good experience ends...
The room has a temperature control, which I assumed was for... controlling the room temperature. It's not, and I found it out the hard way...
When we first entered the room, I noticed the window was open. Left for a great walking day in this beautiful city and, when we got back, We found the room to be a little above a comfortable temperature, around 24°C. I fiddled with the temperature controls, and couldn't make it go under 23, so I turned the thing off (I realized that maybe it was heater only, this time of the year in Europe). After a couple of hours, before going for dinner, I decided to close the window, because the temperature in the room was colder than before, and it's kind of noisy the street outside. A big mistake...
When we got back from dinner, around 10:00PM, we found the room at 27°C. That's when I realized THE GUESTS DON'T CONTROL THE ROOM TEMPERATURE. We called reception and it was confirmed they do that from downstairs. What's the point on having a control in the room then? The lady reception agent never apologized and the only "solution" they gave was to move to another room. I didn't want to pack everything up again just to go to another room where I'd have to leave the window open anyway. So I decided to stay in the room, I hope I can close the window soon (because of the noise and talking outside) and I'm praying they don't decide to crank the temperature up again during the night.
Tomorrow I'm going to speak to the manager and try to have this sorted out. In the meantime I called Starwood and filed a complaint. It's an ongoing adventure, I'll keep you posted.
As said before, the hotel has a good location, the check in service was perfect (the reception agent managed to give us a room at 10AM), and being a gold member I got the expected upgrade. But, that's where the good experience ends...
The room has a temperature control, which I assumed was for... controlling the room temperature. It's not, and I found it out the hard way...
When we first entered the room, I noticed the window was open. Left for a great walking day in this beautiful city and, when we got back, We found the room to be a little above a comfortable temperature, around 24°C. I fiddled with the temperature controls, and couldn't make it go under 23, so I turned the thing off (I realized that maybe it was heater only, this time of the year in Europe). After a couple of hours, before going for dinner, I decided to close the window, because the temperature in the room was colder than before, and it's kind of noisy the street outside. A big mistake...
When we got back from dinner, around 10:00PM, we found the room at 27°C. That's when I realized THE GUESTS DON'T CONTROL THE ROOM TEMPERATURE. We called reception and it was confirmed they do that from downstairs. What's the point on having a control in the room then? The lady reception agent never apologized and the only "solution" they gave was to move to another room. I didn't want to pack everything up again just to go to another room where I'd have to leave the window open anyway. So I decided to stay in the room, I hope I can close the window soon (because of the noise and talking outside) and I'm praying they don't decide to crank the temperature up again during the night.
Tomorrow I'm going to speak to the manager and try to have this sorted out. In the meantime I called Starwood and filed a complaint. It's an ongoing adventure, I'll keep you posted.
Mar 19, 2017, 10:40 am
#45
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: AMS
Programs: FB Gold, SPG/Marriot Gold, Melia Gold
Posts: 2
Update: this morning the manager offered to move us to a room in the 7th floor. Apparently those rooms have air-conditioning even during winter. It does not exactly fix the issue with the random temperature in the room, but at least now I can set the temperature to 21°C. I hope it stays like that.
This room is bigger than the other one, and the bathroom is huge, with marble floor. It's not a suite, but it has a big balcony. There's a large dressing area where the closet and safe are. The room and bathroom don't seem to have been redone lately, there are some signs of wear. But the overall appearance is great, and it looks cozy after all.
The manager had a great attitude in the end (better than the reception lady agent the night before), and did what was possible to fix the issue. He even gave me a bottle of wine as a courtesy. Nice touch.
This room is bigger than the other one, and the bathroom is huge, with marble floor. It's not a suite, but it has a big balcony. There's a large dressing area where the closet and safe are. The room and bathroom don't seem to have been redone lately, there are some signs of wear. But the overall appearance is great, and it looks cozy after all.
The manager had a great attitude in the end (better than the reception lady agent the night before), and did what was possible to fix the issue. He even gave me a bottle of wine as a courtesy. Nice touch.