GONE as of 3/09 Sheraton Mencey, Tenerife, Canary Islands [Master Thread]
 

I can't find any report on this hotel. I have a reservation for the first week of August. Has anyone of you stayed there before? Any comments?

I did stay at this hotel about 10 years ago. As I recall, it was quite pleasant, well-located but not particularly luxurious or distinguished. Was only there for 1 night, as we were leaving from the nearby port for a transatlantic crossing.

I posted a trip report about my stay, but can't seem to find it via the search function.

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Anyhow, I stayed there twice on the same trip to the Canary Islands around three years ago. My destination was actually the far more enjoyable and customer friendly Hotel Gran Bahia El Duque on the south side of the island (the sunny side), and as I wanted to sample the Hotel Mency on the north side (rainy side) I spent a night en route in from the airport.

Flying out of Tenerife, we spent a second night there, as we had a relatively early flight, and we wanted to be close to the airport.

In short, I'll never stay at the Hotel Mency again as that hotel, which prides itself as a Luxury Collection Hotel, offers miserly one star customer service.

This hotel does not recognize nor upgrade Platinum members. This is perhaps not surprising, since they would not even recognize my confirmed hotel rate.

They claimed that my room rate which I booked at was "too low," and a "mistake." Those were exact words used. They would not believe that such a rate even existed. When I mentioned that they were trying to charge me a higher rate than what I had booked for, the reply from the front desk was "that's a good rate, Sir."

Even after I showed them a fax confirmation clearly indicating my room rate, they still wouldn't believe the rate and claimed it was a mistake by central reservations.

Efforts to resolve this unpleasantness with the Front Desk Manager was fruitless, as he wouldn't deign to talk with a Platinum customer-- despite the fact that he was standing only about 3 meters away and not apparently busy at the time.

Eventually the hotel agreed to honor my confirmed room rate, but then declared that they would not honor that confirmed rate when we planned to return a few days later. Feh!

So that required yet another round of time consuming discussion to resolve.

After an overnight trans-Atlantic flight, followed by a second long flight from Madrid to Tenerife, this hotel staff displayed little in the way of hospitality towards a tired pair of travelers.

On the other hand, we very much enjoyed our stay at the Gran Bahia, which was a delightful place to lounge about for several days. The Gran Bahia is the shining jewel in the Sol Melia Hotel chain crown.

As for the room at the Hotel Mency, during the first stay it was a small, nothing special room, overlooking one of the interior courtyards with a pleasant fountain.

The second stay resulted in a room in the newer wing, overlooking the gardens. Although it was a non-smoking room, the smell of cigarette smoke seeped into the room anyhow, thanks to the air conditioning system.

As for a Platinum amenity, I don't believe that the hotel has heard about that concept.

If you're visiting Santa Cruz, do visit the hotel lobby and gardens-- they're worth a visit.

But if it gracious hospitality you’re seeking—while you may indeed be treated royally-- this traveler will not spend his Euros at this hotel a third time.

I had a very nice stay there in August 2001. It was my first visit to the Canary Islands. With the two airports in Tenerife, you will be quite far from one of them and close to the other, unfortunately coming directly from the UK forced an arrival into the one about a 40 minute taxi ride to the hotel.

If you are flying from Spain I think you have easier options with your flights.

I think it was fine, the gold upgrade was available and I had a nice suite. The casino was not opened, food was nice and there is a lot of shopping within a close walk away.

The weather was magnificent, the pool at the hotel was nice and for some reason I recall the attendant at the pool to be fabulously nice. Much above the norm.

Canary Islands, Spain
 

Supposedly Hotel Mencey is a Starwood Hotel on Tenerife. Anyone been there??

No personal experience. I had a reservation but the trip was cancelled. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/002680.html

So one Flyertalk member has stayed at this hotel?? Anymore recent experiences.

Maybe it's late for the answer, but here it is.
I've stayed at the Mencey this summer. IMHO very nice hotel with very nice staff. As Gold, I didn't expect a great upgrade, but I was offerd to look at several different rooms to choose between them. The staff there consider that the best rooms are the ones overloking the pool. I don't agree, because I think the ones overlooking the patio are a bit larger and quieter. Anyway, they are all OK (not great, but OK) Common areas are very nice, and the hotel has an excellent location in the city. The front desk staff will help you in anything you need.

I just posted a message(question) in TravelBuzz about this hotel. If you stayed there, please have a look...
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000223.html

Thanks
Ron

I think it's a very good hotel. The garden are pool area are very nice, with a very good open-air restaurant (excellent "paellas"). Rooms are ok, although not extremely luxurious, but this is not an expensive hotel, either (and it's a quite low category one). We received very good treatment from the staff.

Anyway, this is a city hotel, not a bech resort of any kind. I think it is the best option to stay in the city, but not a good one for a holiday near the beach. Starwood has plans to open (perhaps this year?) what seems to be a magnificent hotel/resort in the other big island (Gran Canaria), much more appropiate if you are looking for the beaches.

Globehopper:
One way you could easily have solved the differences regarding rate acceptance with the hotel is by asking for "El libro de reclamaciones" if you find your case to be strong and the presented solution to be unsatisfactory.
Spain prides itself on its tourist industry, and "el libro" is an official complaint form where any hotel/restaurant/airline/car rental company etc. must submit a numbered copy of the complaint to the local tourism board.
Not many foreigners know of its excistence or its power, but on a few occasions (and always as a last resort) I have asked for it, and without exception, surprisingly, a satisfactory solution materializes instantly...

The Viking,

Thanks for the tip. Now I'll know to ask for that in the future at other Spanish Hotels which "give me lip" (i.e. uncooperative attitude). I will not need that at the Hotel Mencey since I will not stay there again.

Of course, back then I did not regularly read FT, and had I known, I would have complained to *Wood Headquarters in White Plains.

But I have found a similar form of customer feedback to work well at Indian train stations-- ask for the "complaint book" (which is kept at each station master's office) if you encounter a particularly nasty case of bureaucratic obfuscation when attempting to buy a ticket or procure a reservation without resorting to “baksheesh.” Works wonders!

Any Starwood properties around the Canary Islands in Spain?
 

Does anyone know if there are any properties under the Starwood umbrella around the Canary Islands? I'm trying to get a place around the 19th of September and wanted to plan it now

Thanks!

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All we should be afraid of is the sky falling on our heads!

There is only one Starwood hotel in the Canary Isands (there wil be two more in a couple of years). This one is Hotel Mencey, in Sta. Cruz de Tenerife. It is a city hotel, with a very nice patio, pool and gardens. It's the best place to stay in the city, but far frm beaches and touristic areas.

Sheraton Mencey, Tenerife, Canary Islands
 

Does anybody have experience with this property? If so could you please share your thoughts. Thanks