May 5, 2015, 10:41 pm
Last edit by: lcpteck
Leaving Starwood on September 1, 2015
Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
Will be re-branded as a Ritz-Carlton in 2016.
Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
Will be re-branded as a Ritz-Carlton in 2016.
GONE : Le Meridien Budapest, Hungary : Left SPG 1 Sep 2015 [Master Thread]
Jun 1, 2015, 10:49 am
#121
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Paris, France
Programs: HHonor Diamond, SPG Plat100, HGP Plat, AF Plat, *A G (A3)
Posts: 155
Multiple room bookings?
Any Platinums here who tried booking multiple rooms at this property? (Yes, family traveling together). How did the hotel treat:
* upgrades to better rooms?
* the generous Platinum breakfast (for all rooms or only 1?)
* Lounge access?
Now that it is leaving SPG, let's take advantage of this good hotel one last time!
* upgrades to better rooms?
* the generous Platinum breakfast (for all rooms or only 1?)
* Lounge access?
Now that it is leaving SPG, let's take advantage of this good hotel one last time!
Jun 1, 2015, 2:18 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
Jun 1, 2015, 2:49 pm
#123
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 573
No Lounge (Apr.2015)
500pts or breakfast, only for one room.
Second room breakfast only if it was upgraded to room including breakfast.
I was upgraded to nice corner Jr.Suite from standard room.
500pts or breakfast, only for one room.
Second room breakfast only if it was upgraded to room including breakfast.
I was upgraded to nice corner Jr.Suite from standard room.
Jun 19, 2015, 12:32 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kuwait (KW)
Programs: Qatar Airways, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 2,712
Just returned from a four-night stay here this month. Detailed review attached below; now available on TripAdvisor.
khabah
***
Hungary was always high on my need-to-visit list and, being a devoted Starwood Preferred Guest, Le Méridien was my default hotel choice for my four-night trip to Budapest.
LOCATION: The hotel has a wonderful location on Erzsébet tér [Hungarian for Elizabeth Square] right in the middle of Budapest. To put things simply: Budapest is essentially split in two by the Danube with hilly Buda to the west and flat Pest to the east; this hotel, along with many of the city’s sights and activities, is located in easy-to-walk-through Pest.
The location puts the hotel within a five-minute walk to the banks of the Danube with beautiful views of Buda Castle, the iconic Chain Bridge and other key city landmarks. Erzsébet tér itself is quite a happening spot with a large ferris wheel, reflecting pools, cafés and sizable grass patches open to just chill in. St. Stephen’s Basilica is also right across the square and within visible range of the hotel.
Liszt Ferenc International Airport is a twenty-five minute ride by shuttle bus. The hotel is also right next to the Déak Ferenc tér metro station where three of Budapest’s four metro lines converge, putting it within ridiculously easy access to anywhere one would need to be.
ENTRANCE/LOBBY: The hotel opened in October 2000 as a full rehabilitation of a building with quite an illustrious history. The building itself - formerly known as the Adria Palace - once housed an insurance company, apartments and shops after opening in 1918. Following major damage in the tragic Budapest bombings of World War II, it housed the headquarters of the Budapest Police before coming under the hammer for a transformation into the Le Méridien.
The lobby is a very contemporary space that appears to have been recently renovated in typical Le Méridien style. There are cream-colored L-shaped couches with bright pillows, some very cool chairs and other furniture and modern art/light fixtures throughout the space that pleasantly contrast the classical appearance of the hotel’s façade.
Check-in was performed by a smiling member of staff who welcomed me to Budapest and to the hotel, acknowledged my SPG membership and remarked my stay preferences which included a high-floor room with a view towards Erzsébet tér and St. Stephen’s Basilica. The process took under five minutes.
ROOMS: With the recognition of my stay preferences with regards to view and location, I was given a superior room [entry-level; the next step up is deluxe] on the sixth floor with the views I requested. The rooms are located overlooking Erzsébet tér, two side streets or the pedestrianized street to the back, with the rooms placed along a lovely internal atrium running the height of the building.
My room, despite being the entry level room, was absolutely lovely. Yes, the décor is getting on and might be a bit classic for some - especially when considering the more modern stylings set forth by the lobby - but it’s all very tasteful in neutral cream/beige/gold tones with dark wood furniture. The room itself was very spacious with high ceilings and a sizable window, creating a very airy space in which to relax. There was an entrance alcove with a table and lamp, the main bedroom area with a king-sized bed with four pillows, main closets, a comfortable couch, desk with two chairs and an armoire housing the minibar/tea-/coffee-making facilities and a flat-screen television on top. Given the room’s age, everything is holding up amazingly well… Although one noticeable caveat was the fact that the drapes don’t fully block light out - I woke up to light streaming in all around the curtains every morning.
The bathroom was also quite spacious, fully decked out in marble with a separate bathtub and shower, a single sink with generous vanity space, fog-resistant mirror and a toilet with [one of my favorite features and something I didn’t expect to find in central Europe] a handheld washing hose. Great touch. Toiletries are by Cinq Mondes and were high-quality and smelled terrific.
Wi-fi is, for SPG members and those who book through Starwood’s official channels, free and has great speeds and connectivity throughout the hotel.
FOOD/BEVERAGE: I didn’t eat at Le Bourbon, the hotel’s French-themed main restaurant, but I did enjoy coffee several times at Longitude 19°03’, the hotel’s bar located just off the main lobby with a dedicated entrance from the street. All coffee is sourced from Illy, was of very high quality with a great variety [everything from your choice of Americanos and macchiatos to lattes and cappuccinos]. The friendly barista also provided complimentary macarons on two occasions - both were delicious!
I ordered room service on my last night at the hotel around 1:15 AM and it arrived within twenty minutes very hot and well-prepared. Granted, it isn’t hard to mess spaghetti bolognese up, but the dish came well-sized, tasty and with an accompanying side of parmesan cheese and a bread basket.
LEISURE: The hotel offers a fitness center on the eighth floor that is only accessible by guest room keycard. Inside, there is a gym with relatively new equipment, a lovely indoor pool and whirlpool beneath a large skylight, mixed sauna and steam room and several treatment rooms for massages and the like. The pool was excellent, with the temperatures kept between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius, and of a large size with two access staircases on either end of it. There was sufficient seating around the space since not many people used it during my stay.
FACILITIES: The hotel offers several meeting rooms that see frequent use for functions and conferences.
SERVICE: Virtually all of the hotel’s staff and associates are very professional and courteous, operating with a strong service ethic and seemed very knowledgeable about their surroundings. There were, however, a few slip ups: firstly, the hotel provides complimentary coffee vouchers in the room that are meant to be replenished daily by housekeeping. After I used my voucher following the first night, I noticed that housekeeping did not provide a new one so I phoned the service line requesting a new one. The associate who responded asked me what my SPG status was [which wasn’t supposed to happen; complimentary coffee is a Le Méridien-wide initiative completely unrelated to your SPG membership tier] and then somewhat condescendingly told me that I am not entitled to complimentary coffee because I was not SPG Platinum. When I tried explaining the situation, she dismissed me by forwarding me to a front desk agent who, after having the situation explained to her, apologized profusely and sent a housekeeping associate up with the vouchers.
Housekeeping also missed a mark when I came back to an unmade room following my second night despite leaving the room at a reasonably early hour without leaving any “Do Not Disturb” signs lying about. The hotel’s “Make A Green Choice” initiative, which gives you a selection of freebies for denying sheet-/towel-changing services, rewarded me on one night after hanging the sign outside my door but did not on another night, signifying that this service was not as consistent as it should have been. Looks like some screws need to be tightened here and there.
OVERALL: In summation, this was a very good stay in a great city. Le Méridien Budapest is truly a solid product that can be made even better with a little service polish and a redo of the rooms - something which is coming because, sadly, the hotel will be leaving the brand after fifteen years in order to undergo a comprehensive renovation at the start of 2016 that will culminate in the second quarter of the year with a name change: The Ritz-Carlton Budapest.
Le Méridien: you will be missed.
khabah
***
Hungary was always high on my need-to-visit list and, being a devoted Starwood Preferred Guest, Le Méridien was my default hotel choice for my four-night trip to Budapest.
LOCATION: The hotel has a wonderful location on Erzsébet tér [Hungarian for Elizabeth Square] right in the middle of Budapest. To put things simply: Budapest is essentially split in two by the Danube with hilly Buda to the west and flat Pest to the east; this hotel, along with many of the city’s sights and activities, is located in easy-to-walk-through Pest.
The location puts the hotel within a five-minute walk to the banks of the Danube with beautiful views of Buda Castle, the iconic Chain Bridge and other key city landmarks. Erzsébet tér itself is quite a happening spot with a large ferris wheel, reflecting pools, cafés and sizable grass patches open to just chill in. St. Stephen’s Basilica is also right across the square and within visible range of the hotel.
Liszt Ferenc International Airport is a twenty-five minute ride by shuttle bus. The hotel is also right next to the Déak Ferenc tér metro station where three of Budapest’s four metro lines converge, putting it within ridiculously easy access to anywhere one would need to be.
ENTRANCE/LOBBY: The hotel opened in October 2000 as a full rehabilitation of a building with quite an illustrious history. The building itself - formerly known as the Adria Palace - once housed an insurance company, apartments and shops after opening in 1918. Following major damage in the tragic Budapest bombings of World War II, it housed the headquarters of the Budapest Police before coming under the hammer for a transformation into the Le Méridien.
The lobby is a very contemporary space that appears to have been recently renovated in typical Le Méridien style. There are cream-colored L-shaped couches with bright pillows, some very cool chairs and other furniture and modern art/light fixtures throughout the space that pleasantly contrast the classical appearance of the hotel’s façade.
Check-in was performed by a smiling member of staff who welcomed me to Budapest and to the hotel, acknowledged my SPG membership and remarked my stay preferences which included a high-floor room with a view towards Erzsébet tér and St. Stephen’s Basilica. The process took under five minutes.
ROOMS: With the recognition of my stay preferences with regards to view and location, I was given a superior room [entry-level; the next step up is deluxe] on the sixth floor with the views I requested. The rooms are located overlooking Erzsébet tér, two side streets or the pedestrianized street to the back, with the rooms placed along a lovely internal atrium running the height of the building.
My room, despite being the entry level room, was absolutely lovely. Yes, the décor is getting on and might be a bit classic for some - especially when considering the more modern stylings set forth by the lobby - but it’s all very tasteful in neutral cream/beige/gold tones with dark wood furniture. The room itself was very spacious with high ceilings and a sizable window, creating a very airy space in which to relax. There was an entrance alcove with a table and lamp, the main bedroom area with a king-sized bed with four pillows, main closets, a comfortable couch, desk with two chairs and an armoire housing the minibar/tea-/coffee-making facilities and a flat-screen television on top. Given the room’s age, everything is holding up amazingly well… Although one noticeable caveat was the fact that the drapes don’t fully block light out - I woke up to light streaming in all around the curtains every morning.
The bathroom was also quite spacious, fully decked out in marble with a separate bathtub and shower, a single sink with generous vanity space, fog-resistant mirror and a toilet with [one of my favorite features and something I didn’t expect to find in central Europe] a handheld washing hose. Great touch. Toiletries are by Cinq Mondes and were high-quality and smelled terrific.
Wi-fi is, for SPG members and those who book through Starwood’s official channels, free and has great speeds and connectivity throughout the hotel.
FOOD/BEVERAGE: I didn’t eat at Le Bourbon, the hotel’s French-themed main restaurant, but I did enjoy coffee several times at Longitude 19°03’, the hotel’s bar located just off the main lobby with a dedicated entrance from the street. All coffee is sourced from Illy, was of very high quality with a great variety [everything from your choice of Americanos and macchiatos to lattes and cappuccinos]. The friendly barista also provided complimentary macarons on two occasions - both were delicious!
I ordered room service on my last night at the hotel around 1:15 AM and it arrived within twenty minutes very hot and well-prepared. Granted, it isn’t hard to mess spaghetti bolognese up, but the dish came well-sized, tasty and with an accompanying side of parmesan cheese and a bread basket.
LEISURE: The hotel offers a fitness center on the eighth floor that is only accessible by guest room keycard. Inside, there is a gym with relatively new equipment, a lovely indoor pool and whirlpool beneath a large skylight, mixed sauna and steam room and several treatment rooms for massages and the like. The pool was excellent, with the temperatures kept between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius, and of a large size with two access staircases on either end of it. There was sufficient seating around the space since not many people used it during my stay.
FACILITIES: The hotel offers several meeting rooms that see frequent use for functions and conferences.
SERVICE: Virtually all of the hotel’s staff and associates are very professional and courteous, operating with a strong service ethic and seemed very knowledgeable about their surroundings. There were, however, a few slip ups: firstly, the hotel provides complimentary coffee vouchers in the room that are meant to be replenished daily by housekeeping. After I used my voucher following the first night, I noticed that housekeeping did not provide a new one so I phoned the service line requesting a new one. The associate who responded asked me what my SPG status was [which wasn’t supposed to happen; complimentary coffee is a Le Méridien-wide initiative completely unrelated to your SPG membership tier] and then somewhat condescendingly told me that I am not entitled to complimentary coffee because I was not SPG Platinum. When I tried explaining the situation, she dismissed me by forwarding me to a front desk agent who, after having the situation explained to her, apologized profusely and sent a housekeeping associate up with the vouchers.
Housekeeping also missed a mark when I came back to an unmade room following my second night despite leaving the room at a reasonably early hour without leaving any “Do Not Disturb” signs lying about. The hotel’s “Make A Green Choice” initiative, which gives you a selection of freebies for denying sheet-/towel-changing services, rewarded me on one night after hanging the sign outside my door but did not on another night, signifying that this service was not as consistent as it should have been. Looks like some screws need to be tightened here and there.
OVERALL: In summation, this was a very good stay in a great city. Le Méridien Budapest is truly a solid product that can be made even better with a little service polish and a redo of the rooms - something which is coming because, sadly, the hotel will be leaving the brand after fifteen years in order to undergo a comprehensive renovation at the start of 2016 that will culminate in the second quarter of the year with a name change: The Ritz-Carlton Budapest.
Le Méridien: you will be missed.
Jul 13, 2015, 10:30 am
#125
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Park
Posts: 362
"Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual."
I was also looking at a September stay and stumbled upon this when it seemed odd that there was no redemption availability for any date after 31 AUG.
Jul 13, 2015, 11:57 am
#126
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
Sadly, it looks like this property is now leaving Starwood earlier than year's end:
"Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual."
I was also looking at a September stay and stumbled upon this when it seemed odd that there was no redemption availability for any date after 31 AUG.
"Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual."
I was also looking at a September stay and stumbled upon this when it seemed odd that there was no redemption availability for any date after 31 AUG.
Thanks for the heads up. At least I haven't bought my tix out from BUD-VIE-PRG-BUD yet.
Lurkers, can you please confirm? Tried to do a dummy booking and it seems like I can still book at LM BUD with credit card.
Edit: saw it on spg.com. Thanks cohiba
Last edited by supatight80; Jul 13, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Jul 13, 2015, 12:14 pm
#127
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
[email protected]
Jul 13, 2015, 1:12 pm
#128
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sonoma
Programs: Several here and there, but not as many during my road warrior days!
Posts: 715
I can confirm that reservations booked for dates on or after September 1, 2015 for this hotel, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
[email protected]
[email protected]
Jul 13, 2015, 5:19 pm
#129
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
Programs: AC*Super Elite (100K) / PR*Elite / AY*Platinum (OWE) / SPG*Bonvoy Titanium (LTT)
Posts: 2,272
Perhaps the mods can change the title of thread the LM BUD is leaving starwood on Sept 1st? I mean no point booking at spg.com if night and stay credits won't count
Jul 13, 2015, 6:26 pm
#130
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
Sadly, it looks like this property is now leaving Starwood earlier than year's end:
"Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual."
I was also looking at a September stay and stumbled upon this when it seemed odd that there was no redemption availability for any date after 31 AUG.
"Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual."
I was also looking at a September stay and stumbled upon this when it seemed odd that there was no redemption availability for any date after 31 AUG.
Jul 13, 2015, 10:19 pm
#131
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,819
Leaving Starwood on September 1, 2015
Wiki updated with official wording from hotel website.
Leaving Starwood on September 1, 2015
Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
Leaving Starwood on September 1, 2015
Le Méridien Budapest will be leaving the Starwood system on September 1, 2015. Reservations for dates on or after September 1, 2015, will not be eligible for Starwood Preferred Guest membership benefits, award redemption or accrual.
Jul 23, 2015, 1:39 pm
#132
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,263
I was just about to book a 4-night stay for 4/2016 and saw this...guess there is no point now as the reservation will be cancelled. I was quite excited when I saw 7,000 pts/night...
Jul 24, 2015, 12:14 am
#133
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,950
I'm making one last stay here next month before it goes. Some of the rates have dropped right down to the 100 Euro mark which is an absolute bargain.
On the last visit a couple of weeks ago the front desk staff said their future employment had not yet been finalized, which is pretty sad. "It is a very uncertain future for us," one said.
On the last visit a couple of weeks ago the front desk staff said their future employment had not yet been finalized, which is pretty sad. "It is a very uncertain future for us," one said.
Jul 26, 2015, 9:01 pm
#134
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 113
If it's leaving Sep 1 then why can I still book SPG free nights for November? If I do will my reservation be cancelled?
Jul 27, 2015, 4:46 am
#135
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Pasadena,Ca.,US.
Programs: AA, Delta, United, SPG plat, Hyatt dia
Posts: 7,140
I actually have a points reservation for this property in mid-September. Will it be cancelled?
And a hat tip to Kahbah for pointing out the reflagging in his review upthread "In summation, this was a very good stay in a great city. Le Méridien Budapest is truly a solid product that can be made even better with a little service polish and a redo of the rooms - something which is coming because, sadly, the hotel will be leaving the brand after fifteen years in order to undergo a comprehensive renovation at the start of 2016 that will culminate in the second quarter of the year with a name change: The Ritz-Carlton Budapest."
And a hat tip to Kahbah for pointing out the reflagging in his review upthread "In summation, this was a very good stay in a great city. Le Méridien Budapest is truly a solid product that can be made even better with a little service polish and a redo of the rooms - something which is coming because, sadly, the hotel will be leaving the brand after fifteen years in order to undergo a comprehensive renovation at the start of 2016 that will culminate in the second quarter of the year with a name change: The Ritz-Carlton Budapest."
Last edited by bigguyinpasadena; Jul 27, 2015 at 4:54 am