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Europe: Top Starwood properties, 2006-9: discussion and summary

Europe: Top Starwood properties, 2006-9: discussion and summary

 
Old Aug 24, 2006, 12:22 pm
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Europe: Top Starwood properties, 2006-9: discussion and summary

What are your top Starwood properties in Europe? These might be ones where you would choose to visit a city for a weekend trip in order to stay at this hotel - or a hotel that will make you happy about visiting a city on a business trip - or one that you'd drive an hour out of the way to visit. They could be intriguing because of their architecture, perhaps an old palace or monastery, or perhaps refreshingly contemporary. They might have a great city location, or a beautiful view of scenery. They should have excellent service and comfortable rooms.

I've accumulated a list from those who post here. I have little personal experience, but will post it to get the conversation started.
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 12:25 pm
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Special Starwoods in Europe

Austria
Salzburg - Goldener Hirsch
Near Salzburg - Schloss Fuschl
Vienna - Westin Bristol, old world luxury
Vienna - Imperial Hotel, old world luxury, grander than Bristol

Bulgaria
Sofia - Sheraton

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

France
Paris - Prince de Galles - 2009/10 reports of indifferent service, but location is great - across from Tuilerie Gardens and near Louvre
GONE TO HILTON: Westin Trianon Palace, Paris - newly renovated, has Gordon Ramsay restaurant

Germany
Cologne - Dom - on cathedral square with view of Dom; good upgrades for platinums,
Dresden - Westin Bellevue - fantastic view, great location on river facing old city
Hamburg - Le Meridien
Leipzig - Frstenhof
Weimar - Elephant

Greece
Athens - Hotel Grande Bretagne, wonderful city hotel on Syntagma Square
Crete - Blue Palace, an hour drive from Heraklion airport. Beautiful resort set into the hills overlooking the sea and other islands
Santorini - Vendema, very pricey for points redemption

Ireland
Dublin - Westin, superb location

Italy
Florence - Westin Excelsior, great platinum upgrades facing square and river
Florence - Grand Hotel, immediately across square from Excelsior
Rome - St. Regis Grand, need some gray hair to be taken seriously?
Rome - Westin
Venice - Westin Europe and Regina, for the view if you get a room with a terrace/balcony fronting the Grand Canal (better view than Danieli)
Venice - Danieli, grand old palace hotel
Cala Di Volpe, Costa Smerelda, Sardinia, very expensive food plan

Netherlands
Amsterdam - Pullitzer, a bit over-rated but definitely special in terms of atmosphere, 2010 - improved plat benefits
Hague - des Indes

Poland
Warsaw - Westin - solid (not stellar) property
Warsaw - Le Meridien Bristol, well located for old town

Portugal
Sheraton Albufeira Resort
Evora - Convento do Espinheiro
Lisbon - Le Meridien Atlantic Park, stylish, affordable, simply a great place overlooking this beautiful city
Porto - Sheraton

Spain
Elciego (2 hours from Bilbao) - Marquis de Riscal, only Frank Gehry designed hotel in the world - I love it
Madrid - Westin Palace
Outside of Madrid - Santa Maria de El Paular (Sheraton), an old monastery and very nice.
Mardavall
San Sebastian - Westin Maria Christina
Seville - Westin Alfonso XIII
Valencia - Westin, Bliss. Go there

Switzerland
Davos - Waldhuus
Geneva - Hotel President Wilson

UK - England
London - Sheraton Park Towers, one of the most beautifully designed hotel rooms in the Starwood chain

UK - Scotland
Turnberry - Westin Resort, views from the dolls house on the hill to the Isle of Arran and the Ailsa Craig are breathtaking. The fine dining restaurant is wonderful with traditions such as a bread trolley, cheese trolley, chateaubriand, and crumbing down.

Last edited by SanDiego1K; Jul 12, 2010 at 2:14 pm Reason: Added Schloss Fuschl as it has returned to Starwood in 2010
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 1:52 pm
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I would add Blue Palace in Greece as a resort hotel. I was recently there. Beautiful resort set into the hills overlooking the sea and other islands. It's about an hour drive from Heraklion airport, but well worth the trip. Great restaurants and service.
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 1:55 pm
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Westin E&R ,Venice for the view if you get a room with a terrace/balcony fronting the Grand Canal.

Sheraton Park Towers, London for having one of the most beautifully designed hotel rooms in the Starwood chain.
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 2:01 pm
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I have to say the Westin Turnberry Resort, but this is not because I work there! The views from the dolls house on the hill are breathtaking. It's so picturesque and the views to the Isle of Arran and the Ailsa Craig are so beautiful.

The fine dining restaurant is wonderful with traditions such as a bread trolley, cheese trolley, chateaubriand, crumbing down and other things that are not common place in many restaurants now.

However, I am glad to be leaving there in September so I can forget the horror of wearing a kilt, but these small things make it such a traditional hotel.
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 2:02 pm
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IME the ones that come to mind straight away are,

Westin Bristol, Vienna
Westin Europa and Regina, Venice
Sheraton Park Tower, London
Goldener Hirsch, Salzburg
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 3:05 pm
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Can only comment on the ones I stayed at:

Spain:
really ANY *Wood till now has been great - saw that Sheraton Bilbao is not on the list yet : truly amazing (very modern) hotel, great food, ... (Palace in Madrid & AlfonsoXIII in Seville : fully agree to have those on the list !)

Germany:
Have received great service at all times, from 4P to LC properties (& getting close to experiencing all German properties for that matter).
Special notes for Elephant in Weimar and LM in Mnchen : worth a detour !!! (LM Cologne booked ... sounds as if that one could match those two)

France:
Prince de Galles is great, albeit a bit expensive. 4P Nice is probably one of the lesser hotels I've had with *Wood Europe

Netherlands:
Westin Rotterdam - great service, love the modern style. Pulitzer a bit over-rated but definitely special in terms of atmosphere (haven't had stays at LM properties yet)

Finland:
Kmp ... LC hotel in the true sense of luxury ... a bit out of the way for a detour though :-)

Italy:
Venetian properties all great, same for Florence. In Rome would prefer the Westin (didn't have enough grey hair for being taken seriously at the St Regis I think )).
Milan has been a while but wasn't overly impressed at the time.
LM at Fiuggi : great hotel as well (was there before the merger)

Austria:
Vienna - haven't been to LM yet, would prefer Imperial over Bristol any time (both are "old world luxury", but somehow far better match with 21st century at the Imperial)

UK:
probably not entirely in line with the sense of this post, but Sheraton Belgravia is still my best price/quality choice for London

Ireland - no comment needed, Westin Dublin is indeed a great hotel

Belgium: Sheraton Brussels is a high-class hotel ... wouldn't make a detour for it though

Greece: impeccable stays at Grande Bretagne

Portugal: only stay was at Sheraton Lisbon ... let's put it this way: I understand the hotel is being renovated now ... good decision to do so

Sweden: nothing special for a "detour", but Sheraton Stockholm is a very good hotel service-wise
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 3:09 pm
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Cala Di Volpe - Costa Smerelda Sardinia Italy
Hotel President Wilson - Geneva Switzerland
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Old Aug 24, 2006, 10:30 pm
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My favourite: Mardavall, Spain
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Old Aug 25, 2006, 3:14 am
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Most european hotels gave me a good upgrade as platinum and their service was much much better than ones in USA.

Best view would be E & R at Venice.
I love the view form there, much better than Danieli.

Best Room would be Grand at Florence.
I got 2nd floor corner spacious 1 room suite facing square and river.

Imperial(Vienna), Prince de Galle(Paris), Alfonso(sevilla) were all excellent upgrade and service.
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Old Aug 25, 2006, 5:37 am
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Originally Posted by Tak
Most european hotels gave me a good upgrade as platinum and their service was much much better than ones in USA.

Best view would be E & R at Venice.
I love the view form there, much better than Danieli.

Best Room would be Grand at Florence.
I got 2nd floor corner spacious 1 room suite facing square and river.

Imperial(Vienna), Prince de Galle(Paris), Alfonso(sevilla) were all excellent upgrade and service.
Tak, I'm almost 100% with you on the above. In my 3 stays at the E & R, on cheap corp rates--they've always upgraded me to fantastic full canal view rooms or suites. Earlier this month at the Grand in Florence, I too was given a large corner room, but on the top floor -- with 3 terraces (one even in the bathroom )http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=423...=SYE/otsi=SALB . In Vienna I prefer the Bristol, where I was given one of the beautifully decorated corner tower suites, and while I've not been to Seville yet, I'd sure like to try it out!
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Old Aug 25, 2006, 8:27 am
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Originally Posted by KittyCat
Germany:
Have received great service at all times, from 4P to LC properties (& getting close to experiencing all German properties for that matter).
Special notes for Elephant in Weimar and LM in Mnchen : worth a detour !!! (LM Cologne booked ... sounds as if that one could match those two)

France:
Prince de Galles is great, albeit a bit expensive. 4P Nice is probably one of the lesser hotels I've had with *Wood Europe
I may have been unlucky, but I would rate the 4P Nice above the 4P Munich Central and the 4P Munich Olympiapark, which would be at the low end of the Starwood properties in Europe for me.

Here is the ranking of my (biased) memories
1. top tier (I need to come back - I would need a good incentive to go to another chain or hotel)
Grande Bretagne, Athens
Westin Palace, Madrid
Kamp, Helsinki

2. also good (I enjoy coming back there, but there are other good hotels or chains in each location I could go to)
Sheraton CDG
Bristol, Vienna
Arion hotel, Athens
Le Meridien Hamburg
Le Meridien Lisbon (no longer Starwood)
Westin Excelsior, Rome (except for the outrageous price of breakfast)
Westin Trianon Palace, Versailles
Westin Warsaw

3. slightly above average (not bad, but there other hotels or chains, I would rather go to in each location)
Arabella Sheraton Pelikan, Hannover
Sheraton Brussels (sorry )
Sheraton Frankfurt
Le Meridien Montparnasse, Paris
Le Meridien Nice
Le Meridien Vienna
Le Royal Meridien, Warsaw

4. Slightly below average (no reason not to go there, if I have meetings close by, otherwise no)
Sheraton Aerogolf, Luxembourg (no longer Starwood)
Sheraton Warsaw
Sheraton Lisbon
4P Brussels
4P Nice
Sheraton Heathrow
Sheraton Skyline, Heathrow
Sheraton Park Lane

5. never again
4P Munich Central
4P Munich Olympiapark

I need to have a closer look at LM properties in general and LC properties in Italy, Austria and Spain in the coming years .

Last edited by JOUY31; Jun 7, 2008 at 2:01 am
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Old Aug 25, 2006, 8:48 am
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Originally Posted by mario33
Sheraton Park Towers, London for having one of the most beautifully designed hotel rooms in the Starwood chain.
I'll second that. My favorite Starwood room by far.

Other's I like in Europe:

Sheraton Porto
St Regis Rome
Hotel Villa Cipriani, Asolo
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Old Aug 25, 2006, 6:26 pm
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I would not call it a "top property" by any means, but LM Cologne (Dom Hotel) has corner "suites" that have a reasonable living area, and are fairly comfortable. Fantastic views of the Dom (Cathedral), and 3 small balconies. Also have sofabeds and connect to another room as well.

I was prebooked into one as a Gold when paying 180 euros/night.

x01-x04 = Dom side, x04 = Corner Suite (floors 2-4)
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Old Aug 27, 2006, 12:32 pm
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My experience is more limited than most here, but I definitely agree with the Prince de Galles in Paris and the Sheraton Belgravia in London. Be aware that the Belgravia does not have an on-site health club and the lobby is rather modest, if these matter to you, but otherwise a very nice hotel.
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