jechho's stats
- Review count116
- Helpfulness votes223
- First reviewOctober 25, 2011
- Last reviewOctober 10, 2015
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.9
- Review comment count1
- Helpfulness votes1
- First review commentJanuary 31, 2015
- Last review commentJanuary 31, 2015
- Featured review comments0
Our legendary Austrian chateau offers endless outdoor activities and a renowned spa, along with unparalleled amenities and service.
Overall rating
5
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
5
out of
5
Cleanliness
5
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
5
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:April 2012
Spectacular hotel & location!
PostedApril 5, 2012
Wonderful choice if you want a relaxing time in gourgeous surroundings. Got upgraded to a jr suite as a platinum (had to push a little bit), and the room had a stunning lake view.
Excellent breakfast and super nice staff.
As platinum amenity they offer Schloss cake as local gift. Very nice and well worth it.
Great spa with superb pool area.
Any cons at all?
Well, if you want action, activities and a lot of buzz, this is not the place for you. You go here for the nature and the total relaxation. The visitors are mainly 40+ and. "well dressed". Did not see a lot of kids.
The room was indeed very nice, but had a strange smell. Did ask front desk if they allow pets in the room, and got a yes plus "we cannot stop people from smoking in the room from time to time." A bit strange. We were offered an alternative room, but declined as it had no view at all. And a tile in the shower was defect. Reported it, but it was not fixed during our one night stay.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:April 2012
0points
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The former palace of Prince Württemberg is Vienna’s grandest hotel, offering world-class service, décor—and the famous Imperial Torte.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
5
out of
5
Cleanliness
5
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
3
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:March 2012
Solid choice
PostedApril 2, 2012
No doubt this hotel is one of Europes' finest. I could go on and on about the rich history of the hotel and its excellent amenities. However, as I expected the best of the best, I cannot hide that I felt just a tad let down. The minuses, as I personally experienced them, were:
- asked for a quiet room in the reservation. Was assigned a jr suite on the 3rd floor facing the busy road. The windows were rather old and badly soundproofed, so we decided to switch room the next day. Was offered a smaller jr suite or a deluxe room. Took the deluxe room, as this was on a newly renovated floor- the 4th. Why not offer me as a platinum member a quiet AND newer room in the first place?
- the mini bar in the first room was broken.
- the scale in the second room was broken.
- one of the blinds outside the window in the second room was broken, ergo a bit too much light in the room in the morning.
- no newspaper during the whole stay, all though I saw others getting this.
- no coffee maker or tea in the room. Many high class hotels have this, e.g. the lovely Des Indes in The Hague in the Netherlands (also Luxury Collection).
- the mini bar in the first room was broken.
- the scale in the second room was broken.
- one of the blinds outside the window in the second room was broken, ergo a bit too much light in the room in the morning.
- no newspaper during the whole stay, all though I saw others getting this.
- no coffee maker or tea in the room. Many high class hotels have this, e.g. the lovely Des Indes in The Hague in the Netherlands (also Luxury Collection).
Please, make no mistake- this is a wonderful hotel. But when you have high hopes ( and high rates!), 90 % satisfaction is not enough!
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:March 2012
+3points
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The Mediterranean scene has never been hotter—ride the waves of whimsical wonder at W Barcelona, a stylish icon that raises the bar.
Overall rating
5
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
5
out of
5
Cleanliness
4
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
5
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:March 2012
Great stay
PostedMarch 11, 2012
Mostly due to an excellent starwood platinum recognition, which included interaction with the lovely Claudia before and during the stay, plus an upgrade to a Cool Corner Suite, my partner and I had a faboulous stay at the W Barcelona. It is during stays like this I understand why I work so hard to maintain the platinum status every year.
I only wish that the W hotel people would start thinking about privacy issues when they design the bathroom. I do not want to share or hear what's going on in the bathroom when I am travelling with someone!
And please add a coffee maker to the room. Having to require this (plus call every time you need coffee refills or filters) is just silly. So is the 50 euro deposit that is needed to get the hotel to lend you that rather old and big coffee machine.
Month of Arrival:March 2012
+7points
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An opulent palace bordered by the lush Lange Voorhout, Hotel Des Indes continues its 130 year tradition of treating guests like royalty.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
4
out of
5
Cleanliness
4
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:November 2011
Almost perfect
PostedNovember 27, 2011
There are a lot of positive things to say about this hotel:
- Great location
- Nice platinum upgrade to a junior suite (without asking)
- Lovely hotel with a faboulous history and attractive bar/restaurant area.
- Luxerious room, with high ceilings. wonderful bathroom and all the desired amenities.
- Nice platinum upgrade to a junior suite (without asking)
- Lovely hotel with a faboulous history and attractive bar/restaurant area.
- Luxerious room, with high ceilings. wonderful bathroom and all the desired amenities.
But, as much as I want to give this charming hotel a five star rating, there were some issues that cannot be overlooked:
- Horrible wifi in the room. Called front desk twice about this, but they were not able to fix it. Needless to say it was impossible to get some work done during the stay.
- When we asked the concierge if she had a map of Rotterdam, the only response was "Sorry, no." A real good concierge would offer to print out a map from google map etc.
- Service in the bar was almost non-existent. Two days in a row (Fri/Sat) we were sitting with an empty glass for almost 45 min before we (reluctantly) called it a day and asked (or more like waived desperatly with our hands) for the bill.
- When we asked the concierge if she had a map of Rotterdam, the only response was "Sorry, no." A real good concierge would offer to print out a map from google map etc.
- Service in the bar was almost non-existent. Two days in a row (Fri/Sat) we were sitting with an empty glass for almost 45 min before we (reluctantly) called it a day and asked (or more like waived desperatly with our hands) for the bill.
All in all a great - and ALMOST - perfect stay. Would return in a heartbeat.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Above/Met ExpectationsLocation
Below ExpectationsService
Month of Arrival:November 2011
+6points
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The landmark 1911 beaux arts Guardian Life building, re-invented by David Rockwell, is ringed by the essentials – shopping, music, art.
Overall rating
3
out of
5
Room Comfort
3
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
2
out of
5
Cleanliness
3
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
3
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:August 2011
Nice location, so-so hotel
PostedNovember 20, 2011
Pluses:
- fantastic location, especially if you do not want or need to be close to the most touristy areas (Time Square etc) in Manhattan.
- comfy rooms.
- great follow up from managment after providing some feedback for the stay regarding their virtuoso amenities.
- fantastic location, especially if you do not want or need to be close to the most touristy areas (Time Square etc) in Manhattan.
- comfy rooms.
- great follow up from managment after providing some feedback for the stay regarding their virtuoso amenities.
Minuses:
- variable service: No turn down service on day two, neither any newspaper. Found some garbage under the sink at the bathroom floor right after check in.
- only the window in the bedroom area seemed to soundproof (we had a suite). Be aware that noise is an issue if the room faces Union Square.
- air con pretty noisy (looked old)
- some attitude from staff. At check in, we asked if the room was in a quiet location. Answer: "Its New York, nothing is quiet here." Had to clearify that we of course knew that and that the question was if there was anything available on a higher floor (we got 11 out of 22) or if any of the sides were more quiet than the others.
- errors in the bill, but those were correct upon check out.
- I had to work hard to get the SPG platinum upgrade I am entitled to. Why does one have to ASK for this EVERY time at many SPG hotels? If the properties would just follow the SPG rules and upgrade proactively, platinum members could stop worrying about the begging/fighting/explaining the rules to front desk every time at check in.
- variable service: No turn down service on day two, neither any newspaper. Found some garbage under the sink at the bathroom floor right after check in.
- only the window in the bedroom area seemed to soundproof (we had a suite). Be aware that noise is an issue if the room faces Union Square.
- air con pretty noisy (looked old)
- some attitude from staff. At check in, we asked if the room was in a quiet location. Answer: "Its New York, nothing is quiet here." Had to clearify that we of course knew that and that the question was if there was anything available on a higher floor (we got 11 out of 22) or if any of the sides were more quiet than the others.
- errors in the bill, but those were correct upon check out.
- I had to work hard to get the SPG platinum upgrade I am entitled to. Why does one have to ASK for this EVERY time at many SPG hotels? If the properties would just follow the SPG rules and upgrade proactively, platinum members could stop worrying about the begging/fighting/explaining the rules to front desk every time at check in.
Neutral:
- bar/restaurant is very popular and lively. Great choice for a pre- or post-dinner drink. However, the sound level does probably mean that the lower hotel floors should be avoided.
- bar/restaurant is very popular and lively. Great choice for a pre- or post-dinner drink. However, the sound level does probably mean that the lower hotel floors should be avoided.
All in all, pretty expensive (normally 500 dollars ++) for what you get. But would probably return due to the unbeatable location if I could snag a decent rate.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Above/Met ExpectationsLocation
Below ExpectationsService
Month of Arrival:August 2011
+5points
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This world-class hotel with 371 up-to-date guest rooms is next to the financial district and chic shopping zones, Zeil and Goethestrasse.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
5
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
4
out of
5
Cleanliness
5
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
5
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Member Level:Preferred
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:December 2009
Good Hotel
PostedNovember 15, 2011
Stayed here a weekend in Desember 2009, when I visited the Christmas marked in Frankfurt.
As other German Westin hotel, it felt quite luxurious. Moden and quiet. A 5 min walk from main shopping areas.
I did not have any status at this time, We payed for an upgrade an got a nice spacious room.
The Asian restaurant was nice, and the sunday jazz brunch very good
Would stay here again anytime
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:December 2009
-1point
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Situated near the city centre and Oktoberfest, our hotel’s attentive service and modern comforts attract both business and leisure guests.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
4
out of
5
Cleanliness
4
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:October 2011
Good and safe choice in Munich
PostedNovember 14, 2011
A nice and reliable choice if you are in Munich. Not centrally located, but very close to the subway.
Nice Starwood preferred guest recognition. The suite we had was pretty standard, but the lack of a sofa/sitting area was a let down.
The room had a modern feel and it was very quiet. The king bed had two smaller blankets (instead of one king sized one), but I have seen this at other hotels in Germany as well. We asked for an extra pair. The king bed was also smaller than your average SPG king bed - a bit strange, as I thought the SPG/Sheraton beds were universal.
The club lounge is very good at this hotel, with a lot of food/beverage selection.And plenty of refills throughout the day. You can easily sit here for hours and enjoy the great view. Worth the extra charge.
Local area is nice, with a lot of great restaurants/bistros. Would return in a heartbeat.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:October 2011
+1point
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Stroll golden beaches, explore the renowned venues of Broadway at the Beach, or just reenergize after a sun-filled day at our modern hotel.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
4
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
3
out of
5
Cleanliness
4
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
3
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:August 2011
Nice hotel if you do not need or want beach location
PostedNovember 14, 2011
Modern hotel with nice rooms, but probably not somewhere you take you kids for a beach vacation. The hike to the beach was pretty long (especially when its hot!) and there are a lot of hotels smack on the beach in this area. If you are looking for a reasonable deal and comfortable rooms, however, this may be a good choice.
Good Starwood prefered guest recognition, but as always (and irritating) you have to ASK for an upgrade you should be given automatically.
One large minus was the "so called" club lounge. I say "so called" because the lounge was a major let down. At night they only put out some dip - but no chips. Were we supposed to dip our fingers into the bowl? A tad better at breakfast, but the very cold lounge lady seemed like she wanted us out there as soon as possible.
All in all, 3,5 stars.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:August 2011
+5points
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Fabled Southern hospitality, exceptional cuisine, and upscale amenities: Discover distinctive luxury in a welcoming and enriching setting.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
3
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
3
out of
5
Cleanliness
4
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
3
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:August 2011
Okay hotel
PostedNovember 14, 2011
Stayed here one night. It was an okay stay, but I must admit I expected more as this hotel is a part of Starwood Luxury Collection.
Cons
- location: The pictures of the hotel are a bit deceiving. The hotel is not secluded or in a nature enviroment, its smack in the middle of a rather congested area. If you do not pay for golf view, you will look directly into a parking lot and a freeway.
- a gap between door and the floor meant a lot of light and noise in the room. Lack of soft lock mechanism (dampener) at the door meant noises when people in the hallway were coming and going.
- the rooms seemed pretty old. Furniture had seen it better days.
- the suite we had was just two adjoining, similar rooms, with one large bed in each.
- our virtuoso rate included breakfast, but it turned out that this only meant cereal boxes and a quick coffee at the bar. No entry to the breakfast restaurant.
- service at pool area was bad, after waiting 20 min or so, we had go over to the bar and ask for a drink.
- location: The pictures of the hotel are a bit deceiving. The hotel is not secluded or in a nature enviroment, its smack in the middle of a rather congested area. If you do not pay for golf view, you will look directly into a parking lot and a freeway.
- a gap between door and the floor meant a lot of light and noise in the room. Lack of soft lock mechanism (dampener) at the door meant noises when people in the hallway were coming and going.
- the rooms seemed pretty old. Furniture had seen it better days.
- the suite we had was just two adjoining, similar rooms, with one large bed in each.
- our virtuoso rate included breakfast, but it turned out that this only meant cereal boxes and a quick coffee at the bar. No entry to the breakfast restaurant.
- service at pool area was bad, after waiting 20 min or so, we had go over to the bar and ask for a drink.
Pros
- nice pool area
- golf view was lovely, and this must be an excellent choice for golfers in the area (we were not).
- great welcome (hot towels and a drink).
- free parking (I think).
- good SPG platinum treatment (all though we had to ask for the upgrade - as usual, very irritating).
- satisfying follow-up when we directed the breakfast/virtuoso issue: They promised to change this and threw us some reward points as well.
- nice pool area
- golf view was lovely, and this must be an excellent choice for golfers in the area (we were not).
- great welcome (hot towels and a drink).
- free parking (I think).
- good SPG platinum treatment (all though we had to ask for the upgrade - as usual, very irritating).
- satisfying follow-up when we directed the breakfast/virtuoso issue: They promised to change this and threw us some reward points as well.
All in all, 3,5 stars. Would probably stay again if I get a good deal.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Below ExpectationsLocation
Month of Arrival:August 2011
+1point
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Located in the heart of Kowloon’s business and entertainment district along Victoria Harbour, the hotel is steps away from subway stations.
Overall rating
4
out of
5
Room Comfort
3
out of
5
Staff Responsiveness
3
out of
5
Cleanliness
3
out of
5
Facilities Met My Expectations
4
out of
5
SPG Recognition
4
out of
5
jechho Age:35 - 44
Frequency of Travel:High
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:July 2011
Good hotel, safe choice, but go for the towers!
PostedNovember 13, 2011
Stayed in the towers and had a good time overall.
The suite we stayed in had "courtyard/city view", but we could in fact not see anything else but the opposite hotel building. (This seem to be the standard platinum upgrade - we were not offered anything else.)
Large suite, but a bit worn. Nothing fancy.
Breakfast spread/buffet was excellent, the view from the tables unbeatable.
The tower lounge could be better. The food/beverage selection in the tower lounge was limited and not of the highest quality. Plus it was kind of cramped there, with few chairs.
Would probably stay again if the price is right, but I honestly prefer Central over TST areawise.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:July 2011
+7points
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jechho's Review Comments
Located on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River near Sanibel Island, our waterfront resort offers convenient access to Tarpon Point Marina.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Just average this time
By jechho
from Norway
Stayed here over New Years. This was our forth visit to the hotel. All in all an average experience.
Usually the rooms here are quiet, but this time the family above us was so noisy I almost had to ask for a room change (but we had a nice suite + they seemed fully booked). Most of the noise comes from chairs and other furniture being moved around on the tiled floor in the rooms and/or on the balcony. They should really consider carpets here. After listening to chair scratching for a while, it just gets maddening.
We had the spg platinum breakfast, and like on our last visit, the waiter decided to automatically add a 20% service charge on the bill + plus leave a tip space open. It made us really uncomfortable. Please let your guests decide what amount they want to tip. This policy will not work in your favor in the long run, it will only create irritation. (Besides, this hotel already has enough of those annoying add-ons. You want pancakes for breakfast? Great. You want blueberries in your pancakes? That’s an extra dollar. And don’t get me started on the resort fee.)
The hotel is pet-friendly, and there are a lot of dogs there. I like dogs, but not on holiday. I have learned my lesson, and asked for a room that did not have dogs as neighbors (barking) or had recently been in it (smell). However, if you want to have your breakfast outside in the restaurant, you just have to tolerate the dogs. In my opinion, they should have one of the sides out sides dog-free.
The hotel is still a fine one, with mostly greatly service (love Anna Marie at front desk) and a reasonably good hard product. But the location is isolated, and without a beach nearby, I need it to be perfect to make it worth a visit. This time it was not, and we will probably not be back for a while.
jechho
Norway
Regarding the GMs reply
Posted January 31, 2015
Dear Mr. Ashton,
Thank you for taking the time to comment upon my review. It would however be nice if you would comment on the issues raised in the review (noise from furniture above due to no carpet, and the auto-tipping in restaurant) and not on something that I did not bring up at all (the resort fee).
Best regards, jechho
+1point
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