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jechho
 
 
 
jechho's stats
 
  • Review count
    116
  • Helpfulness votes
    223
  • First review
    October 25, 2011
  • Last review
    October 10, 2015
  • Featured reviews
    0
  • Average rating
    3.9
 
  • Review comment count
    1
  • Helpfulness votes
    1
  • First review comment
    January 31, 2015
  • Last review comment
    January 31, 2015
  • Featured review comments
    0
 
 
jechho's Reviews
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This idyllic retreat on the Arno River delivers stunning views, richly decorated rooms, exceptional service, and seven centuries of history.
 
Overall rating 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Room Comfort 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cleanliness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Customer avatar
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 2011
A grand property!
PostedNovember 13, 2011
Not much negative to say about this lovely hotel in Florence. Excellent staff, great location and fantastic rooms.
I would however advice light sleepers to bring earplugs. We had a room facing the river, and even though the view was wonderful AND the man at check in assured us that the street between the hotel and the river was quiet (we had asked for a quiet room), traffic and someone playing drums (!) in the streets kept us awake during the night.
In addition, the gym looked a bit tired and could need a brush-up. But all in all, a fab hotel and a role model for other Westins (and Starwood properties).
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Below ExpectationsFitness Center
Month of Arrival:April 2011
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
A Lisbon icon, this hotel is close to downtown and features a top floor gourmet restaurant and bar with stunning views of the city.
 
Overall rating 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Room Comfort 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cleanliness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Customer avatar
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 hotel!
PostedNovember 13, 2011
Stayed here three nights. We have stayed at other Sheratons, but this is one of the best. In fact, ordinary Sheratons (esp. in the US) don't even come close.
Pros:
- fantastic club floor lounge. Snacks/drinks all day, and a very tasty breakfast. Very quiet, with great views for many tables. If you don't mind a slightly limited selection of food and drinks, this is where you want to have your breakfast.
- stylish and modern rooms with great views. Free nespresso coffee was a great treat.
- great location - close enough to the action, but away from the touristy areas.
- helpful concierge. Got us two restaurant reservations on requested time.
- big fitness center.
- the pool area looked nice, though it was too cold to use it.
- rather affordable, we got a very good rate (the Ritz was in comparison much more expensive):
Cons:
- from time to time you could hear your neighbours conversation and other noises. Not sure if it was through the walls or ventilation system.
- loved that we were upgraded to a jr suite at check in without asking. However, having booked a twin bed room, one would expect that the suite also had two beds. Instead we got a king bed room. They corrected the mistake by giving us another suite, but we instantly saw that this was a smoking room (we had booked a non-smoking room). Despite the smell, two ashtrays AND a smoker-sign in the closet, the front desk girl (that was with us in the room!) insisted that this was a non-smoking room. What? However, as the alternative was losing the suite upgrade, we kept the room (none of us are allergic).
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:March 2012
+2points
3of 4voted this as helpful.
 
 The Westin Diplomat Resort &amp; Spa, Hollywood, Florida
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, Hollywood, Florida
The hotel will be leaving Starwood on October 29, 2014. Reservations after this date will not be eligible for SPG membership benefits.
 
Overall rating 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Room Comfort 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cleanliness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Customer avatar
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
Great hotel, excellent SPG treatment!
PostedNovember 10, 2011
Loved this hotel, even though the surrounding area was only so-so (head to Ft Lauderdale or Miami if you have the chance) and the beach was pretty medioce.
We received an excellent upgrade due to being an SPG platinum member. Superb communication via email before arrival.This hotel really stands out when it comes to going the extra mile for their most loyal customers.
Room was very modern and spacious. One of the best Westins I have seen, in fact.
The lounge was lovely, one of the nicest I have been to in the SPG universe.
Room for improvement:
1. The food selection in lounge was limited. In the afternoon some people were really stocking up, and with not a lot of refill, they would be empty long before the annouced serving time. Very annoying.
2. The lounge guy was cold and seemed like he hated his work. Smile, buddy.
3. Did have some noise issues related to people (and housekeeping) coming and going and slamming their doors. A really great hotel would install dampeners on the doors.
Below ExpectationsLocation
Month of Arrival:August 2011
+7points
7of 7voted this as helpful.
 
A luxe 151-room “in-town” resort hotel and Remède Spa in Atlanta’s beautifully groomed Buckhead neighborhood.
 
Overall rating 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Room Comfort 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cleanliness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Customer avatar
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
Still a great hotel, but...
PostedNovember 8, 2011
Second visit at this hotel. Still a wonderful and luxurious hotel. Great food in the restaurant! (Very surprised to see that the restaurant was almost empty.)
However, there are still room for improvements:
1. There was no "welcome back" at check in. And in the welcome letter that was waiting in my room, I was - as last time - titled as "Mrs". I laughed of it last year, but was more annoyed this year. How manly must I be before I become a "Mr" at this hotel?
2. Service at the pool was not good. Had to wait forever before we were asked if we wanted anything, and the ice water we ordered never came. Had to walk up to the bar area and ask if they had forgotten us. They seemed VERY occupied with some glamourous VIPs in the pool, who were buying a lot of drinks.
3. Traffic noise from Paces Road was quite noticable. Ask for a room not facing the road.
4. It was very difficult to block the light out of the room at night. Drapes were short, and there were all sorts of devices that lit up the room.
5. Doors slamming loudly when open/shut a problem. As usually - hard to understand why hotels of this class do not install door mechanism to prevent this.
5. SPG platinum amenity was never mentioned at check in. I didnt bring it up because I usually take the points.
6. I Had to work hard to get a decent SPG platinum upgrade. Why does one have to ASK FOR a suite upgrade EVERY time? If the property would just follow the SPG rules and upgrade proactively, platinum members could stop worrying about the verbal fight/game every time they check in.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Above/Met ExpectationsFood and Beverage
Below ExpectationsService
Month of Arrival:August 2011
+13points
13of 13voted this as helpful.
 
Just minutes from the city center with 20 meeting venues, we offer great renewal in the 1,500-square-meter Arabella Spa and WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio.
 
Overall rating 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Room Comfort 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cleanliness 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Customer avatar
Age:35 - 44
Purpose of Travel:Romantic
Travel Agent:No
Meeting Planner:No
Member Level:Platinum
from:Norway
Month of Arrival:October 2011
Probably the best SPG hotel in Munich
PostedOctober 26, 2011
During a weekend in October my partner and I stayed at both the Westin Grand, Le Meridien and Sheraton Westpark. The Westin Grand was in our opinion the best property in almost all aspects,
The location is a little out of the way, but the U-bahn is close and takes you downtown in minutes. Even when we stayed at the Le Meridien (next to the Hauptbahnhof) we felt that we had to take the U-Bahn to see most of the city, so staying at the Arabellapark did really not make any difference for us.
The suite we were upgraded to was lovely, with a fantastic bathroom. It felt very luxeriuous with Bvlgari products. And the room was quiet, something that is important to us. Nice welcome letter and chocolate in room, too.
Club lounge was wonderful, with a nice breakfast spread and great view of the city.
Any cons? Well, location is not great if you are travelling to/from the airport. Took almost 1 hour and included change of trains//U-Bahn. And food at the Paulaner was quite expensive for the quality (slightly below expectations).
Would return in a hearbeat.
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Month of Arrival:October 2011
+5points
5of 5voted this as helpful.
 
Located in the city centre, this inspiring, understatedly vibrant hotel is steps from Munich’s major sights and elegant shopping streets.
 
Overall rating 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Room Comfort 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Staff Responsiveness 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Cleanliness 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Facilities Met My Expectations 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
SPG Recognition 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Customer avatar
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
Central location, very busy hotel
PostedOctober 25, 2011
Pros:
- nice SPG Platinum recognition (great upgrade, plus welcome letter and gift in room)
- easy to communicate (email) requests before arrival, both responsive and personal
- central and practical location (next to Hauptbahnhof).
- easy check-in, room ready before time.
Cons:
- no wifi in room. Hello, its 2011?
- had to get a code from front desk if you wanted to go online in the lobby.
- strange and loud noises from aircon in our room, even when it was completly turned off. Woke up us several times during the night.
- awful scented flowers in room, had to have them removed plus open all windows to get rid of the smell.
- very chaotic at breakfast. Noone showed us to a table, you just had to find one on you own. Had to ask for coffee.
- area is not the greatest.
- stayed at a best rate guarantee that included breakfast, but front desk disputed that the rate actually included breakfast. Had to provide written proof, plus wait for a supervisor to approve it.
- still waiting for the 2000 starpoints from the best rate guranatee, as they were not posted together with the rest of the starpoints. (BRG department has promised to follow up.)
Yes, I recommend this hotel.
Above/Met ExpectationsService
Below ExpectationsFood and Beverage
Month of Arrival:October 2011
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
 
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 53 out of 5
Just 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.
Customer avatar
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
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.