sheetz

04/06/2000
PR Newswire
(Copyright (c) 2000, PR Newswire)

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In the heart of the world's entertainment capital, towering high above the city, stands a landmark hotel devoted to the pursuit of grace, style and timeless elegance. This Westside landmark will be reintroduced in the fall, as The St. Regis , Los Angeles. The hotel, currently known as The Westin Century Plaza Tower, brings to eight the number of St. Regis hotels.

The announcement was made today by Starwood Hotels & Resorts in conjunction with Pivotal
Century Plaza Hotel, LLC, which acquired The Century Plaza and Tower in February 1999.
Plans currently are under way to renovate the entire property. Upon completion in the fall, the result will be two completely refurbished hotels: The St. Regis , Los Angeles, and The Westin Century Plaza .

There are now eight St. Regis hotels, all named for the 1906 Beaux Arts landmark hotel in New York City, which was built by Col. John Jacob Astor. The legendary flagship is consistently ranked as one of the world's finest. There also are St. Regis hotels in Aspen, Beijing, Houston, Rome and Washington, D.C. A seventh has been announced for Shanghai with completion in 2002. Each is
unique to its surroundings, and each offers guests a high level of customized service.

The 297-room St. Regis , Los Angeles will offer travelers a new, luxurious, world-class destination in West Los Angeles. Under the direction of general manager, Wolf Walther, The St. Regis , Los Angeles will offer a guest experience unique to St. Regis hotels, including soft-spoken luxury, understated elegance, gracious service and a discreet sense of exclusive privacy throughout the stay.

Plans for the design of The St. Regis , Los Angeles have been created by Texeira Interior
Architecture & Design of Los Angeles and include an elegant new entrance and lobby, spacious guest rooms with spectacular views of the ocean or the Hollywood Hills, and an expanded swimming pool area with sun decks and private cabanas. And, in response to guests' desire for a refuge from their fast-paced lifestyles, a full-service spa designed to relax and revitalize will provide a quiet retreat and service beyond pampering. Created by Sylvia Planning And design, the spa will offer nine treatment rooms and an adjoining fitness room that overlooks the pool and features panoramic views of the ocean.

The St. Regis , Los Angeles' 297 sumptuous guest rooms will include not only the most luxurious in decor dominated by soft tones of golds, yellows and browns, but also state-of-the-art technology to offer the ultimate guest room experience. Electronic controls in the bedside telephone console will offer guests the ability to control most equipment in the room, including the television, DVD player, CD player, surround sound, lighting, air conditioning and even the drapes. The system will be programmable for seven foreign languages as well. Guests may also activate an electronic "do not
disturb" sign for phone calls as well as a light outside the door that can be accessed only by hotel personnel with an electronic card to alert to the guest's presence in the room or if housekeeping is requested. All rooms will offer high-speed Internet access, a laptop safe that provides battery charging, a fax/copier/printer and cordless dual-line telephones.

Additional plans include a signature restaurant for The St. Regis , Los Angeles with a separate entrance. A stylish bar, designed in the tradition of the famous King Cole Bar in The St. Regis in New York City, will be tucked into the lobby providing an intimate and opulent haven.

Boardrooms and function space also will be enhanced with the most advanced business technology available, along with the finest in luxurious furnishings and appointments necessary for the highest level meetings.

The adjoining Westin Century Plaza also will be refurbished, with its debut scheduled for later in 2000. The new Westin Century Plaza will feature renovated meeting rooms, a dramatic new entrance and lobby, a new signature restaurant and cafe, newly landscaped gardens and grounds, and a 30,000 square-foot destination day spa.


[This message has been edited by sheetz (edited 04-11-2000).]

flyme2

Starwood has identified the upscale luxury market as having the most long term growth potential within the hotel industry. As a result, they have decided to develop and expand their top tier St. Regis brand. In two years they expect to have 12 properties under this banner, with at least three slated for development in California, namely Los Angeles, Monarch Beach at Dana Point, and San Francisco.
To better foster the image Starwood hopes to create with St. Regis, their marketing department has come up with the catch-phrase: exceptional experiences for extraordinary lives. After spending Labour Day Weekend at the St. Regis in Los Angeles, I must admit it was an exceptional stay, albeit with a few provisos.
The hotel, formerly the Westin Tower at Century Plaza (not to be confused with the Westin Century Plaza next door), was closed in May and has undergone a complete refurbishment from the lobby up to the presidential suite (inaugurated by President Clinton while a guest there during the recent DNC). A number of features and services were not quite up and running and the hotel has pencilled in October 1st as the target date for full completion. At that time, the hotel will feature a first class 90 seat restaurant featuring a California French fusion menu. Both the manager and lead chef have been hired away from other leading Beverly Hills establishments. The hotel will also boast the city's only butler service, a feature they hope will help distinguish themselves from their formidable competition. They hope to lure top level executives and corporate travellers from the other 5* properties in the Los Angeles area in order to achieve at least a 60% occupancy rate during their first year of operation.

Our entourage arrived at the hotel early Friday afternoon, and due to our mutual Platinum status, were all upgraded to executive suites. Odds for such an upgrade are definitely in your favour as there are about 40 suites at this property, and all are corner units with three balconies affording two distinct views.
The suites are immense, measuring upwards of 1400 sq. ft. and are divided into three separate areas, living/dining, main bathroom/foyer and bedroom. There is an additional bathroom off the living area. This was a truly exceptional room.
The following is excerpted from a report I've compiled. Please be aware, it is rather long.


First impression/recognition/greeting: A+
The warmth and sincerity of the greeting and offers of assistance were genuine and left an immediate positive impression. Ray and Godwill were the standouts. Not coincidentally, they also had the most experience.

Check in experience: A
Max, Joanne and Gary were most affable, and went through the check in process quickly and efficiently. A sense of casual formality predominated. Max, the front desk manager was the most experienced of the three, having worked at the New York St. Regis for five years. Both Joanne and Gary were new to the hotel business.

Baggage retrieval/room introduction: A
Gary, from the front desk, escorted us to our 18th floor suite and offered to give us a tour and highlight the various features of some of the room's high tech gadgetry.

Room: A+
The suite, the largest I've been given by any Starwood property, was in pristine condition. Decor was casually elegant with sumptuous furnishings and tasteful accent pieces. Bedding and linens were exemplary, as were towels and toiletries. The large bathroom was clad in marble and boasted a separate tub and shower enclosure. There was also a guest powder room. They both featured first quality fittings. Features I especially appreciated were the safe with an AC outlet to allow lockable laptop battery charging and the bedside telephone which accessed the lighting and climate controls, television sound as well as the usual telephony. Three separate balconies afforded wonderful views of the Hollywood Hills and downtown Los Angeles. Room defects were insignificant and consisted only of a small deep wall gouge in the living room, a burnt out table lamp light bulb and a loose bathroom door handle. The executive suite was outstanding, a fact not surprising befitting the hotel's hoped for 5* rating.

Service: A
All requests for room service were handled in an efficient and timely manner. Friendliness prevailed throughout all service staff interactions.

SPG Platinum recognition: B
A suite upgrade was accorded all the Platinum guests that I encountered during my two day stay at the property. I'm not sure how much this had to do with Mr. XXXX intervention with Mr. XXXX's office on all our behalf. Previously, when contacted directly, the hotel's reservations manager had refused to entertain the option of an upgrade to a suite on an award stay. Platinum amenity deliveries were inconsistent, and intervention from SPG Platinum Concierges was required for some.

Services and facilities: C
There was a great deal of confusion about what services and facilities were available and/or up and running. Butler service was virtually non-existent and, depending upon who you spoke to, was operational (or not). The pool was open as of 12 noon on Friday, September 01, but the cabanas, spa and health club were not. The restaurant was set to be open in another month or so. Three elevators of six were not in service, and the upgraded audio/video systems and cordless phones had not yet arrived from the suppliers.

Checkout: A+
Checkout went smoothly and without a hitch. There were no disputed charges or unexpected fees. Diane, the front desk manager, wished me a safe trip with no flight delays and hoped I would visit again. A very nice farewell touch, and I didn't get the impression that it was well rehearsed.

Overall: A-

Positive:

-young and friendly staff
-great location
-great views
-wonderful rooms and suites
-beautiful public areas

Negative:

-non-operational facilities
-inexperienced front desk personnel
-staff unfamiliarity with SPG program
-staff unfamiliarity with hotel services

Comments and suggestions:

The property is currently undergoing a soft opening. Starwood and SPG should really acknowledge this fact. Perhaps consideration should be given to offering a reduced special or award rate until the hotel is fully operational. Nothing irks a customer more than paying full price for a lesser product.
The staff has yet to undergo any SPG training, hence the lack of knowledge regarding some of the program's features and perks. They are also not well versed in the operational details and services unique to their hotel. The issue of complimentary coffee and butler service baffled all of the front desk at one point or another. Asking about the Platinum amenity yielded no result until Adrian, an SPG Platinum Concierge got involved.
In spite of a hotel spokesperson's claim of front desk empowerment, this concept was non evident when it came to dealing with a simple question of the complimentary coffee service on the Maitre d'etage/butler floors. Switching from the front desk to housekeeping in a continuous loop was tedious, if not embarrassing for all concerned. I witnessed this conversation personally at least three times while near the front desk. Would not empowering the front desk to provide a pot of coffee to any guest, let alone an elite, be a simple and cost effective way of maintaining goodwill and avoiding unnecessary confrontation?
During our stay, the hotel had only about 50 guests. If this is their recurring occupancy rate, perhaps a way to allow the hotel staff to get more interactive guest experience would be for the hotel to offer a reduced award or cost stay promotion to lower vacancy rates and allow personnel to gain valuable experience.
If the hotel hopes to be a top tier 5* property , then it should devote a little more time to training front desk staff. I fully realize that they always have a more experienced front desk manager on call at any given time, but even they are not as well versed in the SPG program as they should be. Take a page from the Home Depot personnel training program where employees are trained for one full month before a major store opening, carrying out all duties and acting out various customer/staff interactions before they are allowed to begin their employment.
If the St. Regis brand is striving for the top tier well heeled guest, then that is the level of customer service they should provide. I was disappointed not to receive an answer to a fax I sent the general manager, Mr. Wolf Walther requesting a chance to meet and discuss the hotel's features with him or a member of his staff. I am certain he was busy at the time with the DNC but at current occupancy levels there was surely someone who could have replied on his behalf. A subsequent query from SPG about operational details also went unanswered. Guest relations at this property need some attention. I hope these are just growing pains.
Our entourage, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We want to be able, however, to put a St. Regis property on T & L's or Condé Nast's top 100 list next year. If some of the service related issues are addressed, then perhaps the St. Regis brand will be able to give Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Oriental or Shangri-la a run for their money. I've noticed a recent improvement in the W's in NYC. Perhaps others can take their cue from them.

jetsetter

Thanks for the thorough report, flyme2! Are you involved in some kind of service testing with SPG? Did this get set up through Randy, or did they just pick you from the Plat customers? It sounds similar to the service testing/tours that Quiet Lion is involved in.

I am thinking of making a trip for one of the Free Weekend nights to visit this property, and have mixed feelings re the part-opened facility and services, etc.

I stayed at the 5-star Fifteen Beacon Street property in BOS, shortly after it opened. Same sort of getting up and running issues, although the staff did seem empowered enough....e.g. did not shuffle customer from one department to another to get something done.

Two points seem especially disappointing re the LA property:
__That Starwood is not telling people right up front that the property is really not fully operational, charging regular rates, etc. As an example, I called the property this summer, in August, and was told the pool/health club would open 9/1. However, obviously, that didn't happen. Are we to believe that in mid to late August they really were unaware of this? They should have simply said "I really don't know," rather than yes it will be open on 9/1; and
__The lack of empowerment to get you a pot of coffee. Even if the advertised coffee service was not operating, surely, they could order you a pot of coffee via room service, and then take the charge off the bill.

Interesting also that when you call in unannounced, they decline a plat upgrade, but then approve it when told to do it by SPG. Same deal it seems re plat amenity.

schriste

I too stayed at the St Regis Labor Day weekend. I had the honor of being contacted by the flyme2 entourage, but was always out enjoying the wonderful LA weather and missed my chance. Great review. I agree with most if not all of the comments.

I did not receive any platinum amenity, but when I saw the maximum room rate of $2500 on the wardrobe door, I decided that I would not make an issue of it. I am curious however, what it was they sent you. I too went around in circles with the coffee, but it did come, without charge, and I enjoyed every drop while reading the LA times on the balcony and watching the sun come up over LA. I wish I was there right now…

jetsetter: The hotel called me a few days before my arrival to let me know what services would not be available

[This message has been edited by schriste (edited 09-07-2000).]

flyme2

My Platinum amenity was an enormous 3 tier platter of fruit, a replica of the one they have in the presidential suite (which we toured). However, it took an unheeded request at the front desk and finally intervention on behalf of our Platinum Concierge to get it.

Later that evening, though, we did get a nice bottle of wine and two of the largest balloon glasses I'd ever seen from Diane, the Front Desk Manager on duty. That was a nice touch.

The pool and hot tub, BTW, were and are fully operational.

nj_flyer

All that flyme2 left out is that the bathrobes are the most comfey I ever had.

schriste

Yes, yes, yes! My girlfriend surprised me and bought me one for my birthday. Not only is it comfey, but elegant too.

[This message has been edited by schriste (edited 09-07-2000).]

BeantownFlyer

I've always loved this property, having stayed there on many occassions when it was "just" the Towers. Interesingly, on my last stay, I noticed the same kind of SPG non-recognition - no upgrade, no welcome amenity, nothing special. I hope this does not continue with the new St. Regis. My last experienced contrasted with all my prior stays. My first stay there was when I arrived from Hawaii at some dreadfully early hour. I tried checking in at the Marriott in Marina del rey - but was told our room was not ready. I called the Towers and they said, come on over. At check-in they suddenly advised me the water was out, and being repaired - but would be on-line by noon time. Since I only planned to sleep until at least noon that was no problem (although I don't know why they didn't tell me on the phone). When I tried to shower at 2pm the faucets ran dry. With one phone call (and no tantrum required) we were brought the keys to a suite in the main hotel for use to shower, and upon return to the Towers room had a letter of apology from the hotel general manager (no front desk clerk) (which advised us that our stay was being comped), and a fruit tray! Later I received a "random" guest survey under the door - which of course resulted in top marks for service! I'm really looking forward to staying there again under the St. Regis flag - I hope I'm not disappointed! Thanks for a great report!!!

Danial

SPG from time to time apologises but still problems occurs from one after another based on feedback in our wonderful FlyerTalk forum. Promises of actions and improvements when some of our FlyerTalk reps visited their HQ in Austin long ago was some mere empty promises which reminds me of NATO (No Action Talk Only). - not related to the other NATO.

This e-mail reply from (Rob White SH&RW)
E-Communications Coordinator) I have just got from SPG yesterday on my not so so Essex House and nightmare Four Points LAX
and I quote from his e-mail "We regret that the hotels were not able to recognize your Platinum Preferred benefits during you recent stays. We encourage our hotels to extend every benefit available to Platinum Preferred members. However, at times, hotels are unable to extend certain benefits for one of any number of reasons.
Please be assured that we have contacted the proper individuals to ensure that Platinum Preferred membership benefits are recognized at these hotels whenever possible.

In addition, we have contacted both of the hotels in regard to your specific concerns at each. Again, we hope that these steps will help to ensure not only that you receive the level of service that you desire, but also that your Platinum Preferred benefits are recognized when visiting them. Please
be assured both Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Starwood Preferred Guest strive to maintain the highest quality of customer service. We apologize that your recent experiences have not been an example of this and would like to assure they were the exception and not the rule." Unquote

Big No No when comes to customer service:
Regret not able to recognise (need to have a big Platinum sign on our foreheads)
Encourage (most hotels will ignore since it is encourage and not mandatory - more cost incurred)
Contacted the proper individuals at certain hotels (problems then react and why not proactive and make sure all chains under their brand names do ensure what SPG promises and services are rendered without clients asking for it)
Assure they were the exception and not the rule (when one has confirmed guaranteed reservation as for LAX Four Points, you don't just cancelled assuming client is not coming, eventough flight details were given, room should be held until the next day 12pm as like all hotel standard rules).

Wow, did I managed to write this much on SPG.

flyme2

Jetsetter or other FT'ers: Anyone staying here on a Free Friday or Weekend this week? I'd love to hear your comments about this property.

Shareholder

Now, according to my dictionary, Los Angeles doesn't start with a "S". Maybe Santa Monica, but... You and Bridgett were talked about by us this weekend, all in a very fond fashion about the FAQ, with the hopes you could have been here with us for RED GREEN.

PHL

My wife and I just stayed 2 nights over the July 4 weekend. Overall, the stay was very good. But, I wrote the manager about some of my concerns:

Overall, I found the service level impeccable. As an SPG Platinum member, I was given an upgrade to a corner Grand Deluxe room. Niko was our butler and very attentive to our needs. The desk staff was genuinely friendly, as were the personnel at the spa. The Concierge was able to get us reservations to a variety of engagements we wished to attend. She, too, was very professional and courteous.

What concerned me, however, was an inconsistency with some of the published benefits. For example, the web site for this specific property notes that Grand Deluxe rooms have the added benefit of butler service, packing/unpacking and complimentary pressing upon arrival. The butler was, in fact, available when we called for something, but the packing/unpacking was not ever offered. When I gave Niko some pants and shirts to have pressed, he gladly took them and returned an hour later with an invoice for $21. I later spoke to the front desk and they removed the charge, but were unaware of the ‘complimentary pressing’ to which I referred from the web site.

The web site also advertised Dolby Surround Sound System. While the television was a ‘surround sound TV’, this does not really constitute surround sound. A Dolby Surround Sound System would have included speakers in front of and behind the bed.

Another area of inconsistency was the complimentary transportation service. My wife wanted to arrange for a ride to a church at Bedford and Santa Monica, just a mile away. When we inquired, the front desk informed us there is no driver available on Sunday, although they did indicate they would “try” to find someone to give her a ride. We had actually arranged a rental car for later that day and re-arranged to pick it up earlier.

Finally, the web advertised high-speed internet port in the wall did not work. I called about it, but could not wait for engineering to check it as I was leaving. I was also able to use the phone and dial-out, but high speed networking is becoming standard in many hotels, including Starwood properties, and I would have enjoyed that benefit.

I plan on returning to Los Angeles in November, and will likely choose the St. Regis again due to its convenience to my business activities, as well as the high level of service and comfort I experienced.

LewDog

Below is the text of an eMail I just sent the GM of the St. Regis LA.

***

Mr. Arash Azarbarzin
General Manager
St. Regis Hotel and Spa
2055 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067

Dear Mr. Azarbarzin,

On November 30, 2001, I had the pleasure of beginning my stay at your fine hotel. I took my mom away for a quick weekend visiting LA and we checked into rooms xx02 and xx05. From the moment we opened our taxi door, everything was perfect. Your doorman swiftly escorted us and our bags to the front desk. Your front desk agent was friendly, greeted us with a huge smile, and made the registration process a snap. Next, the bellman showed us to our rooms and demonstrated the telephone room operation system.

I was very impressed to be greeted in my room by two delicous oranges and some bottled water, along with a letter from yourself welcoming me to your hotel.

Our rooms were gorgeous, absolutely immaculate, and smelled wonderful! I was particularly delighted by our nightly turn-down service - no detail was missed. We had the opportunity to dine at Encore for both dinner and lunch, and the food, service and decor were magnificent.

At every turn, I found your staff always be accomodating and friendly, and they all seemed to care that we were enjoying ourselves and had everything we needed. The service was nothing short of fantastic. My mom had the opportunity to visit your Spa for a treament, and she has not stopped telling me how wonderful it was since!

As a Starwood Corporate Preferred member, and someone who travels often, I often have opportunity to visit many different hotels in different cities in the US and Canada - the St. Regis LA is by far the most wonderful hotel I've ever had the pleasure of staying at. It truly is fantastic to know that I now have a new home in Los Angeles.

If "The Luxury Collection" is Starwood's brand to compete with the Ritz-Carlton's and Four Seasons' of the world - the "ultra-premium" properties - then your hotel is a shining example of how successful Starwood's efforts have been.

Please be assured that the St. Regis will always be my first choice for business and leisure accomodations when I am in Los Angeles - I look forward to seeing you again soon, and I would encourage me to let me know when you're offering special packages or programs.

Sincerely yours,

<LewDog>

CC: FlyerTalk Message Board (http://www.flyertalk.com)

ldsant

Wow - what a wonderfully written letter! And, how nice that you took the time to recognize something/somebody that does something well. This is really nice.

LewDog

Thanks ldsant. I figure that it's important to recognize excellent service, as much so as it is to notify management of any substandard service. Too often, I think, people forget the compliment part and only focus on the bad!