Westin Grand Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany, post 2007 renovation [Master Thread]
Aug 19, 2007, 2:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: YEG
Posts: 1,578
Westin Grand Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany, post 2007 renovation [Master Thread]
This hotel is under renovation once done it will be a westin hotel, probably by end of this year. thats what a front desk agent told me last month.
/mod
Pre renovation reports can be found http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html
/mod
/mod
Pre renovation reports can be found http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html
/mod
Last edited by SanDiego1K; May 4, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Sep 15, 2007, 4:56 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,514
Thanks!
Mods, can you please change thread title to the Westin Grand Frankfurt? Thanks!
Sep 21, 2007, 2:00 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2000
Location: VA USA IAD\DCA
Posts: 573
Westin Grand
Stayed on Cash & Points last weekend at the Grand due excessive flight delay by US airways from Frankfurt! The service was not bad all.
What I liked more about the hotel was it is conveniently located to the train station (the sixth stop on S8 line straight from the airport) and walk able shopping area round the corner!
What I liked more about the hotel was it is conveniently located to the train station (the sixth stop on S8 line straight from the airport) and walk able shopping area round the corner!
Sep 23, 2007, 8:21 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, Accor Plat, M&M FTL, BA Blue, QR Gold
Posts: 3,724
Trip report Westin Grand Frankfurt: Need to work on details
Well, since the Westin Grand Frankfurt is in fact participating in SPG (see above), here's my trip report then:
Booked Internet prepaid rate @ EUR 189 (room only), which is not bad considering there was a big trade fair in Frankfurt (IAA motor show). For reference, rates started at EUR 105 at Le Meridien, EUR 99 at AS Offenbach, EUR 199
at AS Congress Hotel and EUR 220 at Sheraton Frankfurt H&T.
The property, formerly the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel, has had a big makeover, and was officially rebranded on September 5th this year. It no longer looks late-80s-ish, but very contemporary. Gone are the polished brass elements (well most, some linger inside the lifts, but I was told these would eventually disappear as well). Instead, the place is now decorated in brown, light brown, beige, cream and mauve taupe colours throughout (that includes a re-carpeting as well). Looks very up-to-date, although sometimes a bit over-the-top (am I the only one who doesn't like strictly-no-uppercase room service menus?). Still no lounge.
I was upgraded at check-in to a "Grand Deluxe" room facing the courtyard. The room was pretty big and felt a bit empty. It did, however, have the Westin bed and the Westin showers (the brass has disappeared from the bathroom as well). Looks very nice. The bathroom features Bvlgari bathroom amenities and a heated main mirror - step out of the shower, and the bit of mirror just above the sink is fog-free. Nice. I also liked the in-room Nespresso coffee machine.
The spa and sauna area has been refurbished (it was already quite nice before). Do however listen carefully to the attendant as you walk in - if she says "left and left", she means precisely that, turn left and walk though the door on the left to enter the changing rooms leading to the pool area. That's if you're male, for female guests it's "left and right". There are no "male" or "female" signs next to the changing room doors
.
The rebranding is not quite complete - not in the sense that "ArabellaSheraton" signage lurks in corners, but some features await rebranding and cannot be provided for the time being. These include desk pads, the hotel service directory, and comment forms which I was told are unavailable for that reason when I asked for one. Also, the rooms are advertised as featuring 32-inch flat screen LCD TVs. Well mine didn't, it had the old TV set from the AS Grand days, but this looked very much like a temporary solution.
Staff are great. The concierge, a friendly Italian lady (no names on FT!), and the "Express Service" desk not only provided me with a copy of the hotel's new Chinese restaurant's menu, but let me order room service from it. Nice kung pao chicken it was, too.
However, there were some oddities about the room.
For starters, there is no wardrobe space available other than hangers. There is a wardrobe all right, just after the door as you enter the room, but the shelves are occupied not only by the in-room safe, but also by glassware, cutlery and non-refrigerated minibar items. Why these are not stocked in the storage racks provided for that very purpose next to the minibar fridge escapes me.
There's no kettle in the room. This makes it somewhat pointless to provide teabags. Also, in a double room, if you provide two coffee mugs, you might as well provide two spoons - not everybody is happy sharing.
No chair. There's a low leather armchair (nice), and an executive chair at the desk, but no ordinary chair to sit on and put your shoes on. Why? Not cool enough? There's certainly a lot of empty space in the GrandDeluxe room where a chair would easily fit.
At night, the room is dimly lit. The lamps are all very nice, especially the cone-shaped floor lamp, but overall, the lamps are just not brigt enough. I struggled to read the room service bill standing in the middle of the room, with every available light turned on, and had to put it on the desk directly underneath the desk light.
Finally, there's no toilet brush. I find this entirely unacceptable. How am I going to clean the loo should need arise? Call housekeeping? Use toilet paper and my bare hands (urgh)? Ignore it?!? I was actually upset enough to ask that question to front desk staff. The astonishing answer was that they had had quite a few similar complaints, but that as per Westin brand policy, toilet brushes are a big no-no, and would not be provided, full stop. Is this actually Westin policy? I have never noticed that before. (The fornt desk clerk did promise to escalate this to local management.)
Summary? Don't know really.
Once things at the Westin Grand settle in, it's going to be a nice property. However, so is the Meridien Parkhotel, and while the latter does not have a pool, its rates are almost always substantially lower that the Westin Grand's. To be fair, some of the rooms are also a lot smaller - but there are some fantastic suites at the Meridien, and they do upgrade Plats to these if available. Also, both the Le Meridien and the Sheraton Frankfurt H&T are, in my opinion, a much better choice if you actually want to work in your room after sunset, and are better located for transport. The Frankfurt Sheraton H&T also has an excellent lounge where the (free) food on offer includes a full cooked breakfast and a full bar, at rates often similar to what the Westin Grand charges.
The jury's still out
Tom
Booked Internet prepaid rate @ EUR 189 (room only), which is not bad considering there was a big trade fair in Frankfurt (IAA motor show). For reference, rates started at EUR 105 at Le Meridien, EUR 99 at AS Offenbach, EUR 199
at AS Congress Hotel and EUR 220 at Sheraton Frankfurt H&T.The property, formerly the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel, has had a big makeover, and was officially rebranded on September 5th this year. It no longer looks late-80s-ish, but very contemporary. Gone are the polished brass elements (well most, some linger inside the lifts, but I was told these would eventually disappear as well). Instead, the place is now decorated in brown, light brown, beige, cream and mauve taupe colours throughout (that includes a re-carpeting as well). Looks very up-to-date, although sometimes a bit over-the-top (am I the only one who doesn't like strictly-no-uppercase room service menus?). Still no lounge.
I was upgraded at check-in to a "Grand Deluxe" room facing the courtyard. The room was pretty big and felt a bit empty. It did, however, have the Westin bed and the Westin showers (the brass has disappeared from the bathroom as well). Looks very nice. The bathroom features Bvlgari bathroom amenities and a heated main mirror - step out of the shower, and the bit of mirror just above the sink is fog-free. Nice. I also liked the in-room Nespresso coffee machine.
The spa and sauna area has been refurbished (it was already quite nice before). Do however listen carefully to the attendant as you walk in - if she says "left and left", she means precisely that, turn left and walk though the door on the left to enter the changing rooms leading to the pool area. That's if you're male, for female guests it's "left and right". There are no "male" or "female" signs next to the changing room doors
.The rebranding is not quite complete - not in the sense that "ArabellaSheraton" signage lurks in corners, but some features await rebranding and cannot be provided for the time being. These include desk pads, the hotel service directory, and comment forms which I was told are unavailable for that reason when I asked for one. Also, the rooms are advertised as featuring 32-inch flat screen LCD TVs. Well mine didn't, it had the old TV set from the AS Grand days, but this looked very much like a temporary solution.
Staff are great. The concierge, a friendly Italian lady (no names on FT!), and the "Express Service" desk not only provided me with a copy of the hotel's new Chinese restaurant's menu, but let me order room service from it. Nice kung pao chicken it was, too.
However, there were some oddities about the room.
For starters, there is no wardrobe space available other than hangers. There is a wardrobe all right, just after the door as you enter the room, but the shelves are occupied not only by the in-room safe, but also by glassware, cutlery and non-refrigerated minibar items. Why these are not stocked in the storage racks provided for that very purpose next to the minibar fridge escapes me.
There's no kettle in the room. This makes it somewhat pointless to provide teabags. Also, in a double room, if you provide two coffee mugs, you might as well provide two spoons - not everybody is happy sharing.
No chair. There's a low leather armchair (nice), and an executive chair at the desk, but no ordinary chair to sit on and put your shoes on. Why? Not cool enough? There's certainly a lot of empty space in the GrandDeluxe room where a chair would easily fit.
At night, the room is dimly lit. The lamps are all very nice, especially the cone-shaped floor lamp, but overall, the lamps are just not brigt enough. I struggled to read the room service bill standing in the middle of the room, with every available light turned on, and had to put it on the desk directly underneath the desk light.
Finally, there's no toilet brush. I find this entirely unacceptable. How am I going to clean the loo should need arise? Call housekeeping? Use toilet paper and my bare hands (urgh)? Ignore it?!? I was actually upset enough to ask that question to front desk staff. The astonishing answer was that they had had quite a few similar complaints, but that as per Westin brand policy, toilet brushes are a big no-no, and would not be provided, full stop. Is this actually Westin policy? I have never noticed that before. (The fornt desk clerk did promise to escalate this to local management.)
Summary? Don't know really.
Once things at the Westin Grand settle in, it's going to be a nice property. However, so is the Meridien Parkhotel, and while the latter does not have a pool, its rates are almost always substantially lower that the Westin Grand's. To be fair, some of the rooms are also a lot smaller - but there are some fantastic suites at the Meridien, and they do upgrade Plats to these if available. Also, both the Le Meridien and the Sheraton Frankfurt H&T are, in my opinion, a much better choice if you actually want to work in your room after sunset, and are better located for transport. The Frankfurt Sheraton H&T also has an excellent lounge where the (free) food on offer includes a full cooked breakfast and a full bar, at rates often similar to what the Westin Grand charges.
The jury's still out
Tom
Nov 5, 2007, 9:13 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: UA GS/4 MM, AA Exec Plat, Lifetime Hilton D, Hyatt G, Marriott Titanium earned Ambassador
Posts: 7,553
Back for two seperate stays.
Well I've noted the threads and it sounds like the Hotel is still a work in progress. Can someone comment of treatment of Ps? Are the stop codes for the ticket machines still the same? Have they changed out those tvs to lcds yet? Any additional comments appreciated. Thanks.
Dec 2, 2007, 5:13 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: OW/AA, DL, UA; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,936
Well I've noted the threads and it sounds like the Hotel is still a work in progress. Can someone comment of treatment of Ps? Are the stop codes for the ticket machines still the same? Have they changed out those tvs to lcds yet? Any additional comments appreciated. Thanks.
Feb 20, 2008, 9:56 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
Programs: Wouldn't you like to know?!
Posts: 23,822
Trip Report
Why is Starwood abroad so much better than Starwood US? 
I decided to go to Germany for a quick weekend getaway and stayed at the Westin Frankfurt. Here's my review
Location
The location of the hotel can't be beat. Westin Frankfurt is a block away from the infamous Zeil shopping district and the ever so convenient Konstablerwache S-Bahn. The hotel is only a 20 minute ride away from Franfurt international airport via S-Bahn. All of the major Frankfurt attractions are walking distance to the hotel. If not, S/U-Bahn is always available. The airport S-Bahn can be a bit confusing. If you are trying to get to the hotel, simple go to one of the ticket machines and press "FRANKFURT", the screen will prompt you to insert 3.65 Euros. Otherwise, it can be VERY confusing trying to figure out how to get a ticket. Take S8 or S9 and get off at Konstablerwache.
Check-In/Lobby
The lobby was, well, grand. The hotel had recently been remodeled and it showed. Everything looked brand spanking new and was tastefully decorated. The entrance sitting area along with the back lobby were accented with Vintage automobiles.
Upon walking to the counter, I was greeted warmly by the staff. He went to retrieve my Platinum folder already set aside with Platinum amenity card and room keys in it. I was informed that I was upgraded to a junior suite. However, since I was at the hotel early, the room was not yet ready. So, he took my luggage and I walked around town for a bit. Upon returning, there was a long line of people checking in. One of the check in agents went to the back room to get the original agent. As soon as he came out, he recognized me and waved me over to give me my room keys and sent me to my suite ^ The agents were fantastic.
Room/Suite
As soon as I entered the room, I was wow'd by the amenities. I love modern decor, but YMMV. There was a half bath right by the foyer. A goodies bar was to the left that included a complimentary bottled water and an expresso machine. The living room had a sofa and chair, plasma TV, Bose surround stereo system, and a dining area. Even though the agent told me it's a jr suite, the suite was fully separated and looked more like a full one bedroom suite. I was pleasantly surprised to find fresh flowers/orchids on the coffee table decorated tastefully. There were also fresh orchids in the bathrooms.
The master bedroom had the infamous heavenly bed and a large working area with plasma TV. I really like the lighting in the room, there were various types of mood lighting and all the switches were either by the bed or the door. There was a see through window separate the master bathroom and the bedroom The master bathroom had a large soaking tub, a shower pick for the tub (cool looking), modern sink area, separate heavenly shower, separate WC, BLVGARI bath amenities along with Heavenly Bath products, and most impressively, heated floors! It made the bathroom very warm and cozy and was much appreciated during the cold months in Frankfurt. The bathroom was also wired with speakers.
Just as I finished my initial exploration of the room, the bellman brought up my luggage. He showed me the room (and how to use some of the functions) and made a cup of espresso for me ^ When are we going to get this feature in the US Westins?
Restaurant/Room Service
There were a few restaurants within the hotel and they all looked very nice. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to try any of them. I was told they had a very nice breakfast buffet setup daily, but for 30 Euros, I decided to pass. I did, however, ordered room service. They actually had an impressive menu with plenty of healthy and delicious choices. I ordered some frankfurt sausages and applestrudel with a pot of herbal tea. It very delicious and the table setup was top notch ^
Internet
In room wired internet was available for 19 Euro per 24 hours (or 15 per 12, 9 per 2, or 6 per hour). Downstairs lobby offered T-mobile hotspot. Anyone with a T-Mobile USA account could roam hotspot for $0.19 per minute. They had a lot of T-mobile hotspots all over town, and I took advantage of it.
Overall
I really enjoyed my stay. My suite was absolutely fantastic. Staff couldn't be friendlier, and the upgraded amenities (espresso machine, free bottled water, BLVGARI products) were very nice. This was one of the best Westins that I have ever stayed ^ As always, I am well treated as a Plat here. ^
I decided to go to Germany for a quick weekend getaway and stayed at the Westin Frankfurt. Here's my review
Location
The location of the hotel can't be beat. Westin Frankfurt is a block away from the infamous Zeil shopping district and the ever so convenient Konstablerwache S-Bahn. The hotel is only a 20 minute ride away from Franfurt international airport via S-Bahn. All of the major Frankfurt attractions are walking distance to the hotel. If not, S/U-Bahn is always available. The airport S-Bahn can be a bit confusing. If you are trying to get to the hotel, simple go to one of the ticket machines and press "FRANKFURT", the screen will prompt you to insert 3.65 Euros. Otherwise, it can be VERY confusing trying to figure out how to get a ticket. Take S8 or S9 and get off at Konstablerwache.
Check-In/Lobby
The lobby was, well, grand. The hotel had recently been remodeled and it showed. Everything looked brand spanking new and was tastefully decorated. The entrance sitting area along with the back lobby were accented with Vintage automobiles.
Upon walking to the counter, I was greeted warmly by the staff. He went to retrieve my Platinum folder already set aside with Platinum amenity card and room keys in it. I was informed that I was upgraded to a junior suite. However, since I was at the hotel early, the room was not yet ready. So, he took my luggage and I walked around town for a bit. Upon returning, there was a long line of people checking in. One of the check in agents went to the back room to get the original agent. As soon as he came out, he recognized me and waved me over to give me my room keys and sent me to my suite ^ The agents were fantastic.
Room/Suite
As soon as I entered the room, I was wow'd by the amenities. I love modern decor, but YMMV. There was a half bath right by the foyer. A goodies bar was to the left that included a complimentary bottled water and an expresso machine. The living room had a sofa and chair, plasma TV, Bose surround stereo system, and a dining area. Even though the agent told me it's a jr suite, the suite was fully separated and looked more like a full one bedroom suite. I was pleasantly surprised to find fresh flowers/orchids on the coffee table decorated tastefully. There were also fresh orchids in the bathrooms.
The master bedroom had the infamous heavenly bed and a large working area with plasma TV. I really like the lighting in the room, there were various types of mood lighting and all the switches were either by the bed or the door. There was a see through window separate the master bathroom and the bedroom
The master bathroom had a large soaking tub, a shower pick for the tub (cool looking), modern sink area, separate heavenly shower, separate WC, BLVGARI bath amenities along with Heavenly Bath products, and most impressively, heated floors! It made the bathroom very warm and cozy and was much appreciated during the cold months in Frankfurt. The bathroom was also wired with speakers.Just as I finished my initial exploration of the room, the bellman brought up my luggage. He showed me the room (and how to use some of the functions) and made a cup of espresso for me ^ When are we going to get this feature in the US Westins?
Restaurant/Room Service
There were a few restaurants within the hotel and they all looked very nice. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to try any of them. I was told they had a very nice breakfast buffet setup daily, but for 30 Euros, I decided to pass. I did, however, ordered room service. They actually had an impressive menu with plenty of healthy and delicious choices. I ordered some frankfurt sausages and applestrudel with a pot of herbal tea. It very delicious and the table setup was top notch ^
Internet
In room wired internet was available for 19 Euro per 24 hours (or 15 per 12, 9 per 2, or 6 per hour). Downstairs lobby offered T-mobile hotspot. Anyone with a T-Mobile USA account could roam hotspot for $0.19 per minute. They had a lot of T-mobile hotspots all over town, and I took advantage of it.
Overall
I really enjoyed my stay. My suite was absolutely fantastic. Staff couldn't be friendlier, and the upgraded amenities (espresso machine, free bottled water, BLVGARI products) were very nice. This was one of the best Westins that I have ever stayed ^ As always, I am well treated as a Plat here. ^
Mar 5, 2008, 9:48 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: OW/AA, DL, UA; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,936
I couldn't agree more with everything Blissworld just posted. I just stayed there this past weekend and had a similarly great experience, for all the reasons that he/she (uh...don't know which bliss is ) had. Convenient location, fantastic staff, excellent room with tons of cool features, etc.
It reminds me of my similar contention as Bliss' in that european SPG properties just seem to "get it" as far as the SPG program.
To add:
The hotel had a "late night buffet" in the lobby, right behind the check-in lines by the front desk. I couldn't get an answer as to if this was their "Unwind" offering. I thought it may have been set out for a group checking in/arriving, but that wasn't the case either. And, it wasn't just a few snacks, but a collection of pastas & seafood dishes, fruits, cheeses, soups, etc.
The lobby bar was nicely set off from the main lobby, with a cool vibe to it.
The classic European cars everywhere about the lobby were really cool.
Another gadget of the room were the motorized mini-blinds inside the window b/n the soaking tub & the bedroom.
Yep, both bathrooms had speaker controls...couldn't figure out what the sound source of the speakers was, 'tho.
For a "junior suite" it was indeed more like a one-bedroom apartment. Well done, with more mood lighting combinations than anyone could want.
The espresso machine uses the new "capsules"---so EASY, so CONVENIENT. Restocked at turn-down as well
The staff---fantastic!
My junior suite was just down the hall from the 6th floor spa...great Westin Workout facility with plenty of modern machines & free weights, separate mens & womens locker rooms & showers, lockers (no need to bring your own key or lock). Past the locker rooms is a healthy-stuff bar & lounge area, then the indoor pool area. Upstairs from the pool area is a co-ed sauna area with sauna & sonarium (a co-ed sauna & sonarium may or may not take a little getting used to for Americans not used to that, especially with signage specifically prohibiting bathing suits in that area), large raised soaking tub, showers (both the shower kind and the cold waterfall kind), relaxation rooms.
) had. Convenient location, fantastic staff, excellent room with tons of cool features, etc. It reminds me of my similar contention as Bliss' in that european SPG properties just seem to "get it" as far as the SPG program.
To add:
The hotel had a "late night buffet" in the lobby, right behind the check-in lines by the front desk. I couldn't get an answer as to if this was their "Unwind" offering. I thought it may have been set out for a group checking in/arriving, but that wasn't the case either. And, it wasn't just a few snacks, but a collection of pastas & seafood dishes, fruits, cheeses, soups, etc.
The lobby bar was nicely set off from the main lobby, with a cool vibe to it.
The classic European cars everywhere about the lobby were really cool.
Another gadget of the room were the motorized mini-blinds inside the window b/n the soaking tub & the bedroom.
Yep, both bathrooms had speaker controls...couldn't figure out what the sound source of the speakers was, 'tho.
For a "junior suite" it was indeed more like a one-bedroom apartment. Well done, with more mood lighting combinations than anyone could want.
The espresso machine uses the new "capsules"---so EASY, so CONVENIENT. Restocked at turn-down as well
The staff---fantastic!
My junior suite was just down the hall from the 6th floor spa...great Westin Workout facility with plenty of modern machines & free weights, separate mens & womens locker rooms & showers, lockers (no need to bring your own key or lock). Past the locker rooms is a healthy-stuff bar & lounge area, then the indoor pool area. Upstairs from the pool area is a co-ed sauna area with sauna & sonarium (a co-ed sauna & sonarium may or may not take a little getting used to for Americans not used to that, especially with signage specifically prohibiting bathing suits in that area), large raised soaking tub, showers (both the shower kind and the cold waterfall kind), relaxation rooms.
Mar 11, 2008, 9:22 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,077
Reception for a preferred member was friendly.
Room 532, adjacent to the elevator, was a 'normal' size. 250 sq feet. Beautifully decorated. It felt more like a room you're friend or relative would give you on a visit.
Bathroom was ^. No complaints.
Exit the subway and the hotel is less than a block away.
Internet cafe
Walk out of the hotel and make a right. Then, make a right on athe first little side street, then right again. Walk 50 paces and there's an internet cafe. Cost is 2 Euros per hour. The Westin wanted a lot more as stated above. This cafe also has international phones available at 10 cents per minute. You don't need to buy a phone card at those prices.
This Preferred guest had 2 bottles of complimentary mineral water in the room.
For breakfast, lots of bakery/cafes eat-in/take-away are everywhere. The assortment of bakery goodies was ^
The closest place to the hotel... instead of making the last right as described above, just make a left.
If cash and points can be used, it's great value for US$60.
Room 532, adjacent to the elevator, was a 'normal' size. 250 sq feet. Beautifully decorated. It felt more like a room you're friend or relative would give you on a visit.
Bathroom was ^. No complaints.
Exit the subway and the hotel is less than a block away.
Internet cafe
Walk out of the hotel and make a right. Then, make a right on athe first little side street, then right again. Walk 50 paces and there's an internet cafe. Cost is 2 Euros per hour. The Westin wanted a lot more as stated above. This cafe also has international phones available at 10 cents per minute. You don't need to buy a phone card at those prices.
This Preferred guest had 2 bottles of complimentary mineral water in the room.
For breakfast, lots of bakery/cafes eat-in/take-away are everywhere. The assortment of bakery goodies was
^The closest place to the hotel... instead of making the last right as described above, just make a left.
If cash and points can be used, it's great value for US$60.
Mar 12, 2008, 7:04 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 5,651
During recent stay we were assigned and given "key" to an occupied room. back to Reception: sorry it must be a "ghost" stay. Was gien an other room, went to bed, someone entered room with key and woke us up---Reception said that is impossible.
Mar 12, 2008, 7:08 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,377
What is a "ghost stay", anyway?
Mar 14, 2008, 3:23 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles & Orange County, CA
Programs: Wouldn't you like to know?!
Posts: 23,822
This is strange. The same kind of stories pop up here and there and different properties. I wonder what can be done to avoid such situations?
Mar 14, 2008, 3:44 pm
#14
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
My best guess? Other than using the deadbolt? Take out the human error/technology snafus by quit using key cards and go back to issuing only one room (real) room key with no back-ups in sight.
For better or worse, and barring the possibility of human error, sometimes technology does not work like it should 100% of the time, but having only one real key available at all times would resolve that as well as the possibility for human error...and at the same time cause a whole other set of inconveniences.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
For better or worse, and barring the possibility of human error, sometimes technology does not work like it should 100% of the time, but having only one real key available at all times would resolve that as well as the possibility for human error...and at the same time cause a whole other set of inconveniences.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
[email protected]
May 3, 2008, 4:06 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Boston, MA,
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, Delta PM, *wood Ambassador Plat, Marriott Self-Imposed Exile
Posts: 679
Just to have a current report... six night, paid stay (originally was going to stay at Le Meredien, but checking spg.com the day before i arrived i got an internet only rate 10 euros more a night)
the hotel is beautiful... the lobby is gorgeous, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
The rooms were in excellent condition (my upgraded room was awesome, my coworkers non-upgraded room was just a good -- just smaller)
didn't eat at the hotel but the service at the bar was fantastic.
my one big issue... no concierge... ever. which for a hotel that size is unacceptable to me. some of the front desk staff was helpful... some of them gave me the impression that they teleported into the hotel for work from some other city and have seen nothing of frankfurt outside the hotel.
the hotel is beautiful... the lobby is gorgeous, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
The rooms were in excellent condition (my upgraded room was awesome, my coworkers non-upgraded room was just a good -- just smaller)
didn't eat at the hotel but the service at the bar was fantastic.
my one big issue... no concierge... ever. which for a hotel that size is unacceptable to me. some of the front desk staff was helpful... some of them gave me the impression that they teleported into the hotel for work from some other city and have seen nothing of frankfurt outside the hotel.