Starwood properties in Hong Kong

[HUGE AL]

..and that's at the Westin Taipei.

I thought you were at Chez SQTalker...not my crib!

[KeithMEL]

I thought you were at Chez SQTalker...not my crib!

It'd have been a bit of a crowd. And I needed Starpoints.

[Gunnar Smithsen]

That's the most common reason/excuse supplied whenever I go to get my keycard recut

I know and it's so very frustrating to hear my staff say that to guests..

P.S Sorry for dragging this off topic

[KeithMEL]

Cool little gifts from the Insider on my last stay:
Night #1 -

welcome yummies - twice the size of the regular welcome platter. The W sign could be eaten too; we found out when the other half's itchy fingers tried to peel it off.



Night #2 -

Ingredients for apple martini - the other half LOVES cocktails and it came up casually when we were chatting with the Insider. Got back to the room to find this.


Cheers

Night #3 -

now i can enjoy the Living Room scent in my own lounge room too!

And some new drinks on the Living Room menu:


Mango + Ginger Mojito which is on this month's special list; can't remember what the other one was


an old favourite of mine, Fleur De Lys. Now comes in the standard champers glass rather than the cool looking one previously used


our new favourite, on this month's special list: Love Actually


Rose Mojito - meant to be virgin but you can ask for an alcoholic version

We got the "G+A" Fantastic Suite this time, which is the same one I got on my first stay. Defo my fave design scheme and much funkier than the "Glamourous" Marvelous Suite I got last time, even if that's a bigger suite.

[kchika]

Thanks for the pics, KeithMEL. A big thumbs up to W Hong Kong for having the fabulous Time Out magazine And this is coming from someone who was born and raised here

[jhm]

Interesting looking welcome platter!

Keith, is the "Insider" particular to this W ? Or a role present in every W but you've never encountered one before because you aren't a VIP (or PITA ) at those other places ?

(What really gets on my nerves about keycards are the hotels which automatically deactivate them at noon on the day of checkout (e.g. I've had this happen at the W Union Square and a number of others) even if you've already arranged a late checkout.)

[KeithMEL]

Interesting looking welcome platter!

Keith, is the "Insider" particular to this W ? Or a role present in every W but you've never encountered one before because you aren't a VIP (or PITA ) at those other places ?

Insiders are present at every W. The number of rooms determine the number of Insiders a W will employ. They also do check in when it's busy and work as part of the Welcome Desk.

I've thus far encountered Insiders at HK, Istanbul (big bag of Bliss goodies with a note saying that she "heard you like Bliss products" -- i think it must have come up when i was talking to people at the bar), Westwood ("get well soon" note after my shellfish muck-up) and Union Square (a "hope you liked dinner last night" note). They're chiefly responsible for looking after 'special requests' such as birthday cakes, rose petals in room for honeymoon couples etc. They also determine whom to upgrade and to what in collaboration with the Welcome Manager. Some of them also assist in concierge services or liaise with Whatever/Whenever to help personalise your requests (for instance what best suits you when you ask for a "nice restaurant"); Alison at the W HK helped book my friends and I into Lotus last stay, and in Dec when I ate at Pearl On the Peak she helped organise a v nice table (she later told me that she tried getting a corner table with awesome views but lost out to a dude who was going to propose to his gf ) Their role might vary from W to W of course but the general idea is that they perform a guest relations role.

I do have to say the most "hands on" Insider so far is Alison. She has a great presence around the public areas and is quite popular with guests there. She usually sends you a cupcake if you're PLT. Most of the other Insiders mostly work in the back office apart from when they do check in (ie when it gets crazy busy).

[jhm]

I've thus far encountered Insiders at HK, Istanbul

Over the last few months ? It must be your new status with W.

I was also met at check in by Alison, the W Insider - some kind of guest relations role. She's the first Insider I've ever met.

[KeithMEL]

Over the last few months ? It must be your new status with W.

I've only met Alison. The others I've only heard of because of the notes/gifts they sent up to the room. I think it must be because I was a PITA to the W HK GM as I sent him heaps of emails asking when the hotel was opening.

[Gunnar Smithsen]

What really gets on my nerves about keycards are the hotels which automatically deactivate them at noon on the day of checkout (e.g. I've had this happen at the W Union Square and a number of others) even if you've already arranged a late checkout.

To most hotels defence an automatic 12 noon key deactivation is SOP for most key cutting software.

Granted some key software allows the 12 noon deactivation to be overridden when cutting a key but it can't be extended after the key is cut. For example you phone down the night before asking for a late checkout - for your keycard to be extended you would physically need to go down to the desk to have it extended.

Now if you're asking for a late checkout at the time of check-in and the key is simply cut without thinking of the time extension - well, that comes down to the individual being a little bit robotic in the processes - and I've been guilty of it on a few occasions

[jhm]

Granted some key software allows the 12 noon deactivation to be overridden when cutting a key but it can't be extended after the key is cut. For example you phone down the night before asking for a late checkout - for your keycard to be extended you would physically need to go down to the desk to have it extended.

Thanks for the insight! That's fine but I can't think of any occasion when the person on the phone has been clued up enough to tell me to pop by the desk the next time I'm passing to have it extended.

Still OT but also mildly irritating when having agreed a late checkout, housekeeping on the day of departure before that time knock, phone or even come in to ask when you're leaving. I appreciate that they're anxious to finish and go home but nevertheless, these are meant to be full service hotels and sometimes I just think "I've agreed a late checkout so leave me alone until then!".

[Gunnar Smithsen]

Thanks for the insight! That's fine but I can't think of any occasion when the person on the phone has been clued up enough to tell me to pop by the desk the next time I'm passing to have it extended.

Still OT but also mildly irritating when having agreed a late checkout, housekeeping on the day of departure before that time knock, phone or even come in to ask when you're leaving. I appreciate that they're anxious to finish and go home but nevertheless, these are meant to be full service hotels and sometimes I just think "I've agreed a late checkout so leave me alone until then!".

Hahah I couldn't agree with you more jhm on both points raised.

1. If it was confirmed over the phone it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for the operator to have asked you to swing by the desk to have your key extended.

2. This is my biggest pet hate as both a hotel manager and as a guest, there are just too many reports one can pull from a PMS that indicates check out times of guests and it grinds my gears no-end that such things are overlooked...

To bring it all back on topic - great photos again Keith

And some new drinks on the Living Room menu:


Mango + Ginger Mojito which is on this month's special list; can't remember what the other one was

That cocktail next to the mango & ginger mojito (which from previous mixology experiences are refreshingly delicious!) looks like it could be a Berry Bramble - what were the ingredients?

[KeithMEL]

That cocktail next to the mango & ginger mojito (which from previous mixology experiences are refreshingly delicious!) looks like it could be a Berry Bramble - what were the ingredients?

That sounds really familiar but I can't remember, as I had the mango/ginger mojito and hence wasn't the one who ordered it. (and the other half can't remember either - for other reasons *hic* ) It must also be one of the few cocktails on the list that I haven't tried.

It looks like the Royal Berry T but that one comes in a much taller glass. And if anyone's at the W HK - that'd be one of my hearty recommendations!

[KeithMEL]

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/acco...0521-bgup.html

A zombie in wonderland

May 24, 2009


A surreal Hong Kong experience convinces Rob McFarland of the power of the stopover.

It's the age-old question when flying back from Europe: to stopover or not to stopover? Do you utilise precious time that could be spent in your destination on a night somewhere along the way that may or may not leave you feeling less zombie-like when you arrive home?

Until recently I'd always subscribed to the straight-through theory don't muck around with all the hassle of getting to some anonymous airport hotel just hunker down, grin and bear it. And then I stayed in the W Hong Kong.

Opened in September last year, its location two floors above the Airport Express train station in West Kowloon makes it the ideal stopover candidate when flying via Hong Kong. W claims it is the closest luxury hotel to Hong Kong airport and I was checked in and lying on my bed 90 minutes after my flight touched down. The other bonus is that when you leave, you can check in your bags and get your boarding pass in the terminal downstairs, leaving you free to explore the city with just your hand luggage.


From the moment I arrive it is clear this is far from an I-could-be-anywhere airport hotel. Staff dressed in black and wearing Ray-Bans relieve me of my luggage at the front door and a short lift ride later I'm sitting in a funky, LCD screen-backed reception area with a welcome drink. Behind me is a holographic wall that changes each time I look at it (a little disconcerting when you've just got off a 12-hour flight) and dotted around are striking pieces of contemporary art such as an enormous swirling pink vase and a life-size sculpture of a horse.


...

W Hong Kong excels by making you feel like you're staying in an exclusive boutique hotel, when in actual fact the property has almost 400 rooms. The staff are young and enthusiastic, the design is refreshingly different and the attention to detail is impressive for a hotel of this size.

While its convenient location makes it perfect for a one-night stopover, next time I'll be staying longer.

Nice review of one of my faves. In fact the only criticism I can think of is that over weekdays, unless there's a special party happening, the Living Room can be rather dead. It has a more weekend scene like much of Honkers. Though I'm told the fab (and cute!) DJ Angus now plays on Thu nights and Sun arvos as well! Sick!

[HUGE AL]

...W claims it is the closest luxury hotel to Hong Kong airport...

I vehemently believe that "W" and "luxury hotel" have no business being in the same sentence...let alone the same article!