How does Marriott treat you as an elite?

[drron]

Only 1 stay at the Sheraton Pretoria but it was a good one. Despite it being the dress rehearsal to celebrate Mandela's last birthday and the place having many African leaders staying there an excellent upgrade plus lounge access. On the second day there I just crossed the road and mingled with the military and public servants and got a very close up view of the preceedings. The hotel car was very reasonable in cost for us to travel around.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

Have stayed at the Sheraton Pretoria on two separate occasions while on business. A great hotel in an even better location. The staff always went above and beyond.

My first stay was in May 2009. I arrived early on the morning of Jacob Zuma’s inauguration. The hotel car couldn’t get to the hotel due to road blocks and people walking to the ceremony. I ended up walking the final 1-2 kms to get to the hotel. Security was extremely tight and i needed to show id and the authorisation letter from the hotel in many occasions. When i got to the hotel checkin was up in the exec lounge. The room wasn’t ready so i stayed in the lounge along with even more security. While in the lounge it was surreal to be watching the proceedings live on CNN while also seeing various heads of state who were staying at the hotel being live streamed. During the morning Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Muammar Gaddafi (Libya), Morgan Tsvangirai (Zimbabwe Opposition leader), Kim Jong-Nam (North Korea - assassinated at KL Airport in 2017) and other invited dignitaries made there way through the lounge then downstairs to their motorcades across to the ceremony.

 

[sudoer]

Status: Gold Elite, but read on..
Property: St Regis Venice
Date: Tue 18 Apr - Thu 20 Apr
Booked: Superior Deluxe King (68k PointSaver + 88k Standard redemption)
Received: Partial Grand Canal View King (+ 2 categories)

Just checked out from an excellent stay at this property. A preface that during check-in I was offered a welcome gift choice of breakfast or points! This took me by surprise, I'm not particularly familiar with the Bonvoy benefits matrix and it was my first stay as Gold since soft landing last month, but I happily accepted the breakfast option. After now reading up on benefits, I guess I got very lucky and was still showing as Platinum in the reservations system.

I was very pleased with the upgrade regardless. As expected for Venice, the rooms are very small given the price tag, although the bathroom was quite generously sized in comparison.



In our room we found a bottle of Puccini mandarin aperitif and locally produced Pan del Doge (Venetian fruit loaf) as a welcome gift.



The partial canal view room had a small balcony overlooking the courtyard, which turns into a bar in the afternoon. The signature St Regis champagne sabering happens here at 5pm each day. The courtyard was quite lively until at least 10pm on both nights, and being on Level 1 we could hear muffled thumping bass through the balcony doors, however it didn't bother us and we had no issue falling asleep after clocking 25k steps on both days.



The breakfast was delicious, but the view of the canal and Salute from the restaurant is definitely the highlight, even though the Salute is partially obscured with scaffolding at the moment. We arrived at about 7:40am (breakfast is served 7:00-10:30am) and there were several waterside tables available. The waitress confirmed that our breakfast was included and we were told to order as much as we wanted from the a la carte menu. We opted each for a main with several sides, a juice and two coffees - obviously the proscuitto di parma and cheese buffet was the highlight. By the time we left at 8:20am the restaurant was starting to fill up and our waterside table was quickly pounced on.



The location is unbeatable - it's just a few minutes walk to St Mark's Square and the adjoining ferry wharf, and directly across the Grand Canal from the Salute (one of the largest Basilicas in Venice). For transfer on arrival from VCE we took the hotel's suggested water taxi provider (desk 71 at the airport) for a €140 private transfer direct to the hotel wharf - price is valid for up to 4 people + 4 bags. No prebooking was needed, we just paid at the airport desk and were handed a piece of paper with our water taxi registration number and what pier to find them at. The water taxi dock is about 10 minutes walk from the arrivals hall, and the trip from VCE to St Regis takes about 30 min.

It probably goes without saying, but the property is stunning inside as well as out - the multiple lobbies and common areas are filled with opulent fixtures and artworks. The service levels were unsurprisingly outstanding - I especially appreciated the concierge/butler desk being quick to respond via the Marriott app chat function. They were excellent in helping with a last minute restaurant reservation on Burano, and giving advice on what time to leave for a train departing Saint Lucia station after checkout, and subsequently arranging a direct water taxi to the station (€70)



The going rate for an advance booking shoulder season mid-week stay in this room is a mind blowing €1400 per night, which I could never justify. But I would absolutely book this incredible experience again using Bonvoy points!

 

[mattr00]

Status: Platinum + STARS Agent
Property: The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
Date: Sat 5th May - Sun 6th May
Booked: Deluxe Guest Room
Received: Victoria Harbour Guest Room

Pretty impressed overall. Received a 2 cat upgrade (same room type, but second highest guest room floor + nice view). The rooms are nice and spacious - almost like a mini suite.

We had a 100USD credit with a surprisingly generous FX rate to 160AUD. We also found out at checkout that our breakfast allowance were unlimited, but presumably excludes alcohol.

Received a welcome gift of ~55AUD bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate cake and a block of dark chocolate.

The only time service falls short is with the pool area, where used towels sometimes take hours to be collected and restocked even in the middle of the day. Otherwise, very good!

 

[dairyfloss]

Status: Gold Elite
Property: Sydney Harbour Marriott
Date: 11-12 Jun 2023
Booked: Opera House view King Suite (cash + points redemption)
Received: Opera House view King Suite

I'm winding up loyalty efforts with Marriott Bonvoy, as I can't maintain the room night volume for Platinum (vs. easier spend attainment options in other programs), and so burnt through some more points (plus cash) for a staycation night out for Vivid in Sydney with SWMBO and mstr 7YO.

After navigating the many closed streets around Circular Quay, we found our way into the nearby Wilson Gateway parking lot on Reiby Pl, off Loftus St. The hotel offers validation here for guests that gives you weekend 24hr parking for $30 a day, which is very good... particularly with Vivid on. Note that during Vivid you can't get your car out between 5PM & 1AM, due to closures of the roads around the lot.

Check-in was pretty efficient vs a v-e-r-y long wait on an equivalent visit, last June. No upgrade or even higher floor of the booked room type for this lowly Gold (though didn't ever get one as Platinum, either). No welcome amenity or gift. Room assigned was only halfway up at L19, and though we tried for higher, after finding the view was somewhat obstructed by a structure on a nearby building, we ended up just accepting it. Front desk did the usual thing of saying nothing else was available, though I could find & book more of the same room type for the night via the app (L18 + above).

Room was as advertised, with the small suite living area that looks to the Opera House containing a few uncomfortable chairs and a small dining table. No chaise or lounges, which I find odd. The bedroom is like a standard hotel room, but has no windows. Bathroom rather dated, but at least the shower has good water pressure. TVs have been replaced with newer Samsung devices since we were there last, and you can now cast through your streaming apps to them, which is good. Request for rollaway bed (pre-booked) took 2 hours to fulfil.

Didn't visit the lounge for evening canapes, but did go for breakfast, and the offering was very limited and not of a high standard. Only scrambled eggs on the buffet, with only poached eggs to order - no other items like eggs benedict, etc. No muffins or ingredients to make your own. Very limited selections in the continental area. We should have gone to Sylvester's Restaurant instead, but had anticipated it would be too busy, plus it came with an additional supplement of $25 per person, now that I wasn't status worthy!

Be aware the lifts here are an absolute nightmare! Each time we needed to go up or down we waited between 5 & 10 minutes for one of the 4 operating lifts to appear. It would then invariably stop at each floor along the way, overcrowded and hot from all the angry heads contained. One lift is closed for renovation / replacement, but I'm not sure even with that one running it would have made a lot of difference. I think it's been out since the last time we visited, too.

With no [meaningful] Marriot status for me, and an unpolished product and services, this will be the last time we stay here. Might try the IC Sydney or Shangri-La for Vivid next year... if we bother at all!

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Kscf]

Status: Lifetime Platinum
Property: Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, USA
Date: 02-08 Jun 2023
Booked: Standard room
Received: Atrium view room

Stayed here dor 6 nights as P2 had a work conference in the hotel from June 4-7. She booked it through the conference link but gave my marriott account number and it showed up on my account and they gave an upgrade and 1000 points as well because of my status.

This is a huge resort. P2 wanted to stay close to where the conference was being held which meant every time we had to go out it was a 10 min walk to the front atleast.

Gaylord does not give breakfast to anyone for free - she had breakfast included in the conference for the 3 days but we skipped it other days.

The resort has like 15 restaurants onsite but we mainly dined outside as P2 is vegetarian and none of the options sounded pleasing.

One night we ordered pizza - asked without mushrooms and broccoli and they delivered a pizza which had both mushrooms and broccoli. Had to send it back.

If you come outside the resort there is a small bbq joint which jad amazing food, I dined there one night with my friends who had flown to visit us.

This resort is especially popular with families as there is a water park called soundwaves and there are lazy rivers as well. They offer boat rides around the resort - its that big.

My friends who visited us stayed at the courtyard nearby as this was $600+ USD per night. They were impressed with the atrium - me not so much.

 

[Kscf]

Status: Lifetime Platinum
Property: Renaissance Lucerne Hotel
Date: 09-14 Jun 2023
Booked: Standard room
Received: Standard room, high floor

We started our Switzerland trip with 5 nights at Lucerne.

This hotel was booked out solid for the days we were in there, so cant cough out no updates.

They returned the SNA which I had applied.

The location is terrific - its a 3 min walk from the main Lucerne train station and there is a coop grocery store right around the corner.

Ton of restaurants nearby although as the norm is in Switzerland everything is expensive. A dinner with 2 wine glasses, an appetizer and 2 mains would cost us $175+ easily.

Whenever we are on vacation, we do heavy breakfast and do early dinner. Since breakfast was included in the rate it helped.

The breakfast menu was the exact same with no changes at all for 5 days straight. I had an option of choosing omelette or pancakes but P2 got tired after day 2.

We did a ton of activities - which I will do a separate thread.

This was also part of a round the world trip which I will do a separate thread on the RTW group

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

A couple of data points from some recent European Marriott stays as an Ambassador.

1. Marriott Malta
Booked: basic on points
Received: executive suite with sea views

This hotel was really top notch. I walked from a low level Accor property the night before and my first interaction was with the GM who was in the same lift and personally escorted me to the checkin despite knowing my status or anything. Fantastic service everywhere


Frankfurt Marriott
I used this as a base for a few nights with EK F redemptions in and out of FRA
Booked: base on points
Received: Studio

A decent hotel that was good value for money. Location wasn’t amazing but considering it’s price point relative to the others I would go back. The lounge was decent and had sufficient for dinner if you didn’t want to go out. Breakfast was reasonable. It had a great gym. Forgot room pics but sunset from the room below

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

A more local stay at Perth Westin

Booked: basic on points
Received: huge suite

This was a fanatic property. The room was huge and the lounge and breakfast were really great.

Post automatically merged: Jun 26, 2023

Back to usual now so on the road for work with Ritz Carlton Melbourne and St Regis Hong Kong in the next two weeks

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I’ve been viewing the other hotel forums such as Hilton where people seem so pleased to get an extension on their checkout and a one category upgrade as a top tier which pales into comparison as to how Marriott treats their elites.

 

[marks]

Status: Platinum Elite,
Property: Midnight Hotel CBR
Date: Tue 04 Jul - 06 Jul
Booked: Midnight Classic
Received: Midnight Lounge

Hi Team,
I stay here monthly when in CBR. Close to the office in Civic. Great restaurants nearby. Bar and restaurant are good quality. Would prefer a desk but good for what I do on the road.
BUT
The breakfast used to be great. Unless you book a B&B rate, there is a cold continental breakfast only with Platinum.
It used to be select one menu item and a barista coffee. That was great and made it my preference for CBR.
Now it is a cold continental breakfast, and toast or pastries. Filter coffee.
Proper Coffee and a hot breakfast is at the menu price. No discount or upgrade option available.

I raised it with the reception but there doesn't seem to be any difference for status members. They did mention they are trialing this change. I'm not confident it will change back.
While the CBR prices are a bit higher ATM, I might start looking for other properties.

Cheers.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

Status: Lifetime Titanium Elite - 1952 nights - 21 yrs Platinum Elite or Higher
Property: Midnight Hotel CBR
Date: Monday 03Jul - Wednesday 05Jul (2 nights)
Booked: Midnight Classic - 2 Rooms
Received: Midnight Junior Suite + Midnight Classic

Stayed at this hotel on numerous occassions since it's pre-Covid opening. The hotel was well known for taking care of its Elite customers. Unfortunately this visit confirmed the hotel has taken a massive step backwards in the service levels now being provided from the front of house to the restaurant.

There were 5 of us staying across two rooms at $300 per room per night - $1,200 in total + $60 for parking. The Platinum benefit of a continental breakfast is limited to 2 people and limited in quality of food and quality of service provided. Any barista coffees are a chargeable item. For the 2nd morning we went over the road to the 80/20 and paid for and enjoyed a quality breakfast.

The Midnight Hotel - Autograph Collection seriously needs to lift its game if it wants to competitive in the Canberra market.

 

[marks]

Just goes to show how important breakfast is to frequent travelers.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

Status: Lifetime Titanium Elite - 1952 nights - 21 yrs Platinum Elite or Higher
Property: Midnight Hotel CBR
Date: Monday 03Jul - Wednesday 05Jul (2 nights)
Booked: Midnight Classic - 2 Rooms
Received: Midnight Junior Suite + Midnight Classic

Stayed at this hotel on numerous occassions since it's pre-Covid opening. The hotel was well known for taking care of its Elite customers. Unfortunately this visit confirmed the hotel has taken a massive step backwards in the service levels now being provided from the front of house to the restaurant.

There were 5 of us staying across two rooms at $300 per room per night - $1,200 in total + $60 for parking. The Platinum benefit of a continental breakfast is limited to 2 people and limited in quality of food and quality of service provided. Any barista coffees are a chargeable item. For the 2nd morning we went over the road to the 80/20 and paid for and enjoyed a quality breakfast.

The Midnight Hotel - Autograph Collection seriously needs to lift its game if it wants to competitive in the Canberra market.

One additional to the post regarding the Midnight Hotel in Canberra is while the 1,000 points local amenity selected at check-in credits very quickly to members Bonvoy accounts the points earned for the stays can take up to a week to post and on some occasions require a follow-up via the Bonvoy Ambassador...

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

A couple of recent stays as an Ambassador

Ritz Carlton Melbourne;
Booked: basic
received: unsure

Marriott members get few benefits but if you’re ready to embrace that then it’s a great property. The service is exceptional at every interaction. The location isn’t ideal for me so will stay here every so often. I took a video instead of photos of the room but other reviews do it justice. As an Ambassador I got a cheese plate, two beers and a decent Pinot noir as a welcome amenity.

The bar opens from Wednesday onwards but I found the lobby bar suitable but it does close at 10pm.



St Regis Hong Kong
Booked: basic room
Received: top floor corner room

Another exceptional Marriott property with customer service at the forefront of all interactions. The customer service manager gave a great rundown of all onsite amenities and food and drink offerings.

As they are looking for corporate guests this hotel was offering double points.

The 5.30pm ritual in the bar is a great experience

Breakfast is fully a la carte which means you have to be up earlier to make your choice and eat and be in the office on time but I had the Japanese breakfast most days. Plenty of Western and Asian options and it’s unlimited all accompanied by a warm bakery basket and fruit platter.



For a true road warrior, I will continue to emphasise the tangible benefits that Marriott offers over other brands.

 

[mattr00]

Status: Platinum Elite + FHR
Property: W Melbourne
Date: Sunday 30 July - 31 Monday 31 July
Booked: Cozy King (I think)
Received: Mega King (Corner)

First time here as a Plat. FHR $100USD credit translated to $130AUD. FHR welcome gift was a milk chocolate spray can thing. Breakfast was an $80ish credit for 2 (a la carte).

Room upgrade was an interesting one. The night before the app showed a Fabulous room (2 cat upgrade). The morning of it then became a Marvelous Suite. After OLCI it went down to the Mega King which was the one received. Who knows what was going on there but didn't feel like pressing too much at the time (mistake). I suspect it's because I put down my arrival at 2pm.

I'm not sure if this is the same for all Mega Rooms, but mine was located right next to the cleaner's storage room. The room's got this weird L shape layout with a long corridor, so the storage room ended up being directly behind the bed. Unfortunately, this means the room was not exactly quiet during the day. There was also this weird clacking noise more or less the whole time which ended up being super annoying as well.

Service wise was really good. IRD was quick. Staff at Lollo were nice and food was pretty good. Always appreciate a la carte breakfast but buffet was also available. The staff asked if I'd like that as well (unsure if extra charge).

My advice to all is: avoid the Mega Room if you value sleep. I've got another reservation here in a month so will push for a different room. Not sure why I didn't ask for a room change at the time...the stay was meant to be sort of a reset but ended up being more tired after check out lol. 4pm checkout was honoured but I ended up leaving after lunch.

 

[dairyfloss]

Status: Gold Elite
Property: The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
Date: 22nd to 27th 26th Aug 2023
Rate: Points & Cash - 133,000 points + MYR 2,000 per night
Booked: 1 Bedroom Villa, 1 King, Beachfront, Private pool
Received: as booked

More a review than how we were treated as Elites (which we weren't), but here goes anyway!

We were initially excited about our stay at the Westin Langkawi, based on the images on the web, and generally positive reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere, however to say that we were disappointed with our stay would be a large understatement. Even with this being a points-subsidised stay, the value for money represented, based on the quality and condition of the villa and various other aspects of the resort is very poor; so much so, that we actually cut our stay short, and headed back to Singapore early to end our vacation at a property which cares about its condition & standards.

Here are some of the things we identified during our stay at the Westin Langkawi - There was a general state of disrepair throughout our beachfront villa (5002). Maintenance appears only to react to flagged issues, rather than proactively working with housekeeping or from other inspections that should be performed to resolve and improve the fixtures and fittings in the rooms.

• EVERY plantation shutter set in the villa was damaged or broken (and there was about 20 of these).
• Window drapes didn’t close properly in bedroom or lounge; tracks are not maintained and hooks broken.
• Air conditioning systems blow too hard, even on lowest fan setting; turn it off, and the room is too hot to stay in. Difficult to maintain comfort.
• Living area ceiling fan too noisy to be left running.
• A/C duct over dressing table damaged and leaking (condensation) onto table. Needed to leave a towel here throughout the stay.
• Various roof areas clearly water damaged and sagging (falling) and appeared unsafe.
• Multiple doors throughout squeaking and creaking loudly; and not closing neatly.
• Couldn’t push power plugs into universal power sockets; even the SG/MY type.
• LED lighting on the roof in the suite living area flickers/vibrates; initially caused headaches before realising what was happening.
• Wallpaper coming off walls at points throughout the villa. Possibly was never affixed properly.
• Large stains on the living area rug; somewhat hidden by the design… but needs replacement.
• Hot water labelling in shower and sinks was in reverse, and led to us not having a hot shower for the first couple of days. Not until maintenance came in and explained what they clearly already knew about the labelling did we leave the faucets running on the other side of the shower or sink tap to discover hot water. If they know - why leave them incorrectly labelled??
• Sinks in main bathroom & additional washroom off kitchen didn’t drain away. Maintenance called to address twice.
• One bathroom sink's incorporated metal plug not working at all
• Kitchen area sink had a tap faucet that was not affixed.
• Villa pool water often too warm to be enjoyed; the main reason we booked this room type.
• Light switches old and dirty, with stick-on Dymo type labelling amateur and confusing.
• Mould around pool area tiling near the villa, and on the external doors needs treating / doors repainted with suitable protective paint.
• Tiling around the pool very slippery and dangerous when wet. Not the right type of material for this area. Our young son had a couple of falls, even when being quite careful (not running).
• The fan above the outdoor daybed was very noisy, creaky and wobbling to the point of looking unsafe.

Elsewhere in the resort and service, things were somewhat better, however there are still some things that were of concern, whether due to safety or just quality or attention to detail

• Swimming at the [man made] rock pool was a favourite for our young son and us, but a number of times we were scratched and scraped due to poor warning of levelling changes and steps in the water, particularly where this occurred in the rougher ground areas. A few of these slips in otherwise seemingly flat areas drew blood from my son, but thankfully nothing too serious.
• Pool rails and ladders not affixed properly at both the rock pool and main pool
• Underwater stools at Splash pool bar not affixed properly to the pool base.
• Pool towels need to be much better laundered, or replaced altogether. Many (most) of the ones that we were given had a strong smell of mold (like an old canvas tent stored in a wet garage!), which was very unpleasant when using or lying on them
• At the end of our stay and on checking out (a day early); I was pained to hear that our transport arrangements to meet our MH flight, and which I had discussed and had confirmed in two separate discussions with front office staff were not made. We had intended to get away at a suitable time to meet our flight, but due to this mishandling, a car was not available until about 30 minutes later, putting pressure on the driver to get to the airport quickly, and causing some stress for us as we left and got underway. The transport was comped by the hotel, which is fair, however I would have preferred to pay the price, and have it be on time. Thankfully we made it with a little time to spare.

All this said, there was some good things, as well… like the people; The staff throughout were always friendly, attentive and got things done (transport matter aside). Housekeeping was done well. My son loved being picked up by the friendly buggy drivers who would take us to breakfast with a little tour of the resort and surrounds (incl. places where the monkeys hung out) on the way. My wife had a long spa session and speaks very highly of her experience there. Our drivers to and from the airport were also great – though these are an external arrangement. The location and outlook from the villa and resort amenities is also very good; there’s always something special about being at a nice beach location at sunset.

F&B was good for the most part, particularly when it came to local dishes and specialties, however a few issues with the many chefs-in-training at breakfast meant a few re-makes had to be done with things like egg dishes (overcooked, undercooked, or ingredients misunderstood).

Fair to say that we are not planning to return anytime soon… but should there be a full restoration or renovation of the resort in the future, it might be enough – perhaps - to have us give it another go.

Somewhat conveniently, this was probably my last Bonvoy stay, burning points ahead of a shift to Accor ALL. I've had some amazing experiences with Bonvoy around the world and over the years, but the transition away has been made easy with this one!

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[marks]

Thank you for the info @dairyfloss . I have wanted to get to langkawi and had plans for 2020 in the Westin.

 

[dairyfloss]

Thank you for the info @dairyfloss . I have wanted to get to langkawi and had plans for 2020 in the Westin.

Maybe try the St Regis next door - different owner and looked to be in better shape from the brief visit we made, while looking for F&B alternatives. If you don’t need to stay with Bonvoy, there are other better options as well

 

[dairyfloss]

Status: Gold Elite
Property: The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
Date: 22nd to 27th 26th Aug 2023
Rate: Points & Cash - 133,000 points + MYR 2,000 per night
Booked: 1 Bedroom Villa, 1 King, Beachfront, Private pool
Received: as booked

More a review than how we were treated as Elites (which we weren't), but here goes anyway!

We were initially excited about our stay at the Westin Langkawi, based on the images on the web, and generally positive reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere, however to say that we were disappointed with our stay would be a large understatement. Even with this being a points-subsidised stay, the value for money represented, based on the quality and condition of the villa and various other aspects of the resort is very poor; so much so, that we actually cut our stay short, and headed back to Singapore early to end our vacation at a property which cares about its condition & standards.

Here are some of the things we identified during our stay at the Westin Langkawi - There was a general state of disrepair throughout our beachfront villa (5002). Maintenance appears only to react to flagged issues, rather than proactively working with housekeeping or from other inspections that should be performed to resolve and improve the fixtures and fittings in the rooms.

• EVERY plantation shutter set in the villa was damaged or broken (and there was about 20 of these).
• Window drapes didn’t close properly in bedroom or lounge; tracks are not maintained and hooks broken.
• Air conditioning systems blow too hard, even on lowest fan setting; turn it off, and the room is too hot to stay in. Difficult to maintain comfort.
• Living area ceiling fan too noisy to be left running.
• A/C duct over dressing table damaged and leaking (condensation) onto table. Needed to leave a towel here throughout the stay.
• Various roof areas clearly water damaged and sagging (falling) and appeared unsafe.
• Multiple doors throughout squeaking and creaking loudly; and not closing neatly.
• Couldn’t push power plugs into universal power sockets; even the SG/MY type.
• LED lighting on the roof in the suite living area flickers/vibrates; initially caused headaches before realising what was happening.
• Wallpaper coming off walls at points throughout the villa. Possibly was never affixed properly.
• Large stains on the living area rug; somewhat hidden by the design… but needs replacement.
• Hot water labelling in shower and sinks was in reverse, and led to us not having a hot shower for the first couple of days. Not until maintenance came in and explained what they clearly already knew about the labelling did we leave the faucets running on the other side of the shower or sink tap to discover hot water. If they know - why leave them incorrectly labelled??
• Sinks in main bathroom & additional washroom off kitchen didn’t drain away. Maintenance called to address twice.
• One bathroom sink's incorporated metal plug not working at all
• Kitchen area sink had a tap faucet that was not affixed.
• Villa pool water often too warm to be enjoyed; the main reason we booked this room type.
• Light switches old and dirty, with stick-on Dymo type labelling amateur and confusing.
• Mould around pool area tiling near the villa, and on the external doors needs treating / doors repainted with suitable protective paint.
• Tiling around the pool very slippery and dangerous when wet. Not the right type of material for this area. Our young son had a couple of falls, even when being quite careful (not running).
• The fan above the outdoor daybed was very noisy, creaky and wobbling to the point of looking unsafe.

Elsewhere in the resort and service, things were somewhat better, however there are still some things that were of concern, whether due to safety or just quality or attention to detail

• Swimming at the [man made] rock pool was a favourite for our young son and us, but a number of times we were scratched and scraped due to poor warning of levelling changes and steps in the water, particularly where this occurred in the rougher ground areas. A few of these slips in otherwise seemingly flat areas drew blood from my son, but thankfully nothing too serious.
• Pool rails and ladders not affixed properly at both the rock pool and main pool
• Underwater stools at Splash pool bar not affixed properly to the pool base.
• Pool towels need to be much better laundered, or replaced altogether. Many (most) of the ones that we were given had a strong smell of mold (like an old canvas tent stored in a wet garage!), which was very unpleasant when using or lying on them
• At the end of our stay and on checking out (a day early); I was pained to hear that our transport arrangements to meet our MH flight, and which I had discussed and had confirmed in two separate discussions with front office staff were not made. We had intended to get away at a suitable time to meet our flight, but due to this mishandling, a car was not available until about 30 minutes later, putting pressure on the driver to get to the airport quickly, and causing some stress for us as we left and got underway. The transport was comped by the hotel, which is fair, however I would have preferred to pay the price, and have it be on time. Thankfully we made it with a little time to spare.

All this said, there was some good things, as well… like the people; The staff throughout were always friendly, attentive and got things done (transport matter aside). Housekeeping was done well. My son loved being picked up by the friendly buggy drivers who would take us to breakfast with a little tour of the resort and surrounds (incl. places where the monkeys hung out) on the way. My wife had a long spa session and speaks very highly of her experience there. Our drivers to and from the airport were also great – though these are an external arrangement. The location and outlook from the villa and resort amenities is also very good; there’s always something special about being at a nice beach location at sunset.

F&B was good for the most part, particularly when it came to local dishes and specialties, however a few issues with the many chefs-in-training at breakfast meant a few re-makes had to be done with things like egg dishes (overcooked, undercooked, or ingredients misunderstood).

Fair to say that we are not planning to return anytime soon… but should there be a full restoration or renovation of the resort in the future, it might be enough – perhaps - to have us give it another go.

Somewhat conveniently, this was probably my last Bonvoy stay, burning points ahead of a shift to Accor ALL. I've had some amazing experiences with Bonvoy around the world and over the years, but the transition away has been made easy with this one!

Cheers,
Matt.

Just a quick follow up from this, which I hadn’t expected so soon… I gave the same feedback as posted above to the property just yesterday, and to their credit, they appear to be taking it seriously, arranging for hotel and ops management to review what I have said, and also offered me a bunch of points as a token of appreciation for the time taken to prepare and provide the feedback as I did.

I’ve accepted that token, which I’ll bundle with my few remaining Bonvoy points on a night or two somewhere more basic on a ‘boys weekend’ or something.

Cheers,
Matt.