What *is* luxury? What makes a hotel 'luxurious' ? I asked myself this whilst staying here.
The hotel is part of the Luxury Collection, so based on that one would expect five-star service and a 'luxurious' hotel. Perhaps the best definition of luxury is that you feel pampered. I am sorry to say I did not feel pampered during my stay.
Obviously the location is one of the best in town, and absolutely perfect for shopping. The Westfield shopping centre is just a few blocks away, so are all the major stores. In addition you are away from the tourist crowds since this is downtown, and public transport is just a short walk away. If there is one place you will not need a car, it's this place.
I was checked in by Miss Lukewarm, who seemed very efficient but not a smile in sight. I am an SPG Plat and there was no mention of an upgrade, nor of any welcome amenities. Just a 'I need your credit card' and 'Here is your room key' transaction.
My luggage was brought up to my room by a friendly Bell Man, and I came to the conclusion that the Bell Men were in fact the friendliest staff in the hotel, for some unknown reason.
The room was (as it turned out later) an upgrade, but still seemed small according to US standards. The bathroom was nice, I do like lamps with lampshades in the bathroom! There is a fridge, but no items in the fridge. You can very easily hear noise from the corridor, for some reason the door provides zero noise insulation - so you hear every sound. If jetlagged it makes sleep difficult, if all you want to do is sleep during the day and you are constantly awoken by noises from the corridor.
When I stayed the hotel was at capacity and as a result Room Service were clearly overwhelmed. My food took quite a long time to arrive, but in return was very nice.
Collecting the room service trays was clearly not a priority - at one point my floor had trays outside many rooms, and even cutlery strewn all over the carpet. Some of the trays were just left on the carpet outside, with food remains on the tray - which is of course fine if collected promptly but not very hygienic if left for a long time. After many hours I noticed nothing had been done so had to resort to calling Room Service and prompting them to do a sweep of the whole floor. About an hour later someone did turn up, but at a purported Luxury establishment like this making that kind of call should simply not be necessary.
I had the signature crab omelette for breakfast and it was the most delicious omelette I have ever had. That, coupled with the beautifully-restored, opulent breakfast room made for a lovely breakfast experience. Service at breakfast was also very good.
The pool is nice enough, but nothing special. The jacuzzi is lovely, but very hot - you won't last for more than 10 minutes! There are carpets between the changing rooms and the pool area, probably a breeding ground for bacteria with everyone walking across with wet bare feet. Not very cleverly designed.
Overall I was left with a feeling that this hotel does not have the right identity and can't make up it's mind - is it a luxury hotel or a very good 4/5 star hotel? The surroundings suggest some luxury but the service and amenities say otherwise.
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