How to feel like a queen even if your'e broke (Feb 22)

One - win a two night stay at the plush Peninsula Hongkong with $HKG 4k worth of whole day spa treatment Two - be lucky enough to be a director of an organization who suddenly decided to have a planning conference in the same city and voila! It was more than a welcome respite from all the past months challenges.




Upon arrival at Hongkong airport, had to take a photo of this typical chinese New Year decor. It was still chinese new year fever in the country when I arrived. I re read my email instruction from the hotel and proceeded to the next terminal where the Peninsula Hotel counter is located.

True enough they were waiting for me. They thought I got lost. Actually I took my sweet time strolling and getting some tour brochures. The Pen staff then escorted me to the Rolls Royce which will take me to the hotel.

I can't help it of course but to request the driver to have a souvenir shot with the rolls which will take me to the pen :)

I continued to take some shots of the inside. I liked the mini cabinet under my seat but since I was using the seatbelt couldnt bend much to shoot. This photo is just one of the control panels.

The mini cabinet contained cold towels and evian water bottles.

My check in was done inside the bedroom. A hotel guest relations officer accompanied me to explain details of the room plus my stay including my pre-booking with the Spa.

I
I have a fetish for bathrooms. I love big clean ones with lots of amenities so this was really a wow! You have your own personal tv screen plus controls in front of the bath tub :)

The magic of technology, good thing my digi cam had a self timer so had fun taking photos of myself inside the various parts of the deluxe room.

Since I got delayed going to the hotel and I was really groggy from the trip (I hardly slept having to wake up at 5am), I was not able to use the gym but was accompanied straight to the Spa area to fill up some diagnostic form and change to my robe for a foot bath after which I was led to the pool dining area for my late lunch which came with the package. The pool and surrounding looks just like the one in our Wiesbaden hotel last October but this seem to be better.

Since I was alone in the place when I arrived, I was able to ask the waiter to take my photo.

The great thing about the place is the breathtaking view of the harbor while swimming and dining.

the whole place really reminds me of Wiesbaden, the color and design of furniture almost the same. The only difference is that germany didnt have the view of the harbor.

The first part of the gourmet will was a tomato soup but I forgot to take its photo. The second one is fish with lentils shown here.

To cap the meal is a fruity chocolate dessert.

A chamomile tea to help melt down the food.

This was the last view of the harbor before I was escorted to the SPA area.

After my therapist took discussed my treatment, and the facilities I can use inside this Private Suite, I had my photo taken against the jacuzzi and harbor scene.

Showered, took a steam batch for a few minutes before I plunged to the jacuzzi.

The cabinet was filled with various creams and scents I had to choose from before I was told what it really was. The therapist said it was what my body was partial too. Most of those I chose was on the rose scent side.

Ended very late at past 9pm. It was full detox so tiring too from a basic massage, to a seeweed wrap then hot lava stones and a final detox massage. Got so hungry after that I had to order some dinner when I got back to the room.

My last post on the Discovery Suites foul service

This will be my last post on the Discovery Suites unfortunate incidents. I checked out today but I just needed to share that on the average, any requests from room service, housekeeping to porterage must be followed up a couple of times before it they can act on it. Also, allow at least 45 mins to an hour. I called the service express number (what an understatement 'express') to request for a bucket of ice to be placed in my small igloo containing medication. I told them I was already checking out and the reason for the request.

My first request was around 12:50pm. We should check out by 1pm we were informed. I had to follow up five times with an angry tone on the last and guess what time the ice arrived? 1:35pm.


I just mentioned the last incident but there were more. When I was already checking out at the front desk, it took some time since apparently this infamous Hazel never gave instructions on our arrangement.

The first bill shown to me apparently only showed my stay last friday plus incidental expenses. I was suprised and asked how come I am not paying for my weekend stay package?

The front desk person was really nice and apologetic for he had to reprint again and tried to figure out how everything will tally. Apparently, the events staff never coordinated cause he was at a loss. He said he was just new so he was getting confused.

I believe it was not his fault. I pitied him for if the confirmations were in place everything would have been a breeze. I asked him to check with Hazel but he said she doesnt work on sundays. I suggested that he call her for she maybe the one at fault and when one works in a service institution he or she must be on call.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the welcome letter of the hotel was given to me only today, sunday. Funny! Since we had a session, I just read it when I left the hotel. Apparently the letter explained the check out time and other arrangements. Truly inefficient indeed!

What a topsy turvy procedure they have out there. It would be good to set up another similar hotel in the area with the right service and I am sure their occupancy will drop.

I am not sure how my concerns reached them but I found a small rose bouquet in my room last satruday evening with a note from the asst guest relations officer apologizing for sad experiences. I am not sure how it reached them (maybe my blog?) but I was not impressed. I never mentioned it to any of my colleagues in the weekend workshop/treatment.

First of all, what happened was not just one incident and by the magnitude, should not warrant a cursory note from just an assistant. I expected the GM to do such.

I still recall that I was surprised to receive an email from one of the plush hotels in Honkong late last year. I filled up the usual feedback form which gave an above average rating with some questions garnering an excellent mark except for one unfortunate incident with the concierge. Can you imagine that one tiny incident warranted a personal note from the hotel GM?

This Discovery Suites fiasco is by no means a minor matter.

During lunch we had a sort of graduation program and the hotel GM was present being a friend of one of the organizer and besides he knows many of the participants were high up in society with a splattering of some people in media.

I never mentioned anything. Why? Will they take notice just because of power, who you know, or status in society? I think all clients must be treated the same way, or at least accorded with the minimum expected in the hospitality industry.

Discovery Suites in general doesnt even come near to this minimum but very far down the pits!

More bad feedback re Discovery Suites...

A former officemate and a friend from media reacted to my recent post and shared their sad tales below:


On 1/21/07, Nora Nano wrote:

hi maan,

thanks for sharing. i have stayed at the discovery suites several times and highly recommended it to balikbayan relatives and friends after another friend recommended it too. service was very good, the rooms were nice and any problem reported was acted upon promptly. but those where the days when discovery suites was quite new.

last july, my moms brothers and sisters and neice rented several units for their use. I stayed with them for several days. I saw the difference in service. I reported the aircon of one rooms in the 2bedroom suite because it was hot and i couldn't sleep. no one seems to know the problem. they keep offerring a solution, but it doesn't work. i practically slept beside the thermostat to make sure the temperature wouldn't rise.. finally i told them to send someone to look at the problem. it took hours before someone came.

you mentioned something about the web rates and the actual charges... my cousin encountered the same. i think it has to do with the exchange rate. different rates were being used for different reasons. she even offered to pay in dollars, but again, computations were different. she wrote a letter to DOT(?) regarding her complaint. later, discovery suites was offerring her some free stay, etc. of course she wouldn't budge. no way for her to go back there.

my uncle from canada has been a frequent guest of the hotel for several years now. when he stays there, it is for extened periords - almost a month and he uses either a 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom unit. but i think he also encountered problems with the hotel in their last stay last july.

am copying them your rambling because i wouldn't want them to experience the same problemif they decide to check in at the discovery suites again. it is a pity because the location is really excellent for expats, and professionals with business in the ortigas area and balikbayans who want to shop in the nearby sm megamall and greenhills area.

regards and hope to see you again soon.

------
From: "relly carpio"

> hear! hear!
>
> and that is why after two bad experiences with presscons at that place
> i vowed never to attend any more events there.
>
> plus, i had a friend stay there when he visited manila, he left in the
> middle of the night and moved to another condotel in ortigas, after an
> experience that he simply described as "i'd rather not talk about it"
>
> nuff said.

Another terrible review of Discovery Suites

After I rambled about my terrible Discovery Suites experience, I tried to google reviews on this god forsaken establishment and I found similar complaints, see this review at Trip Advisor.