On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:52:49 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

Don't all hotels do this?

I used to think that, but not so much now. Best Western I think is
noticably bad.

That is a paid for franchise / branding operation, pure and simple.


Other groups, I think that there is more of an effort
on service.

For example, Radisson is generally what it says on the tin, as is
Hilton and Holiday Inn with a few notable exceptions.

Those that are groups with brands at different price points and styles
have reasonable consistency - e.g. Accor, Starwood for each brand.
Sometimes the knowledge of that is useful, especially when looking at
a new destination without having prior knowledge. For example,
Radisson has free internet connection and it almost always works well.
Sofitel is usually good standard - there are excellent ones as in
Amsterdam and appalling ones as in Vienna and Madrid. These get
added to the 'never again'' list.


They game the system so as to get the maximum number
of stars. IME, this has very little to do with the quality of the hotel.


Smaller individual hotel groups with just a few or even one are very
often a good bet, but can be a risk in that there is no comparison.

Up to a point, Tripadvisor can be useful. However, one has to ignore
reviews by holidaymakers who don't use hotels regularly and will accept
anything, and Harry and Martha from Duluth who really should have
stayed at home.


I like www.activehotels.co.uk.

Got an excellent night here http://snipurl.com/1tcm8 for 50 quid inc.
Bfst, free internet and VAT on Monday night.


(BTW, we used to stay in the Novotel in Aulnay because it was close to the
office. I used to put off booking a room until the last minute in the hope it
would be full, so I could stay in Porte de Bagnolet - still a Novotel, but you
can get into Paris on the Metro.)


In Paris you can't beat the "Meditel" in Bvd. Montparnasse. But you
need to have somebody in the Medical Maf// industry book you in.

DG

On 2007-11-08 21:07:52 +0000, Derek Geldard said:

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:52:49 +0000, Andy Hall
wrote:

Don't all hotels do this?

I used to think that, but not so much now. Best Western I think is
noticably bad.

That is a paid for franchise / branding operation, pure and simple.

Yes, and it shows.

The brand is tarnished, as far as I am concerned because disappointment
rate to date has been 100%.

Up to a point, Tripadvisor can be useful. However, one has to ignore
reviews by holidaymakers who don't use hotels regularly and will accept
anything, and Harry and Martha from Duluth who really should have
stayed at home.


I like www.activehotels.co.uk.

Yes I've used that one too.





Got an excellent night here http://snipurl.com/1tcm8 for 50 quid inc.
Bfst, free internet and VAT on Monday night.

That's excellent. It is certainly worth looking beyond the * ratings
at what exactly is on offer. Certainly this is true outside of
major cities. For example, one of the * criteria is some kind of a
shop - I could care less about that.





(BTW, we used to stay in the Novotel in Aulnay because it was close to the
office. I used to put off booking a room until the last minute in the hope it
would be full, so I could stay in Porte de Bagnolet - still a Novotel, but you
can get into Paris on the Metro.)


In Paris you can't beat the "Meditel" in Bvd. Montparnasse. But you
need to have somebody in the Medical Maf// industry book you in.

DG


Well there is always the George V.

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-11-08 04:36:12 +0000, John Rumm
said:
Andy Hall wrote:

If you are reduced to staying in a Novotel, then that says it all.

I have fond memories of going to the computer shows at the one in
Hammersmith when I was a kid.... however even then I could not
imagine wanting to stay in one!

That particular one is spectacularly bad. I think it's probably
its position in relation to central London and also a a large
conference hotel of about 600 rooms that saves its bacon. Even so, at a
best
unrestricted rate of £110, it isn't cheap either. There are much
better places for about the same.

Don't think its still a Novotel, or pehaps it wasn't a Novotel in the past,
but I know it well.

Back in the 70's when pressure washers were a real good earner we used to
stay there when doing the Smithfield Show, Motor Show etc at Earls Court or
Olympia.

One night in the restaurant I ordered something with mushrooms only to be
told they had run out of mushrooms. My mate ordered something else in a
mushroom sauce no problem. I queried this, to be told that dish he wanted
was available because the sauce came in a tin!

We abandoned the restaurant & went for a curry. On the way back, much the
worse for drink, we found a supermarket still open & bought a huge bag of
mushrooms, which we donated to the reception desk - don't think they got the
joke somehow.

Agreed though, Novotel are rubbish for the price.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:55:07 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Agreed though, Novotel are rubbish ...

Or, in a word "French".

DG

On 2007-11-10 00:12:29 +0000, Derek Geldard said:

On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:55:07 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Agreed though, Novotel are rubbish ...

Or, in a word "French".

DG

That's a bit unfair. There are some very good hotels in France, but
they are mostly the non chain ones. Anything that Accor has below the
Sofitel brand is fairly ****e. It's better to go for the
independent ones.

In article ,
says...
Agreed though, Novotel are rubbish for the price.

Having worked on various things behind the scenes in many hotels I avoid
them all like the plague. They're universally horrid, not just for the
"guests" but for the staff, too. Hotels grind everyone down. Nasty nasty
places.

--
Skipweasel.
Never knowingly understood.