W Budapest’s Post

For a Hotel Aficionado like myself, the World's Greatest AMBASSADOR elite of Marriott Bonvoy, REVIEWS play a paramount role in my decision to chose which Marriott Hotels to stay with Marriott International. They are are an important tool in my arsenal. I do rigorous and meticulous research before booking a hotel so that I don't end up regretting my choice. The most prominent resources are Google reviews and Tripadvisor. The reason why I made such a huge mistake with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts COLOMBO was that it was a brand new hotel that opened on 30th Dec, 2023. Not a single review was posted on either google/tripadvisor, nor any of points and blog websites that I read often like Prince of Travel, The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time and others. In essence I was flying blind and disaster struck. In the case of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Mega Kuningan, I read a lot of reviews and carefully weighed the pros and cons before making a decision. Almost all reviews unanimously recommended to only book the renovated rooms. Many had complained about the service standards. One review I thought was really insightful and awesome, was from 'Suitesmile' which documented the fact that Ritz Jakarta ( Both Mega Kuningan and Pacific Place) were giving local subpar products masquerading in Asprey amenities. I give a lot of credit to that writer, like myself, he called out the nonsense and trickery of this, the unethical nature of doing so and even confronted the Director of rooms and was told that there was some 'import' issues. As I mentioned earlier, after my own research, that makes no sense because The Ritz-Carlton, Bali has Asprey, ergo no import problems, its 'Cost Cutting' and treacherous attitude. Why did I end up going to Ritz Jakarta after reading all this? I had a great conversation with the FOM Benecia Avilla Siahaya who prior to me even booking, was very helpful and gave me Ritz Carlton Suite upgrade and Complementary Lounge access. So the renovated room part issue was handled. As for the bad service, I took a chance, essentially a leap of faith, thinking that they would assign me the best person and that part I was proven right, thanks to my personal butler Deri saputra who took excellent care of me. In hindsight, even though there were multiple problems with Ritz Jakarta, it was negated because I took the necessary precautions and was prepared for every eventuality thanks to the reviews I read. Ergo, I don't regret Ritz Jakarta, but SHERATON COLOMBO I regret big time and I wish I never went there. To anyone out there, looking for a Honest, candid review of SHERATON COLOMBO, I say to you, SPARE YOURSELF THE MISERY!!It's a horrible hotel with atrociously incompetent and useless staff. Don't waste your money. Instead, I highly recommend Courtyard by Marriott Colombo which has a much superior service and excellent staff who will take good care of you. Please, don't make my mistake. Spare yourself the agony. Sheraton Colombo should never have opened.

Crafting personalized environments. Forget generic settings. Imagine walking into a hotel room where all housekeeping interventions & guest experience interactions feel like they were designed just for you. Because they were. It’s about understanding what truly matters: the human need for connection and comfort. Focusing on the details that often go unnoticed—the things that make a space feel "right". At Sava Hoteli Bled we're constantly evolving, not to brag about being the best, but because our guests deserve an experience that’s uniquely theirs. "Staycations" aren't just about staying somewhere; it’s about belonging. And we’re building that future one guest at a time. #Sava_Hoteli_Bled #GuestExperience #Housekepping #AttentionToDetail #HospitalityVibes Sava Hoteli Bled Sava Hotels & Resorts .

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Communication: Establish and maintain effective communication with other hotel departments, such as housekeeping, front desk and management. Collaborate with various departments to ensure seamless guest experiences. #hotel #hotels #hoteles #resort #resorts #luxury #luxuryhotel #luxuryresort #travel #luxurytravel #luxurylifestyle #hotellife #luxuryhotels #travelgram #boutiquehotel #vacation #holiday #interiordesign #hospitality #instatravel

Most people don't realize this, heck, most Marriott International hoteliers have barely heard about this, but there is a so called SECRET tier of Marriott Bonvoy called 'COBALT'!!Now obviously, it ain't much of a secret because the information is out there if one wants to find, but its strictly an Invitation only status, just like American Airlines 'Concierge Key', Delta Air Lines 'Delta 360' and United Airlines 'United Global services' which are all invite only!!The only other Invite program that I am aware of in the Hotel space is Hyatt Hotels Corporation 'Courtesy Card'. Now, how does Cobalt status of Marriott Hotels work? Let's go back in History before bonvoy was created. It started as the vestige of the erstwhile Ritz Carlton Rewards of the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. where there was an invite only Cobalt status. Also, Marriott rewards back then had a special status called 'Platinum Five Star' which you could get only at the behest of JW Marriott Jr a.k.a Bill Marriott himself. After the merger with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., rumor has it they planned to have an official Cobalt status but chose to keep it a secret status, again, only issued by none other than Anthony Capuano himself. The obvious question is, what does this Status entail? Meaning, what are the benefits? I saw some rubrics, and it seems, the person gets all the Ambassador benefits plus two core items. - Complimentary access to Club lounge in Ritz - Meet and greet with the General Manager That's rather disappointing because as the World's Greatest Ambassador elite, I Ivin Oommen already get complimentary access to Club Lounges in Ritz on account of my incredible loyalty and I meet the GM of any property I stay unless I don't specifically want to. There was no GM at the time I was staying in The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Mega Kuningan, But I met the GM of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts Colombo, Courtyard by Marriott Colombo and Fairfield by Marriott Mumbai International Airport in 2024. Again, in true Marriott fashion, I feel they are shortchanging this cobalt status. I have made no secret of the fact over the years that even Ambassadors are getting the short end of the stick and there needs to be so much more done to elevate it. ( Wrote an entire article on how to improve Ambassador status) The question I have is, how many Cobalt members are there? In all the articles I have read, no one seems to know anyone. But I have heard of a few checking in. It is indeed very rare and discreet. Would I like to become COBALT? Without a question!! Do I think it has the appropriate benefits? Hell No!!Haha. But I would still like to scale the mountain so to speak. Tony, there is no one loyal to Marriott more than myself, My Birthday is in less than a month, 29th April. Cobalt status would be a nice Birthday gift, wouldn't you say? Though technically, I already have all the Cobalt benefits, but it would be nice to officially have a status that is rare & invitation only

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It has been quite sometime since I was thinking 'blimey' as I walked into a hotel lobby. Hotel Indigo Karuizawa is beautiful. The design fits the surrounding area wonderfully. IHG’s boutique brand, Hotel Indigo, has gained some attention for its unique approach to hospitality, but how well does the theory work in practice? Hotel Indigo was built on the promise of delivering an authentic, neighborhood-inspired experience. Each hotel is designed to reflect the local culture, offering guests a sense of discovery. This has helped the brand resonate with travelers seeking personalized experiences, and a degree of local immersion in a market that is rapidly heading in that direction at most levels of business. Added to that, is the quieter approach to luxury where customers might shy away from the more 'obvious' choices within the IHG and Marriott portfolios specifically. If you measure success through the expanding global footprint, particularly in urban but also in 'off the main path' areas, then you can call things a success as openings continue at pace. Blending comfort and culture is a challenge in itself and the naturally personalized service can be a double-edged sword in the sense that what you gain in personalization you can lose in consistency. I visited two locations last week and they are very, very different properties but there is a consistent theme amongst them. Both have very strong F&B solutions and tap into the best thing in that area. The view from the Shibuya locations is incredible from the spacious deck and the hot springs and spa in Karuizawa slip seamlessly into the quite calm luxury of the area. The key for IHG will be to retain the value and values of the brand. Success breeds strange decisions in the complex world of hotel ownership and management and there'll be a temptation and risk to badge hotels Hotel Indigo but then not follow through 100% with the whole experience, something it can be argued W suffered from. #Hospitality #CustomerExperience