I bet I forgot to mention about my stay in intercontinental hotel.
My gf had a wedding there and she suggested that I could book my stay through her hotel coordinator to get some hotel discounted rate. So I emailed the staff to query about the room and type of room. At the same time, I checked the hotel website.
The "discounted" rate I got was SG$280++ (excluding tax etc) whereas the website was advertising the "AVERAGE" rate as SG$240++ under their luxury weekend package. You will NOT be able to see the individual daily breakdown rate until you book the room on the website. So I queried the staff as to why the discounted rate was actually MORE expensive than the internet (I expected it to be on par), if it was a different room or if its because its breakfast included.
The email reply I received annoyed me. Apart from describing the sort of rooms the hotel has, her parting shot was "You can book the room from internet." to my query on the rates discrepancy. So much for singapore "hotel service" and their so call wedding discount rates for guests.
I didnt want to hassle the bride with the issue so I went ahead to book the room via the internet. After confirmation, the rate stands at SG270++. However, I noticed the sunday rate was actually about $90 more expensive and I didnt have a say as to whether I want to accept that sunday stay because I couldnt see the daily breakdown rate AT ALL until the confirmation page!
When I saw the bride the day before the wedding, she told me something that surprised me. She said the website is more expensive because the average rate only applies to ONE ADULT PER ROOM. So the hotel actually charges extra $$ for another guest in the room, to a max of 3 adult per room. I said I saw the additional head count charge in very very fine print but I thought it was for the 3rd adult but she confirmed it was "as of 2nd guest".
I went back to read my confirmation printout and indeed, there is a SG$30 surcharge for the room. So that is why my room is SG$270+++. Although I was fine with the room rate, I think the whole internet booking with interconntinental is messy and website so illogically designed. Isnt it better to display the rate as "Single", "Twin Sharing" "Triple Sharin" under different room types to give a clearer room rate? Also, why have a Average rate displayed without showing the daily actual rate? I find the website deliberately misleading....
Anycase when i appeared in person at check in, the staff mentioned my whole stay including sunday is charged at $270++. I didnt ask why the internet booking stated otherwise but I am not about to question about a cheaper rate. I did ask about hotel discounted guest rate for the wedding and I was told that "my current rates" are actually better. Great. It proves my point that the hotel coordinator was not doing her job indeed. I questioned about possible late check out and they said it was impossible because the week is full of guests for conference.. ok...
Overall check in impression, the staff at check in were very polite and efficient, including the bell boy who brought my luggage up. So far so good....
The rooms in the hotel is spacious enough but I think the interior needed an overhaul. The wall paper are getting pretty old and dull looking. I could also spot dust at corners. The worse was that the bed mattress are so old that I can feel 2 sunken body shape on both sides.... Time to change their mattress.
The beds are not uncomfortable, but I just didnt like being "confine" in a mould that is so significant. I didnt like the shades either. The window are already pretty narrow by hotel standards and yet the stupid designer decide to place 2 pieces of blackout shade that is divided in the middle instead of a one piece blackout shade . Both the layers refuse to interlay over each other desoite my best effort and so we keep having day light shining through the gap every morning. Didnt help when the chambermaid keep pulling the curtains open everyday.
And the weirdest thing, the hair dryer is outside the bathroom and so if someone is sleeping, you will bound to wake up the person since there is no door to act as sound buffer. very strange design if u ask me.
Oh please do NOT eat at Olive Tree restauarant. Service is horrendous, lousy and worse, we saw roaches crawling at the breakfast table where the bread are. My husband even saw a tiny crocroach crawling in and out of the tooaster! Yucks!!!
I used to enjoy going to the buffet dinner at the Olive Tree around ten years ago, with the cosy seating, fresh seafood and delicious desserts, not to mention the fabulous cakes and pastries that are discounted after 8:30pm. Looks like it has gone to the dumps.
ReplyDeleteWell I guess a decade has changed alot of things. Not only was there roaches, the services was almost non existent and if there was, slow.
ReplyDeleteMy friend the bride had to remind the staff 3 times and waited over half over for a cup of tea. And the resturant was not full.
My husband asked for the price of croissant and tea for breakfast and was told $6.50++. He had to wait for 20mins and ask for his tea repeatedly 3 times as well. When he finished his meal, he was presented with a $10.50++ bill. When he queried the discrepancy, he was told the $6.50 was for takeaway which NO ONE bothered to tell him even when they sat him down. After he signed and was leaving, the waiter chased after him and told him it was the wrong bill, it should be $12.80++. WTF?!
This is way bad service.
Dumps is understatement, the whole place should be demolished and done away with. Its a DISGRACE to a be a hotel's representative restaurant....