How does Accor treat you as an Elite guest?

[Cloud9]

I went to this hotel in December last year, where my status with Classic and I found the staff's lack of warmth and manners extremely jarring. I ended up giving the hotel a poor review because of several incidents relating to noise outside, not being able to use points at checkout, and a staff member making the most hostile faces at the bar. I did take it up with Accor corporate (mostly because I couldn't use points at checkout) and was given 1,000 points as an apology.

That said, the hotel is perfectly reasonable as a Novotel. The buffet is efficent, the room is well equipped, and I don't know if I'd stay there again, but the location was terrific (I do think they should have earplugs... but that's another topic for another time)

The people of the Baltics are, as you said, reserved, direct, and a tad brisque. Still, Vilnius is probably the more international out of the three Baltic capitals. I heard Polish, Lithuanian, German, Ukrainian, English, etc. I found the Palace rather excellent in Vilnius, and the Cathedral has a gorgeous exterior but a bit dark inside. Nice walking around the city. Riga and Tallinn have greater old towns, yet are also smaller, with a strong Russian presence with prominently located embassies and churches. Vilnius was the only Baltic capital where I did not hear Russian.

Not to be brusque, but it isn't brisque.

 

[SYD]

Wish those Baltic hotel reviews had been posted 6 mths ago. I couldn’t convince myself the Accor offerings were in the nest locations (especially Tallinn). So we went with independent places via QF Hotels.

Driving Tallinn to Vilnius next month.

 

[Seat0B]

Wish those Baltic hotel reviews had been posted 6 mths ago. I couldn’t convince myself the Accor offerings were in the nest locations (especially Tallinn). So we went with independent places via QF Hotels.

Driving Tallinn to Vilnius next month.

Sorry @SYD. I have no real excuse other than a run of my own ill health - that UTI turned out to be multi-resistant and took more than 4 weeks to recover from, and then it was the was the first of sequence of them that also took a long time to get over , then all the stress associated with Seat Son's wedding and the impacts of the Trump War, and then my Mum's stroke and brush with sepsis....it has been a very strange 12 months, which I am privately calling my year of great discombobulation. So posting has been low on my agenda. Just starting to get back to it now.

That said, we loved all three of the Baltic cities. They are each very different in feel, but each worth the visit in their own right. We travelled by train, so I don;t have any suggestions re driving. I guess you could look to see the value proposition at each of the Accor places if your QF hotels are free cancellation, but honestly, I think the independent places will also be very good and probably a touch more local. If you think there is anything else I can tell you about Tallinn (and the ferry to Helsinki), Riga or Vilnius that you can't find on YouTube or elsewhere, do drop me a line.

Edit to add: yes the location in Tallinn was not the most central, but it was OK - we don;t mind a 20 min walk through the modern city (or even less if you take a tram) to the old city. The other 2 were well located for the old towns and activities, but not great from the stations - a common thing in the old soviet towns

 

[Cloud9]

Sorry @SYD. I have no real excuse other than a run of my own ill health - that UTI turned out to be multi-resistant and took more than 4 weeks to recover from, and then it was the was the first of sequence of them that also took a long time to get over , then all the stress associated with Seat Son's wedding and the impacts of the Trump War, and then my Mum's stroke and brush with sepsis....it has been a very strange 12 months, which I am privately calling my year of great discombobulation. So posting has been low on my agenda. Just starting to get back to it now.

That said, we loved all three of the Baltic cities. They are each very different in feel, but each worth the visit in their own right. We travelled by train, so I don;t have any suggestions re driving. I guess you could look to see the value proposition at each of the Accor places if your QF hotels are free cancellation, but honestly, I think the independent places will also be very good and probably a touch more local. If you think there is anything else I can tell you about Tallinn (and the ferry to Helsinki), Riga or Vilnius that you can't find on YouTube or elsewhere, do drop me a line.

Edit to add: yes the location in Tallinn was not the most central, but it was OK - we don;t mind a 20 min walk through the modern city (or even less if you take a tram) to the old city. The other 2 were well located for the old towns and activities, but not great from the stations - a common thing in the old soviet towns

Bloody hell, mate. That UTI sounds like it was REALLY taking the piss.

Glad you're mended.

 

[Seat0B]

I went to this hotel in December last year, where my status with Classic and I found the staff's lack of warmth and manners extremely jarring. I ended up giving the hotel a poor review because of several incidents relating to noise outside, not being able to use points at checkout, and a staff member making the most hostile faces at the bar. I did take it up with Accor corporate (mostly because I couldn't use points at checkout) and was given 1,000 points as an apology.

That said, the hotel is perfectly reasonable as a Novotel. The buffet is efficent, the room is well equipped, and I don't know if I'd stay there again, but the location was terrific (I do think they should have earplugs... but that's another topic for another time)

The people of the Baltics are, as you said, reserved, direct, and a tad brisque. Still, Vilnius is probably the more international out of the three Baltic capitals. I heard Polish, Lithuanian, German, Ukrainian, English, etc. I found the Palace rather excellent in Vilnius, and the Cathedral has a gorgeous exterior but a bit dark inside. Nice walking around the city. Riga and Tallinn have greater old towns, yet are also smaller, with a strong Russian presence with prominently located embassies and churches. Vilnius was the only Baltic capital where I did not hear Russian.

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with the Novotel in Vilnius. We were quite lucky that our room faced the front/non-restaurant area side of the hotel and so we were not disturbed by noise.

I agree, the staff approach really was quite off putting! We did not feel that welcomed until our more positive interactions with the bar tender on the second night. It was much softer in Riga and very international in Tallinn. Anyway, we loved Vilnius as a place, and in the end had some very nice interactions with local people out an about the city, so I would go back there again for sure.

 

[Seat0B]

Bloody hell, mate. That UTI sounds like it was REALLY taking the piss.

Glad you're mended.

Actually it was really not taking the Pi55 that was the problem. The pain was indescribable. And the fever, pain in the kidneys, nausea.... I really thought we were going to have to contact the travel insurer about changing our flights home - which would be the first time I have ever had to do that in 50 years of international travel. But the non-targeted antibiotics were good enough to get me home, for more treatment with an ever stronger array of antibiotics. Not something I was keen to repeat in a hurry, but I did not even get that blessing. Ah well, it has been 5 months now with none, so maybe just maybe it is behind me

 

[Cloud9]

Actually it was really not taking the Pi55 that was the problem. The pain was indescribable. And the fever, pain in the kidneys, nausea.... I really thought we were going to have to contact the travel insurer about changing our flights home - which would be the first time I have ever had to do that in 50 years of international travel. But the non-targeted antibiotics were good enough to get me home, for more treatment with an ever stronger array of antibiotics. Not something I was keen to repeat in a hurry, but I did not even get that blessing. Ah well, it has been 5 months now with none, so maybe just maybe it is behind me

I understand. I ate in Glasgow when I was a kid.

That was post every meal...

(Serious note: Jeeeeeeezus, you poor bugger, many hugs)

 

[MARTINE]

Just watching those Sofitel ads with Gillian Anderson — clearly great service reserved for the A-listers if my last few experiences anything to go by

 

[Cloud9]

Just watching those Sofitel ads with Gillian Anderson — clearly great service reserved for the A-listers if my last few experiences anything to go by

Where are these adverts to be found for those of us who don't watch TV?

 

[MARTINE]

Where are these adverts to be found for those of us who don't watch TV?

All night tonight on SBS - watching French drama ‘The Brigade’ - love it

 

[Cloud9]

All night tonight on SBS - watching French drama ‘The Brigade’ - love it

You do you, bro. You do you.

 

[SYD]

Sorry @SYD. I have no real excuse other than a run of my own ill health - that UTI turned out to be multi-resistant and took more than 4 weeks to recover from, and then it was the was the first of sequence of them that also took a long time to get over , then all the stress associated with Seat Son's wedding and the impacts of the Trump War, and then my Mum's stroke and brush with sepsis....it has been a very strange 12 months, which I am privately calling my year of great discombobulation. So posting has been low on my agenda. Just starting to get back to it now.

That said, we loved all three of the Baltic cities. They are each very different in feel, but each worth the visit in their own right. We travelled by train, so I don;t have any suggestions re driving. I guess you could look to see the value proposition at each of the Accor places if your QF hotels are free cancellation, but honestly, I think the independent places will also be very good and probably a touch more local. If you think there is anything else I can tell you about Tallinn (and the ferry to Helsinki), Riga or Vilnius that you can't find on YouTube or elsewhere, do drop me a line.

Edit to add: yes the location in Tallinn was not the most central, but it was OK - we don;t mind a 20 min walk through the modern city (or even less if you take a tram) to the old city. The other 2 were well located for the old towns and activities, but not great from the stations - a common thing in the old soviet towns

All good! Like I said, we booked 5-6mths ago. Hopefully we have made some decent choices re Hotels.

OT: but we’re pretty clear what / where we’re going as we zig zag north to south. Funnily, a friend from the US just did the south to north route also.