[jj]

Most standalone winter sports policies don’t cover skiing off piste without a guide.

[jj]

To be fair, the ICPL is good value for Mayfair. Could it be better? Of course. Does it match the big name 5* hotels? Of course not. Is there a better alternative in the area for the same price? Not to my knowledge.

As for the lounge…I can’t imagine why anyone would use it. Even when I have free access from Emyr, I often skip it entirely.

ICPL is on the corner between Mayfair and Knightsbridge. I go there because it has some of the best restaurants and bars in the world. Why would I eat breakfast in the sterile, boring lounge when I could be in a splendid Knighstridge cafe? Why would I drink wine in the lounge when I could be enjoying the sophisticated buzz of one of Mayfair’s finest bars? It only costs a few £ more to do things properly.

Life is short. Live it to the full.

[jj]

I’d also suggest you look at the NOT (No Ordinary Things) hotel. It’s not a cheap option, but it’s small, intimate and very stylish with an important courtyard swimming pool that’s a great way to relax after a hot day sightseeing. It’s in a beautifully restored old industrial building, and the rooms are very quirky and individual; we had a record player and a selection vintage LPs from Greek artists in ours, for example. And they’re big on local products which gives a sense of place: think coffee cups from a local ceramicist, soap and toiletries from local artisans, sponge from the Dodecanese instead of a face cloth.

It’s the kind of hotel that reminds my why I prefer boutiques to the soulless big chains.

[jj]

@Tariq, the provided tea mugs are much too big for the small coffees produced by the Nespresso machines in the rooms.

The gym is modern, quiet, and well equipped if you like to use exercise machines. If you want to do things with free weights, like most hotel gyms, it’s pretty hopeless. But the hotel is right next to the park, so I usually run instead.

[jj]

Back to the original question, I think the ICPL is what is has always been: an exceptionally well located hotel that offers great value with pretty decent service.

It’s my go-to in London. There are better hotels, but they are much more expensive; there are cheaper hotels, but the compromises are too great.

Things I’d note are:

– Stay on a Mayfair floor. The others are very dated.
– Don’t book a basic room unless you are confident of an upgrade. The rooms aren’t huge, so, for a couple, I don’t like being in anything less than a one-bedroom suite.
– Staff on the door, in reception and at breakfast are universally great: they’re proactive, friendly and efficient, and they always remember my name. I like always being welcomed back by name with a bottle of water when I go out for a run, for example; it’s a small touch that makes a difference. Housekeeping is impeccable.
– Other service is more variable. Some lounge staff are great, but others are forgetful and amateur. Service in the bar is appallingly slow; go out instead, as Mayfair has countless great bars.
– Breakfast is poor. Bakery goods are mass produced; they have no strained Greek yogurt; coffee is execrable; omelette is consistently overcooked despite my requests. If breakfast is fee, eat what you can, but don’t pay for it, as Mayfair has some great cafes.
– The lounge is soulless and has some guests that are best described as weird. You only have one life, so out instead.
– The hotel is one of the more ugly buildings in London. Console yourself with the knowledge that you can’t see the grim facade from the inside.
– Decor is bland. The rooms are functional rather than beautiful, and, bizarrely, have coffee makers but no coffee cups.

The service charge is very annoying, but staff always point it out and emphasise that it’s discretionary. I always have good service, so I pay it with good grace. I’m much more likely to refuse to pay a service charge if it’s sneakily added to the bill in the hope that I don’t notice it. Unfortunately, this is a lost battle in London unless the government of OfT intervenes.

Overall, the ICPL has much more mojo than any of the Mayfair Marriotts or Hiltons, but it’s not what I would normally regard as a 5* property.

[jj]

I guess Barclays would say that a small and falling proportion of interactions are through the desktop site, and that it’s disproportionately expensive to support those use cases. It does seem like a very backward step to remove the ability to export transactions, but I suspect that very few personal accounts holders do that.

Can you access the data through a third part open banking solution?

[jj]

Just to warn you, Switzerland is grotesquely expensive. For example, skiing in Cervinia (Italy) last year, which shares slopes with Zermatt (Switzerland) saw restaurant prices literally double when the invisible line was crossed. The French alps are also very expensive, and most of the places with snow are ugly, purpose-built, soulless ski factories with noting to do but ski.

Personally, I would explore the Italian alps or Austria. Italy has food; Austria has history and culture. Both have charm in abundance and prices are reasonable. With a child in tow, Austria is probably better, as most of the Italian Alps are quite remote; in Austria, you could do day trips to castles, saltmines and caves, for example. Common things for non-skiers in ski resorts might include sledging (sometimes lift assisted), sleigh rides, walking, and gondola trips to mountain restaurants and viewing platforms. A helicopter tour of the mountains might be possible, too, and not as expensive as you might imagine – we managed a transfer/tour for 5 people in Italy for €600 last week, for example.

If you want to use Avios, your options for the mountains in those countries are Salzburg, Innsbruck, Milan, Venice.

[jj]

@truthbetold have both transactions fully cleared? Usually in those circumstances, one remains in a Pending state and disappears after a few worrying days.

[jj]

SEA is a great option for skiers. It offers onward flights to some hard-to-reach airports like Sun Valley, Boise, Bozeman, Jackson, Vail and Kelowna. The terrain in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and interior British Columbia is off-the-scale-crazy for advanced skiers; think, deep powder, steeps, glades and deserted bowls, a league apart from European off-piste. Many of those destinations are unreachable in a single day from the UK, so you de-risk buying a separate cash ticket for the onward leg with an overnight in SEA.

I have the Avios and the desire…if only I had the time!

[jj]

The ‘real’ price shown on the hotel’s own website was Option 1. This is a small hotel on a remote Greek island with no price sophistication: a standard seasonal tariff applies.

As @JDB will always tell you, small hotels will often discount if you ask politely. So I did that, and I beat the cheapest Option 2.

What offends me is the prominent “xxx% discount” message, when the pre-discount price has changed. That’s dishonest, and I don’t like dealing with dishonest businesses.

“My friend, this carpet is very, very special! I normally sell it for 25,000 gold coins, but you are a very special customer. For you, my friend, I can offer a special price of 20,000. But I cannot tell my wife that I have given you such a price, or she will go crazy.”

We gave up that nonsense centuries ago. Transparent pricing used to be a hallmark of civilisation.

[jj]

My family has suffered luggage delays on three separate skiing tips, albeit all with connections. Weather was a factor in two of those.

Worst issues I’ve seen were for the Maratona cycling sportive in Italy. More than half of the flight to VCE was cyclists, and the bikes had no chance of fitting in the hold. I was OK, but at least 20 were left on the tarmac, and there’s no way they arrived in time for the race. Every rental bike in northern Italy was already booked, so that was 20 ruined sportives. Pretty galling to win the entrance lottery, train for months, then leave your bike behind.

It taught me to always have a Plan B

[jj]

@The-real-Swiss-Tony, despite the superficially perfect conditions, some constraints must have applied: temperature, wind at altitude, ice on the runway, aircraft fault, for example. Aircraft will hit an operational limit at various thresholds, and you’re probably right that an A320CEO will hit it sooner than other types.

My point was a more general one: when going skiing, assume that disruption will happen and plan accordingly. A winter flight to Innsbruck will always be a high risk affair; even if the flight itself isn’t delayed, there’s a chance of roads becoming temporarily unusable. I’ve been in a 6hr traffic jam in Austria when motorway capacity has been restricted due to weather, and higher resorts can sometimes be totally cut off for days. The weather that draws us to the Alps creates its own obstacles.

Based on your posts, you’re very well travelled. I didn’t mean to sound abrupt earlier, but, while I understand your frustration, I would have expected a seasoned traveller to have simply chalked this up to experience.

[jj]

I’m surprised that you’re surprised that you had trouble at Innsbruck. Did you look out of the window on your flight? It’s about as difficult as any mainstream airport gets. Ask any AI the question, “How vulnerable is Innsbruck airport to weather conditions?” and the answer will be unequivocal.

If certainty is important, Munich or Venice are much safer bets. Even then you run the risk of road closures and being unable to travel. C21st technology is no match for Alpine weather conditions, so any trip to the mountains should be treated as being subject to disruption and plans should be made accordingly.

And I say that as someone hoping to fly to Bolzano next week.

[jj]

It’s the simple things.

My 2025 highlight was eating crispy whitebait, fried zucchini and tzatziki, and sipping ouzo under the shade of a tamarisk tree on a deserted white Cycladean beach; peasant food, but fresh and perfectly prepared, and I well remember the sting of the hot oil on my fingers, the smart of salt on my lips and the fragrance of the fresh lemon. My wife – 37 years together – was radiantly beautiful, and, with no phone or watch between us, we ate, drank, laughed, reminisced and celebrated life until sunset.

And I had change from EUR50.

[jj]

It was designed as a retention offer for new customers only. I’ve been refused it.

Another example of American Express treating twisters better than stickers.

[jj]

Super-glad I read this thread. I don’t remember seeing the email, but I hit the spend threshold accidentally when a careless hotel receptionist charged the card on file instead of the card I was brandishing in her face.

Not had the voucher yet, so I shall enter battle with Amex tomorrow. If, as seems likely, I get £400 out of it, I owe someone a Very Big thank you.

[jj]

The only airlines that I’ve flown long haul in a premium cabin in recent years are BA, Virgin and American. By far the greatest number of those have been with BA; most have been good, and some have been great.

From a customer service perspective, by far my worst two flights were with Virgin and American. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Just one person’s experience, of course, and anecdote is not data.

[jj]

The opera house is stunning, has recently been refurbished, and is considerably cheaper than comparable places in the UK or other countries. Even if you’re not normally an opera buff, I would strongly recommend going there for a performance.

And a respectful, reflective walk – maybe even a prayerful walk – around the former Jewish quarter will remind you, if a reminder is needed today, of all days, of the horrors that arise when antisemitism is afforded a comfortable seat in society.

[jj]

Here’s the problem, @masaccio.

I have often stayed in Marriott properties for work where someone has booked the accommodation for me or where I’m fitting in with colleagues’ preferences. Without fail, I have found them to be unimpressive for the price point, being some combination of poorly maintained, ugly, inefficient, or with poor food. I’ve found chipped paintwork, stained carpets, mouldy grouting, dated decor, soulless design, over-bath showers, ultra-processed buffets, commodity beers and harsh wines. That applies equally to 5*, 4* and other properties, to London and to the provinces, but it’s a UK perspective because most of my business travel is in this country.

For that reason, I’ve only once stayed in a Marriott for leisure. It was the last available option in a small town in Idaho, and it was horrible. We even got handed a plunger and told to fix a blocked toilet ourselves because maintenance didn’t work weekends.

It’s only one example, but, in Mayfair, the Marriott in Berkeley Square is a much less attractive place to stay than the nearby Hilton or Intercontinental hotels on Park Lane, but it’s usually more expensive. I suspect the reason is that Marriott has the largest number of price-insensitive ‘Marriott or nothing’ business guests. Regardless of the reason. Marriott hotels are able to command a price premium over similar properties under different management.

If you’re travelling on your own coin, I really wouldn’t bother. If you’re able to persuade your employer to pay over the odds while you rack up points on a business trip where you don’t care too much about the hotel, it may work for you.

[jj]

The reason we ask for this information is because, Curve like any other financial institution, must prevent financial crimes, properly implement anti-fraud measures and international sanctions controls.

Given that explanation for the information request, it would be very odd if they did get in touch. Tipping-off is a serious criminal offence, so they can’t exactly accuse anyone of money laundering. And if they write to all the non-launderers and ignore the miscreants, that’s tipping off by the back door.

A few customers with suspicious habits will quietly have their accounts closed followed a ‘review’ in a month or two. The rest of us will hear nothing.

[jj]

I was in a similar situation about a month ago. We had already decided to eat on the plane, but I concluded that eating in the lounge would have been fine.

I seem to recall a good range of salads with a small amount of hot food at a serving counter. Pulled pork, optionally in a bap, was definitely one choice, but that probably changes from one day to another.

To some extent, it will depend on how fussy and hungry you are. I eat anything so long as it’s not over-seasoned, ultraprocessed or full of sugar, and I would have been fine there for a meal.

[jj]

@NortherLadd, the upgrades certainly seem stronger for repeat stays. I was there on business recently and was upgraded from cosy to one bedroom suite, for example. Surprisingly, given the size of the hotel, several staff there remember me every time I go back.

My problem with the lounge is that Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia (the hotel is on the boundary of all three) have a ridiculous number of beautiful, cosy bars and restaurants. The lounge is nice, but there are much better alternatives on your doorstep for pre-dinner drinks. Especially if you’re staying a few days, it’s a shame not to get out and about.

[jj]

@NorthernLass, it would make sense on destinations with multiple daily flights if one each day were designated as adults only. I’d personally pay a premium, especially on short haul flights where passengers are much more tightly crammed in.

I’m sure others will say that adults can be badly behaved and children can be well behaved. That may true, but I have personally had my peace disrupted on far more flights by children than by adults.

[jj]

Value destruction on an heroic scale. How do you get to own £120m? Easy: give £250m to Curve and wait a couple of years.

[jj]

I would say that the OP raises a very important point. The new Club World is different, but it’s not necessarily better.

The entire travel press gushed enthusiastically when it was launched. “Club Suite is good, very good…it is at the top end of my expectations,” said Rob in HfP, for example; although, to be fair to Rob, he was one of the very few reviewers who picked up the problems. He also said, “The new arrangement is worse than Club World for families with young children because you can’t be within (literal) arms reach of them,” and, “Couples may be annoyed that they need to sit away from the windows, in the middle block, if they want to be able to chat during the flight.”

The problem is that travel reviewers and bloggers tend to do a disproportionate amount of solo travelling and rarely travel with young kids. Club Suite is a (first world, admittedly) disaster for families. It’s also rubbish on a daytime flight for the kind of couples who prefer to chat to each other on a flight rather than watch movies or doom-scroll.

The other disadvantage is more subtle: it occupies a much greater floor area. Being rational business folk, BA only installed it because they thought they’d be able to charge more for the new product, bringing revenue per m2 of aircraft space back into line. They have done just that.