TLDR: The Hotel Luc met minimum expectations of a luxury hotel, but its management failed to address a simple incident, ultimately impacting a very meaningful trip, during which I got engaged. When planning my recent trip to Berlin, I debated between Hotel Luc and the Westin, ultimately choosing the former. Unfortunately, my experience at Hotel Luc has left me regretting this decision. A luxury boutique hotel should excel in room decor, cleanliness, accessible amenities, and courteous staff. However, what truly sets a luxury hotel apart is its management's ability to provide tailored service to guests in handling incidents or requests. So what happened? I got engaged on this trip and wanted to capture the moment in photos around Berlin. Excitedly putting on my favorite cotton dress shirt, I used the hotel iron on the cotton setting. Shockingly, the iron burned huge hole in my shirt, turning the fabric into plastic that stuck to the iron. Immediately, I reported the incident to the front desk, who directed me to email the manager. The manager’s response: “I am very sorry that your shirt apparently could not withstand the heat of the iron and was irreparably damaged. However, I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a refund/ reimbur*****t for this. The use of irons in the room is at your own risk and we are not liable in this case. As it concerns the rear collar area, I hope that you will receive goodwill from the manufacturer by explaining the situation and explicitly pointing out that you have only selected the lowest ironing heat - this may change the liability towards the manufacturer.” In summary, the hotel manager: - Refuses to admit the iron was faulty - Denied any liability - Shifted blame to the clothing manufacturer (Bonobos) - Suggests that I should lie to the clothing manufacturer about the iron setting Upon returning to the US, I filed a complaint with Marriott, which accidentally directed my complaint to the wrong hotel (Moxy). Despite the error, Moxy, an international Marriott brand, promptly offered reimbur*****t, no questions asked. When I corrected the mistake and told them it was the Hotel Luc that was liable, the Hotel Luc manager continued to deny responsibility. A few takeaways from this: - Stay at a larger international brand when traveling abroad for better support - The Hotel Luc failed to address common incident, refusing accountability, while an international brand quickly addressed the issue While the Hotel Luc met my minimum expectations of a luxury hotel, its management’s failure to address a simple request ultimately impacted a very meaningful trip.
- Guest User
What a great hotel! Staying in the first 2 months after opening has always been a risky endeavor in our travels, but the Hotel Luc has knocked it out of the park. Incredible service, beautiful artwork, delicious food - everything was perfectly executed to give us a great 3-night stay. The room was very comfortable, especially the bed. I also had a great view of the neighboring square.
The attached restaurant was great for both breakfast and dinner with fresh local food and great service. A champagne check-in always sets the right tone, and from there, every interaction with every staff member was fun, engaging, and helpful. They went above and beyond to the point where you start to feel a bit guilty as if you don’t deserve to be spoiled this way. But hey, who can complain about feeling like a Queen or a King for a few days!
Would definitely stay here again!
- @Danie1C