Trying To Justify NOT Booking A Four Seasons Suite…

Considering how much you stay with your preferred chains, I"d go with venturing outside your normal travel pattern if you can get such great value out of it. Try something new! You have more than enough points to be able to stay one or two nights at a non-points hotel once a year.

I've reluctantly learned not all FS are created equal. I absolutely love FS HK, would not stay anywhere else in HK. FS LA Beverly Hills never ever again (unbelievably arrogant staff plus one time the room was not serviced until after 5 pm). FS Big Island Hawaii really poor service. It's almost as if the best FS are overseas properties.

If you combine this with the offer you mentioned about 20% on your most recent post about four season gift card sounds like a great deal to go with four seasons.

I go to Jakarta 6-7 x a yr and I'd go with the keraton as its location is much better then the FS. Walk right out and you'll have plenty of dining and entertainment options. A lot of the 'local' restaurants are nearby being a short taxi ride away. Plenty of taxis nearby - get either a bluebird or silver bird taxi. Traffic in Jakarta can be awful so location is extremely important. You'll also have access to the club which serves food on demand for most of the day and you'll be upgraded to a large junior suite as a plat. Plus if you're there on the weekend or car free day in Jakarta it's real nice to get onto a bike and do a bike tour of Jakarta.

Lucky, it really comes down to making a choice between a known entity versus taking one for the team for the purpose of reviewing a fairly new hotel. I always get a little apprehensive about staying in a hotel which has recently opened. When faced with making a decision between two fairly comparable hotels, my experience has taught me to err on the side of caution and go with the more mature product. The service standards will be more established, and you won't have the same teething problems you're likely to encounter with new staff getting to grips with a new property. And yes, you can still have staff and service issues at the FS level (I worked there once upon a time, so would know). The Keraton experience I had earlier this year was a hugely enjoyable one, and I would recommend it without question. Here's my write-up: http://travelhighlife.com/hotels/keraton-plaza-a-luxury-collection-hotel-jakarta-haven-of-private-luxury/ The other point rightly mentioned by some of the pundits here is location. The FS is outside what is considered the main thoroughfare of central Jakarta. It is however closer to the airport, so will cut down on your journey time. If this is a typical in-and-out overnighter, then there could be merits to trying out the FS, especially as I'm quite curious to hear what you make of the whole experience. Otherwise if you have a day or more to spend on the ground, as a fellow SPG loyalist, go with the Keraton Plaza. Hope this helps!