7/14/2011
I’ve been here now three nights on a 7-night stay and here’s how it’s going.
1) Yesterday I decided to treat myself to a trip to the hotel’s spa. I booked a 50-minute facial, and a little 30-minute massage to kill the time before the facial. Although I saw plenty of spa robes around I wasn’t offered one, and the massage was mediocre at best, first being ridiculously soft (like, feather soft) lightly rubbing lotion on my back. When I asked him to increase the pressure he hurt me enough to make me cry out “ouch” several times. When it came time for my facial, the aesthetician escorted me to the treatment room and had me get comfortable while she excused herself for a minute. As I lay on the table looking around the room, I began to notice the utterly disgusting condition of the room. The wax pot was filthy and looked as though it had never been changed, complete with ooze running down all sides, a used applicator in it, and stray hair. There were also stray hairs on the equipment next to the bed, everything was covered in a layer of dust/dirt, there was a pile of dirty towels on the floor, and the sterilizer thing was corroded with rust. And remember, this is stuff I saw with the room even dimly lit – the thought of what it would look like in the light is horrifying. There was no way I was letting anything in that room touch my skin, so I got dressed and went to spa reception to cancel my facial and let them know of the condition of the room. I also called the front desk and asked if the spa was managed by the hotel or independently. They said the spa is run by the hotel, so I also let them know about the condition of the spa. Then I took a shower because the thought of anything from that spa touching me is so gross. And as of yet I’ve received no call or acknowledgment from hotel management about this. Seriously, that spa is a health hazard.
2) The hotel’s restaurant, The Regatta, has a menu of your typical American middle-management business traveller hotel, with few healthy or interesting options (especially if you’re a vegetarian). This morning’s breakfast looked as if a 3 year old had had their way with the food for an hour before it was brought to me. I didn’t eat it, and I told the waitress I wasn’t going to pay for the main dish, but I would pay for the side of breakfast potatoes. Granted I offered, but pretty poor customer service that she actually took me up on it and charged me for a quarter plate of food. She did offer to have it re-done, but once my appetite is lost I’m done.
3) Then, I went to the front desk to see if I could borrow a pair of scissors for a few minutes. The clerk actually had the audacity to tell me I would have to leave a deposit. For a pair of scissors. SERIOUSLY?
There is nothing “boutique” about this hotel, and the comfort level is “luxurious” only if you’ve been staying in Motel 6. Super lumpy polyester pillows, scratchy sheets, no room safe or refrigerator, visible dust/dirt/nastiness on nearly every surface in my room (and even in the restaurant booths), and there’s some mysterious brown crud on my shower curtain. Bleech.
The only reason I didn’t give this hotel one star is because the guys working valet are nice and the fitness center is good.
