The hotel was beautiful, and the rooms were as well. Most of the staff were very sweet and pleasant. However, we had several service issues that significantly impacted our stay.
One evening, well after midnight, I called the front desk to ask if someone could deliver bottled water to our room because housekeeping hadn’t replenished it that day, and I needed to take my medication. The woman on the phone was very dry and seemed irritated. She told me I could come downstairs and get the water myself. I got out of bed and went to the front desk, where the staff member—who was out of uniform, wearing heels and a blue-and-white outfit— strutted over with a noticeable attitude. When I thanked her, I wasn’t met with a “you’re welcome,” only an unfriendly look that made me feel like I was inconveniencing her. I was so upset afterward that my partner immediately noticed and asked what had happened.
The breakfast buffet at Compass was also very expensive—about $100 USD per day for two people—and, in our opinion, not worth the price. The coffee was mediocre, and overall we felt there were much better places to eat.
Dinner at Compass was unfortunately one of the biggest disappointments of our trip. The service was painfully slow. My partner and I waited about an hour for a small chicken curry and a jackfruit lasagna. Before ordering, my partner specifically asked about the amount of chicken in the curry because they train regularly and need a substantial amount of protein. They were assured it would be sufficient. When the meal finally arrived, the dish consisted mostly of vegetables with only a few small pieces of chicken. It was disappointing, especially considering the price.
The restaurant was nearly empty—only our table and one other table were occupied. The couple next to us was also having issues. The wife received her appetizer while her husband still hadn’t received any food. After waiting approximately 45 minutes, they were told the kitchen had been waiting for her to finish eating before bringing out his meal. When their food finally arrived, they were equally disappointed.
When our server asked how our meal was, my partner politely shared our concerns. The server then informed the head chef, who came to our table and began defending the portions by explaining that because it was “fine dining,” the focus was on taste rather than quantity. My partner replied that if the dish contained so little chicken, it should perhaps be described more as a vegetable curry than a chicken curry, especially after being told beforehand there would be an adequate amount of protein. Instead of simply acknowledging our feedback, the chef responded defensively, and the conversation became uncomfortable.
The irony was that immediately afterward, the chef walked over to the only other occupied table and began arguing with them as well. The older woman at that table eventually asked him to leave them alone. They later told us it had been their date night, they had spent nearly $300 USD on dinner, and they would not be returning. Our dinner came to approximately $160 USD for two, and unfortunately it was not an experience we would repeat.
The food at the lobby restaurant actually tasted good; however, the kitchen was consistently very slow. I frequently ordered the lemon pepper wings, which had been excellent during the first few days. One afternoon, there was a different chef, and the wings arrived only room temperature and without the usual seasoning. We let our waitress know, and she kindly took them back. About ten minutes later, they were returned exactly the same… still room temperature and still lacking flavor. Since I barely ate them, the waitress informed the kitchen, and we overheard the chef say that “not even her child makes her work this hard over some wings.”
During that same meal, I ordered a piña colada at the beginning of our order. It never arrived—not during the meal and not even after we had finished eating and waited another 15 minutes. Eventually, we canceled it because we wanted to get ready and head to the pool. To their credit, the staff apologized, removed the drink from our bill, and still brought us a complimentary piña colada, which we appreciated. One thing we noticed throughout the hotel was that many of the staff members seemed unusually nervous, and we found ourselves wondering why.
Anthony at the bar was fantastic. He quickly became our favorite bartender. Shayonte was also incredibly kind, as were most of the other front desk staff members.
There was another frustrating incident involving room service. The television in our room clearly stated that room service was available until 10:00 PM nightly. After a workout one evening, we placed our order through the hotel’s online ordering system at approximately 9:50 PM and received a confirmation. Around 10:30 PM, when no food had arrived, we called the front desk to ask about our order. We were told that room service had actually ended at 9:00 PM, that they had never received our order, and that the kitchen staff had already gone home.
About ten minutes later, someone from the front desk called back to apologize. They explained that the information displayed on the television was incorrect, that Sunday’s room service hours and menu were different, and that several guests had encountered the same issue. Unfortunately, despite acknowledging that the mistake was entirely theirs, they said there was nothing they could do because the kitchen staff had already left.
When we explained that we had intentionally stayed in because we were planning on ordering dinner, we asked where they would recommend we eat instead. We were simply told there was nowhere else open and that we could buy chips and candy from the front desk. As a result, we went to bed hungry and without dinner. We were disappointed not only by the mistake itself but by the complete lack of empathy or attempt to offer an alternative solution.
Ultimately, we decided to check out early and moved to the new Royalton Vessence in St. James. The difference in our experience was remarkable. The property there was stunning, the beach was swimmable and breathtaking, there were five restaurants included, the staff were exceptionally warm and attentive, and we were even assigned a butler…all for a comparable nightly cost. We genuinely felt welcomed and cared for throughout our stay.
We had originally planned to extend our stay at Hotel Indigo, but ultimately decided against it. While the rooms and property are beautiful, we couldn’t justify paying nearly $1,000 USD per night to extend a few extra nights given the repeated service issues, slow dining experiences, and expensive meals. Compared with the other resort, the Royalton Vessence that we transferred to , which offered significantly more amenities and consistently excellent service for a comparable price, the value simply wasn’t there.
I truly hope the hotel is able to address these issues because the property itself has so much potential. The accommodations are beautiful, but the service still has a long way to go.
